back to basics

Pass out copies of the Power Point material so students can write right on them.

(Leave lots of white space on the paper.)

Your post reminded me of something a lecturer shared with a group of primarily structural engineers last week. He had several equations on the screen with each having a variety of symbols representing identifiers of physical conditions. In this case, they all related to determining what was influencing a structural member within a structure. His question was: "How do we know these things are what influence the result?"

That was a rather deep thought. As engineering students we each memorized hundreds of specific equations to apply in the various classes we took. Some we can spout off 45 years later with no problem. What he was driving home to us was that someone long before us had put in years of analysis to discover which particular physical effects are significant relative to our specific question. There are other factors, but they are practically irrelevant compared to the magnitude of influence of those listed in the magic equations we memorized.

Today's designer can load certain software, enter a few pieces of data and a few seconds later have an answer. It is an answer. It may not be THE answer.

We grab our tool of choice and ask it to tell us where we are now relative to where we were a bit earlier. We get an answer to the nearest one-hundredth of a foot and second. We move on. But, how do we know if we are getting THE answer? We don't. We take what we have been provided and move on quickly.

In structural engineering, most can apply the same old equations to the same old problems day after day throughout their career. Some, however, are the ones that investigate as many possible influences as they can think of before declaring they have found THE answer. Their project might be rolling around on Mars today or approaching the sun on it's decades long journey. The range of possible effects is far different from what might exist in a standard laboratory setting.

Likewise in the world of land surveying, the surveyor must take in to consideration any and all potential situations where the answer may not be THE answer. Perhaps he is in an area of large magnetic attraction. Perhaps his signal didn't bounce back from what he thought it did due to multiple reflective items in the target area. Perhaps the temperature and barometric pressure differ substantially along the beam's path. Perhaps the initial HI is off slightly due to soil thawing. Perhaps this and perhaps that. The magic software only understands normal.

Maybe I'll see you there. I am staying at the Hilton Garden Inn next door because the Embassy Suites were full.

I hope to meet you. I'll be there all three days.

> Pass out copies of the Power Point material so students can write right on them.
>
> (Leave lots of white space on the paper.)

To add to that, I recently heard someone speaking about doing presentations.
Do NOT read your slide material. People can read that on their own. You can paraphrase or summarize but NEVER read the slides to people.
I've seen presenters do that before and it just makes for one big YAAWWWWN for me.

Something else is the "rule of 3 (three)". [Most] People tend to not remember things until they have heard it for the 3rd time. I don't mean repeat yourself 3 times in a row on stuff.

I'm sure you'll do fine.

The class I will be doing will be a lot of number crunching. We are covering (off the top of my head), Forward traverse calculations, inversing, longhand compass rule adjustment, predetermined area (slide and hinge areas), horizontal and vertical curves, intersections, (distance-distance, distance-bearing, bearing-bearing), triangles, circles, etc.

I have been working through the handout I will be presenting, and because there was no answer key to check myself, I have been working everything longhand, and they working in in Carlson/cogo to double check myself. It has been a very good review for myself. I have relearned a lot that I was rusty on. I hope the class attendees get a lot out of it.

I told all of the guys I trained for the SIT and RPLS, that I'd sign their form, when they could work a 3 point curve longhand and solve for all parts of the curve and various areas.

If you can do that, you can do 95% of any surveying calculation. In 25 years, I've NEVER needed to solve a vertical curve, except on the SIT. I'm okay with that also.

I do agree that adjusting a traverse long hand is important so you understand what the adjustment is doing.

Aloha, Jimmy:
Just wondering if you'd be willing to share your class material or your power point presentation?
I am also completely understand if you can't due restriction that I am not aware of 🙂 But thought it won't hurt to ask:-D

Thanks Jimmy!

yswami,

I will check and see. I don't "own" the material. My power point will not be very detailed. It is basically going to have a few slides with my contact information, and maybe a few things that I want to focus on. Most of the class will be me working the problems with the students on a digital tablet projected onto the projector. I saw that at a seminar last year, and was really impressed.

I do plan on developing some classes on the basics of surveying in the next few years.

The handout was developed by the first teacher of the class. I am the third teacher for this section.

Maybe I'll take this class, and develop some additional problems in a power point type presentation for a future class.

Jimmy

Thanks Jimmy!

I just adopted a new procedure..:gammon: