Weekly Reflection

I had fun planning and creating a presentation to showcase our strategy, to leave the lobe alone.  Between the three of us, we came up with some really great ideas.  Each person took on a different role at the appropriate time (for example, the devil's advocate, as discussed by Colin), and for the most part, we were proud with what we came up with.  More time would've helped, but that's nothing new!

It was great seeing everyone else's ideas presented, as well.  My first choice is still to leave the lobe alone, but my second choice would be to cut it up (last presentation).  I find it hard to imagine a structure that could successfully stop or slow the lobe that wouldn't cause more/other problems.  However, as a few of the groups showed, a few brave souls could calculate the precise structure to stop/slow the lobe--I just wouldn't want to be responsible for that project (because I know I would miscalculate)!

My class is working away on their Mouse Mazes.  Time is running out, and some groups have had to start over regularly because their projects keep getting taken apart by others or falling apart.  The projects take up a lot of room, which we don't have in a room with 26 desks and students.  One group left theirs all put together to test the following day to find out the night crew had picked up it and stacked it!  I've started to put signs up to not disturb the projects, but it hasn't helped all that much because the projects are clearly interfering with the night crew's duty to vacuum and help keep the room clean.  Any ideas?

Weekly Reflection

This week really gave us an opportunity to explore all the different options.  As a group I think we did a good job of dividing the components of the assignment, so I don't think there is anything I would have change.  I think that what would have been nice would have been more time.  I would have like to research more about the cost of building the bridges.  We worked together come up with what solution would work best.  Lexie did a wonderful job building the bridge in Minecraft, while Karen and I researched the pros/cons of the bridge and discussed what we found. 

As much I enjoyed our proposed solution and all the others were very convincing, believe the most creative was Ronna's idea of using the Monster Lobe as a "tourist trap".  She did a great job by herself coming up with some wonderful.  It was a great way to the end the class with a good laugh.  Who wouldn't want a small piece of Alaska!

Piece of cake, piece of pi...

What do you get when you mix a bunch of math nerds with cake to the momentum of 31.25 fsMorgans? Solutions (yes, pun intended) that'll make you burst into song! Oh my, what a fun class.

I loved working with my team. Talk about smart people! Our solution groups felt a bit like James Bond...here is your mission...ok, solve this world crisis in 60 minutes or self-destruct with this message. Ready?...GO! But then, that's part of what makes it fun.

Our group worked from a nature-conservation standpoint. I mean, at the end of the day, who even knows if the lobe is going to make it to the highway, right? So, we developed a solution that would be based on building an alternate roadway that would detour 3-5 miles allowing transportation to continue uninhibited with minimal impact on nature. Based on the figures we were able to locate, we grossly over estimated. A 500 mile road to Nome is estimated at 500 million. We budgeted 1 billion for a 5 mile relocation of road and pipeline, ensuring that the revenue loss and everything else would be covered in the potential costs. Our presentation was started with a lovely song and led quickly to the point of protecting nature with a practical, minimal impact solution.

As with all the other groups, I think we just wanted more time. It would have been nice to better develop a more practical solution for the pipeline as well. We were totally absorbed in locating supporting details to support our solution and the time just, POOF, disappeared! It was fun to have such a colorful slide with all the details on it. I believe this is still my favorite solution. It's like a glacier...we should accommodate it, not destroy it!

If I had to vote for a solution, I'd stick with the one I worked. I don't believe that moving or blowing up or chopping the lobe into pieces will solve anything. There's already an FDL2 and who knows how many more. I think we need to come up with a viable solution that could potentially be applied to future lobes as well. Now, although I think opening a presentation in song tops the charts (another punny! haha), I have to give a shout out to Ronna. Talk about flare! I loved the used barge; icing on the cake.

4/14 Reflection - Lexie

I enjoyed class tonight, as usual.  It was fun to hear everyone’s presentation.  In my group, we spent time discussing what we were going to try and build.  We started off by thinking we would build something similar to an avalanche shed, but after a little research we changed our mind and decided it would be more cost effective to build a bridge with diverters placed strategically to protect the bridge (similar to what AEL&P built).  Once we knew what we were going to build, I volunteered to go into Minecraft and build a model of what we were talking about.  Overall I think that our idea is a viable idea, but it definitely needs more planning and research.

