posted
Math actually really can be fun, even though most of my math teachers tried their hardest to convince me otherwise.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
Bah! I hate math. As most people in high school do (in my experience). I happen to be exellent at it though.
Posts: 1401 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
What moment when I understood...I learned algebra but did I for one moment understand what I was doing? No.
I realize it is useful--to someone. I also realize that math is important. I mostly realize that I am not one of the chosen students that will ever ever have a passionate love for algebra.
Still, more power to those to whom it speaks to. We all need a language we can hold on to.
Posts: 392 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Today I asked my kids to remind me what the Fibonacci Sequence was (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 . . . ). I then boasted that I could add the first ten faster in my head than they could using calculators, and I did (143). Somebody suggested I had memorized the sum. I then challenged them to come up with the first two "seed numbers" themselves (eg: 3 & 4: 3, 4, 7, 11, 18, 29, 47, 76, 123, 199) and still added them faster (517). At this point, someone suggested that I had been adding them in my head as I wrote them on the board. So I asked a couple of students to write the first ten terms of a different Fibonacci-style sequence on the board while my back was to the board, while a student with a calculator was sent out of the room. When the students at the board were done, the one outside was invited back in . . . in time for me to tell him the sum of the numbers.
I then challenged the students to go home and figure out the trick.
posted
I can't even think in terms of math. I'm horrible at it... But, there are some interesting concepts that can be understood only in terms of math...
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Ic, are you going to tell? I googled it, I tried to make my dad tell me (and he showed me some patterns, but my eyes started to cross . . .), I tried adding things and multiplying things . . .
I give! There's a reason I teach science, not math (and it's not that I don't like math -- I do)!
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Math is fun, and Icarus has a great way of teaching. That's the way a lot of my high school math was done ("Look, here's something cool! Now why do you suppose that would be?")
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Ic might be using the Launch-Explore-Summarize pattern that the evil math teachers taught us this summer.
After that class, I saw everything in terms of possible linear equations. It was just so darned geeky of me! I am a lit geek, darn it all!
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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One day, a person later to be known as Psychotriad was asked to take an advanced math placement test that the school district was test-running. Because of his aptitude on this test, Ken was allowed to be bussed to the Jr. High School in the morning every day for a more advanced math class, before taking a different bus back to the elementary school, where he was a 6th grader.
He was completely enthralled by this cool new math. In fact, He would even then try to teach it to his friends (poor Ken didn't have many friends, can you see why?)
Ken then continued through advanced math placements, taking highschool algebra in 7th grade, geometry in 8th, all the way up until he aced the AP Calculus exam as a junior.
To this day, he is still taking math courses, though varied more in topic and difficulty (Differential Equations vs. Math for Elementary Teachers). Ken is still enthralled with math. Go math geek, go.
Posts: 271 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Yes, Anna Toretha is most delightfully insane .
BTW, kaioshin, what's even cooler is you can prove that using trigonometric identities, no series expansion involved.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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I can honestly say that I HATE math. It was my worst subject in grade school, junior high, high school, and it continues to be my worst in college.
I struggle so much with it and this semster has been the worst.
The college I'm going to has been jerking me around so much with it. First I was signed up for what I thought would be my final math class and then a slight change in management at the college caused them to say, " Hey, we don't think your ready for this class. You should take this other class..." So I reluctenly took that class.
And then, thinking I was all set, I was ok with it. Of course, thats when they said, " No, your not ready for this one either. You should take this one! "
So..I said..ok. Fine. Whatever.
Of course, all through this, they refused to give me a tutor. They didn't believe me (or most likely didn't want to believe me) that I needed a tutor. Ok, it was basically money. They didn't want to pay for a tutor (aside: I have no way to pay for a tutor. So I depend on the college and grants to help with the money issues)
So, I'm in the new class. Its a math lab. That means you can take your time with the class..right?
Wrong. In fact, they changed the lab and turned it into a lecture class, with a teacher. ONE day a night. No tutor. And Hardly any time to take a test (because the teacher is talking through most of the class..).
Oh and no homework. So my grade depends on the tests.
Ugh! See why I hate math? Especially even more now? Not just because I don't understand it, but because I have so much trouble getting help with it.
People who understand math, don't seem to understand those of us who don't understand it.
I guess I'm like that with English. I love English and I don't understand why some people don't like it. Its so easy. Its nothing like math. Math you have to constantly work at. English. Well, if you know how to read and write, you can understand English. Its not that hard, imo.
Math, though, is a constant muscle that must be used.
Anyway, sorry for all the complaining. I realize I'm new here and coming into a thread about math and winning about it prob makes you all think I'm dumb. Maybe I am. lol.
I just have not had good math experiences. *sigh*
I doubt I'm going to pass this math class...or the next one..
DF2506 " Might get a tutor, I'm trying to, but these people seem determined to not let me get one. I really need to change colleges I think.."
Posts: 128 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Maybe some of the people who love math would be willing to help Belle and DF2506. Not in the “do your homework” sense, but by suggesting different ways of looking at concepts that you’re having trouble with.
<---- former high school math team captain. Still resents the fact that we had to be our own cheerleaders. And that most of our cheers were banned.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
See, I considered that. But I've tried to teach math before and all I managed to do was hurt feelings.
Those of us who have formed mental shortcuts in our brains have a really hard time getting back up on the main path, because the shortcuts have become deep ruts. It's hard for me to see things from the point of view [of someone] who doesn't look at math like I do.
posted
Ic, doing out the algebra leaves me with a spot of arithmetic that is still not terribly fast. Faster than just adding all ten numbers in my head, but I doubt I could beat somebody with a calculator.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I'd be happy to help anyone who struggles with undergraduate math or below, insofar as my schedule allows.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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