David K Butler
@davidkbutler.bsky.social
Lecturer at Maths Learning Centre, Uni Adelaide (my views here). Grad Dip Ed & PhD Finite Geom. Love maths and helping people learn. he/him
Pinned
David K Butler
@davidkbutler.bsky.social
· Oct 20
Hello those drifing through BlueSky.
I mostly post about these:
* My experiences with students in the Maths Learning Centre
* Maths and maths teaching thoughts I have, including live problem-solving
* Books I read (mainly childrens fiction)
* Observations and photos of things I see in the world
I mostly post about these:
* My experiences with students in the Maths Learning Centre
* Maths and maths teaching thoughts I have, including live problem-solving
* Books I read (mainly childrens fiction)
* Observations and photos of things I see in the world
I swing in and out of hope. Today I am definitely out.
In a meeting recently, we were asked to write how we were feeling on a post-it and put it on the chart. I wrote "hopeless". That feeling hasn't changed.
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 AM
I swing in and out of hope. Today I am definitely out.
Reposted by David K Butler
Been thinking a lot about expectations, perfectionism and people pleasing recently
Inspired by britchida’s work
Inspired by britchida’s work
November 9, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Been thinking a lot about expectations, perfectionism and people pleasing recently
Inspired by britchida’s work
Inspired by britchida’s work
Reposted by David K Butler
One of my very favorite things is when a proof asks you to recall something you’ve absolutely never heard of in your life
December 28, 2024 at 8:08 PM
One of my very favorite things is when a proof asks you to recall something you’ve absolutely never heard of in your life
I think about these concepts in evolution often.
Anyway. I like that not everything has to have a good reason to be the way it is, or that reason may be the opposite way around than what you thought, or the reason may be just "fuck it, I’m doing it my way”.
November 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM
I think about these concepts in evolution often.
#read2025
“Father Brown” (the Wordsworth Classics edition) by GK Chesterton.
A collection of Father Brown stories written between 1911 and 1936. Not *all* of the stories, but a decent number of them. I’d never read them before and asked my father in law if I could borrow his.
“Father Brown” (the Wordsworth Classics edition) by GK Chesterton.
A collection of Father Brown stories written between 1911 and 1936. Not *all* of the stories, but a decent number of them. I’d never read them before and asked my father in law if I could borrow his.
November 9, 2025 at 7:44 AM
#read2025
“Father Brown” (the Wordsworth Classics edition) by GK Chesterton.
A collection of Father Brown stories written between 1911 and 1936. Not *all* of the stories, but a decent number of them. I’d never read them before and asked my father in law if I could borrow his.
“Father Brown” (the Wordsworth Classics edition) by GK Chesterton.
A collection of Father Brown stories written between 1911 and 1936. Not *all* of the stories, but a decent number of them. I’d never read them before and asked my father in law if I could borrow his.
Reposted by David K Butler
If you’re wondering what a “least weasel” is, they absolutely live up to the name. This is the least amount of animal you can have that can still meet the bar for “is weasel”
June 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM
If you’re wondering what a “least weasel” is, they absolutely live up to the name. This is the least amount of animal you can have that can still meet the bar for “is weasel”
Reposted by David K Butler
On days when there will be merger meetings, I try to remind myself of what’s important to me, so it won’t get lost in discussions of “business processes”. Today I am thinking about a blog post I wrote ten years ago called “Jack Frost’s Centre”. www.adelaide.edu.au/mathslearnin...
Jack Frost's centre
www.adelaide.edu.au
August 13, 2025 at 10:55 PM
On days when there will be merger meetings, I try to remind myself of what’s important to me, so it won’t get lost in discussions of “business processes”. Today I am thinking about a blog post I wrote ten years ago called “Jack Frost’s Centre”. www.adelaide.edu.au/mathslearnin...
A trillion dollars? A *trillion*?! What the actual fuck?
November 8, 2025 at 11:03 PM
A trillion dollars? A *trillion*?! What the actual fuck?
The university merger thing overwhelming me most today is that there are thousands of people I am going to have to teach about what I do and why I do it and why I do it the way I do it, when I am struggling to help even the new people in the teams closest to me to understand.
November 8, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The university merger thing overwhelming me most today is that there are thousands of people I am going to have to teach about what I do and why I do it and why I do it the way I do it, when I am struggling to help even the new people in the teams closest to me to understand.
Damn I hate writing documents jointly with people, especially people who I disagree with about both the content and what the purpose of each section is.
November 8, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Damn I hate writing documents jointly with people, especially people who I disagree with about both the content and what the purpose of each section is.
Reposted by David K Butler
A woman walks by at the shopping centre with at least eight labubus dangling in clusters from her handbag.
November 8, 2025 at 7:30 PM
A woman walks by at the shopping centre with at least eight labubus dangling in clusters from her handbag.
Reposted by David K Butler
An office window opens and a man leans out of it to shake water out of a plastic salad bag onto the garden bed below.
November 8, 2025 at 7:28 PM
An office window opens and a man leans out of it to shake water out of a plastic salad bag onto the garden bed below.
Did a full-day stint in the Maths Learning Centre and it was so good! I love helping the students. It’s my favourite part of my job and I am sad I haven’t gotten to do as much of it this year.
November 7, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Did a full-day stint in the Maths Learning Centre and it was so good! I love helping the students. It’s my favourite part of my job and I am sad I haven’t gotten to do as much of it this year.
Reposted by David K Butler
A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women
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November 6, 2025 at 8:43 PM
A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women
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I am reminded of this very old blog post entitled "The Seven Doll's Houses". www.adelaide.edu.au/mathslearnin...
November 5, 2025 at 9:30 PM
I am reminded of this very old blog post entitled "The Seven Doll's Houses". www.adelaide.edu.au/mathslearnin...
I often quote “everything looks easy when someone else is doing it” when I want students to do something for themselves rather than just trust my worked example is enough, but the quote could easily apply to leadership and managers to tell them to give the people under them a bit more grace.
November 5, 2025 at 7:55 PM
I often quote “everything looks easy when someone else is doing it” when I want students to do something for themselves rather than just trust my worked example is enough, but the quote could easily apply to leadership and managers to tell them to give the people under them a bit more grace.
Reposted by David K Butler
"Let's use chatbots as a way to better serve students in higher ed" the edtech vendor emails tell me. Bro, fixing persistence and retention is already tough enough. We don't need to put the digital version of a snakepit obstacle course between students and campus services. Come the fuck on.
After spending ten minutes on an automated customer service line while the chatbot repeatedly misspells my name and can't access my account because "I don't recognize your name", I'm starting to think AI may not be the genius future magic efficiency machine i've been told it is
November 5, 2025 at 5:58 PM
"Let's use chatbots as a way to better serve students in higher ed" the edtech vendor emails tell me. Bro, fixing persistence and retention is already tough enough. We don't need to put the digital version of a snakepit obstacle course between students and campus services. Come the fuck on.
Shock! People who like maths are allowed to like other things too. People who are good at maths are allowed to be good at other things too.
November 4, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Shock! People who like maths are allowed to like other things too. People who are good at maths are allowed to be good at other things too.
Reposted by David K Butler
It ought to be possible to teach statistics/programming so it doesn’t feel this way.
March 24, 2025 at 7:25 AM
It ought to be possible to teach statistics/programming so it doesn’t feel this way.
Reposted by David K Butler
It's on my mind because a colleage at another uni was moaning the other day about how maths courses have been "dumbed down" over the years. Even if you think this is true, your STUDENTS aren't dumb. The maths you think is dumber is still advanced to them.
June 14, 2025 at 2:22 AM
It's on my mind because a colleage at another uni was moaning the other day about how maths courses have been "dumbed down" over the years. Even if you think this is true, your STUDENTS aren't dumb. The maths you think is dumber is still advanced to them.
It is always jarring to meet someone who is against the concept of play as a way to support learning and connection. It is so opposite to my own philosophy I struggle to relate to such a person.
November 4, 2025 at 9:05 PM
It is always jarring to meet someone who is against the concept of play as a way to support learning and connection. It is so opposite to my own philosophy I struggle to relate to such a person.
Trig substitution is amazing and all, but I want to try one without it and see if it works. So let me #TryMathsLive on this one:
∫ x^2 / √[16-9x^2] dx
∫ x^2 / √[16-9x^2] dx
November 4, 2025 at 5:49 AM
Trig substitution is amazing and all, but I want to try one without it and see if it works. So let me #TryMathsLive on this one:
∫ x^2 / √[16-9x^2] dx
∫ x^2 / √[16-9x^2] dx
I so thought this said the wizard was having lunch with the manuscript, which honestly wasn’t that surprising.
The wizard is having lunch with the manicurist. He brought chicken, celery and clementine and they are making sandwiches.
November 3, 2025 at 8:56 PM
I so thought this said the wizard was having lunch with the manuscript, which honestly wasn’t that surprising.
I buy a 28-day pass for the train and every time the machine declares my balance has run out I am shocked that a whole four weeks has gone by. That red light and game-show-esque “boing!” are stark reminders of the fleeting nature of existence.
November 3, 2025 at 8:55 PM
I buy a 28-day pass for the train and every time the machine declares my balance has run out I am shocked that a whole four weeks has gone by. That red light and game-show-esque “boing!” are stark reminders of the fleeting nature of existence.
Reposted by David K Butler
study after study after study shows that literally just handing people money and telling them "do what you want with this" reduces homelessness, increases food security for children, makes it more likely people will find and retain jobs.1
November 2, 2025 at 10:31 PM
study after study after study shows that literally just handing people money and telling them "do what you want with this" reduces homelessness, increases food security for children, makes it more likely people will find and retain jobs.1