I would have to say that I would vote for the last presentation, I believe it was Ronna.  Mainly because it made me laugh, but also because she had some valid points.  I think that tourist would pay money to come and take away a piece of the lobe.  I also liked the idea about blowing it up!  When they build roads through mountains or around mountains, they have to blow part of it up and haul it away.  This might need more maintenance, but I think almost all options are going to need upkeep.

April 14th Reflection

I really enjoyed class last night. I realized that what I learned about myself in Chip's problem-solving class many, many semesters ago remains true....I love the logic and conversation behind problem-solving but I still do not have enough sophisticated mathematical knowledge to become an engineer.

I like the retaining wall idea. I think it is the most cost and time effective solution. However, I was in the "build a bridge" group and I still think that idea is worth further exploration as well. I don't know how much time we have before the Lobe reaches the road. 250ft. is not a lot of distance but 1cm/day does buy some time. That being said, I am not sure the road can be saved by a bridge but the pipeline could be. I don't support any plan that involves altering the pipeline. It has been in place for 30+ years and if it is disturbed the cost to the environment may be irreversible. It must be stopped somehow. That is irrefutable.

As far as our group presentation, it would have been nice to have had some sort of graphic like the first group did. However, we spent quite a bit of time defining and refining our solution and we did quite a bit of research, leaving little time to put together anything more formal. Lexie did an outstanding job building our model in Minecraft!

He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance.

This line is the last line in Frankenstein.  The Monster Lobe is a Frankenstein of sort.  We see it as destructive, but maybe it really isn't.

Until last night I thought the idea of building a tunnel/bridge was a good solution.  After last night, I am really jazzed about the cutting it up idea.  If it is cut up then the Monster Lobe could make some money.  Probably not as much as it will cost to cut it up, but still some money.

If I had more time last night, I would have created a more attractive slide.  I didn't even realize the slide was there until three minutes before the end of the study session.

I think I am onto something.  Think of the work that would be created for some of the young people in the state.  Think of the tourism that would be brought to Gate of the Arctic National Park (building a hotel from Monster Lobe blocks).  It is probably a pipe dream, but I like it anyway.

And the Winner is ... (Reflection 12)

I think the best solution is to build retaining walls.  Either that or find some unconventional solution like worms or something to eat it.  Yes, I was in the group that did retaining walls, but I also still think it might be the very best solution.  I loved all the other ideas and presentations.  Ronna did a great job all by herself.  I think there are fewer cons to the retaining wall solution than other solutions. 
For instance,  if we leave it alone and move the highway and pipeline, who knows where the Monster Lobe will stop.  Yes, we know it's path right now, but what will happen when it gets down into the valley?  What will happen when it gets to the river?  Will we have to move the pipeline and road again years down the road?  Building a bridge/tunnel/etc all have the same issue,  will we have to do it again later on when the Monster Lobe keeps moving down the valley once it reaches the valley?

I do kind of like the cutting it up idea, and maybe that is the right idea?   But what to do with all the material?

If we could have done something different in my group, I would have liked to have more time to be able to do a bit more research on retaining walls and cost.  Other than that, I think we did a good job.

Side note,  I am so excited about how much my Second Graders are learning about the Monster Lobe and math, and other things associated with my project.  I am wondering if I can have them build a model of the Monster Lobe for their science fair, and then show their solution.  I guess we will see.  Maybe we will be able to come up with something else, like What type of structure is the best to stop a moving object? 

Class Reflection 4/14

Class last evening initially caused me to worry some.  I don't feel like I am able to produce the kind of work (or presentations, in this case) that I am proud of in such a short time.  That being said, I really enjoyed working with Debbie.  I wish my husband had physically been in class last evening.  He was already in Illinois so I was keeping him up while we chatted about breaking up the Monster Lobe by using explosives.  I also spent about an hour after class talking with my brother-in-law about blowing up the Monster Lobe; he used to be an EOD tech.  We had a great discussin about different options we could use if we were unable to get an auger on the terrain near the Monster Lobe.  It would be neat to have people from the military come in and share their expertise with those who are working on solutions to tackle the Monster Lobe.

In class you asked what we would change.  I think I would have made an initial slide quickly and then went out and researched.  1 hour is just not enough time to do the kind of research we needed to do.  I think Debbie and I both had great ideas.  It would have also been neat to show it with Minecraft.  Colin is able to do this much faster than I am; I move at a pace similar to the zombies as they wander around trying to eat people. 

Overall, class was good.  As I said before I am still very nervous to go first next week, but as my husband so kindly pointed out...I will be done first. :)  Have a great rest of the week!


Oops....almost forgot!  I am not sure that I have a favorite solution to the Monster Lobe.  I think the most effecient will probably be a combination of a few options.  I think some of the Monster Lobe may be able to be blown up and moved out in pieces, making it smaller.  Then, the portion that remains could be held with a barrier similar to a snow net or a retaining wall?  Just ideas.

Reflection 12: Monster Lobe Solutions

Class tonight, like usual, was fun!  It was great to hear all the different solutions to this monster lobe problem.  I would love to see the blockade in action.  That seems like it would be fun to watch in a simulation, though I am not sure it would hold back the monster lobe.  It may work for avalanches, but the debris in the monster lobe just seems as if it would just knock it over like a deck of cards.  

 I still like the underground idea.  I am not sure how building a tunnel under permafrost would be done, but if we could just bury the road and the pipeline it would be out of the way and they wouldn’t have to move either of them out of the way (just under the way).  I also really like Ronna’s idea.  That was so inventive.  I loved her backing as well.   

The solution I liked the best was still to move the road and the pipeline.  I still feel that this is such a large mass we are dealing with.  It is like a glacier, we should let nature run its course.  I feel that we could have decided which direction we could have gone, underground vs. across the river, etc…  If we had a definite idea on how we wanted to divert it then we could have sold the idea even more.  Also, with more time we could have come up with more research on the cost. 

What I've learned.... more Pirates of the Caribbean thinking Week 11 Reflection!

Ahaa!!  You just provoked an epiphany for me!!!   This is what I've been trying to put my finger on all term for both classes.  It was nice to learn what I can do!  I haven't been stretched academically or creatively like this since I was a kid! I loved playing with this stuff. I loved using this stuff to satisfy a creative vision.  I loved experimenting with new things.  The joy was working with people who get it and who challenged me to go way outside my zone and pony up some new skills. The headache I've had for the last week is a new brain size!  It is nice to be valued for the things we all bring to the table.  I'm copying this into my blog but your last email brought that into sharp focus! Thank you!

This is a copy of an email I responded to a colleague who mentioned  "Always nice to know that the kind of people that I want to work with see value in what I can do :)"    That's what's been lurking under the surface of my thoughts on this semester's classes!  It's been amazing to be connected consciously with what I can do mathematically and technologically and to be surrounded by people of the same tribe who challenge me and allow me to challenge them!  This has what I've been struggling to get to all semester!  
I really believe this is the core of all great learning experiences for everyone.  This is what we work to bring to our classrooms!  It's about the skill and art of learning.  

Now, onto the Monster Lobe class! Fun!  After listening to the presentations I'm a fan of the multiple retaining wall idea first and then second, diverting. Low maintenance, less wear and upkeep than a road, Cost and long term solutions seem to be at the forefront.  Whenever we approach this problem, for me, it's not the highway that's the issue, it's the pipeline.  Making changes to that will be hugely disruptive in stopping oil production, and making any changes to the pipeline are just hugely expensive. After living on the Slope for 16 years, anything done to the permafrost seems to have multiple unintended, expensive consequences.  Each road we built in a village needed a 7-10 foot gravel pad to insulate the permafrost to keep it frozen so the road wouldn't collapse because the permafrost melted.  

The only thing I would change about our presentation was to have some outside resources cited to lend some more credibility to the presentation.