Geometry is another area that has been daunting to me all of my life. I don't like angles, I don't like the Pythagorean Theorem, I don't like calculating area and all of that other stuff that goes along with geometry. Coming upon geometry in this class really bummed me out, although I knew it was going to come eventually. . Here are some tips and tricks I have come up with that have helped me through geometry (and really ALL math problems):
Slow down - if you try to rush through it just to get it out of the way, you'll end up stressing yourself out even more.
Read the problem and reread it again - sometimes I find that I don't know what the problem is asking me or what to do because I didn't read the problem correctly to begin with!
Consult a resource - this could be a friend, the Internet, a teacher or a spouse, anyone who may know more about the subject or topic at hand than you do.
Try, try again - don't give up if you can't come up with the right answer. Keep trying because eventually you will get it and when you do, it will make you confident for the next problems.
The Internet offers so much information and videos and tutorials for anything geometry related. One thing that really gets me sometimes is the Pythagorean Theorem. Here is a YouTube video that helped me "get" this concept a little bit better:
Math Cloud
Thoughts on Elementary Math
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Expanded Notation - 1510
Expanded notation keeps bugging me! As many times as I've worked through doing this, I still struggle with it, especially if it comes up on a test. I can't keep it in my mind. I think that I get confused because the power of 10 doesn't correspond with the number of places there are in the number, and that's because the final power of 10 is ZERO, not one.
So, I think that it might help me (and you) to remember how to write a number in expanded notation if you start from the ones place and write it out backwards. For example, to write 358 in expanded notation, I would start with 8 and multiply by 10 to the 0 power, then move on to 5, then 3. The trick to this is to remember to write it out right to left, not left to right or you will have the wrong number!
This video also give a good explanation if my way is too confusing:
Even though this concept has given me trouble as of recently, I think these tips and tricks will help me remember how to do it when it comes to something like a test where I don't have a book or resources to reference and have to rely on my own mind!
So, I think that it might help me (and you) to remember how to write a number in expanded notation if you start from the ones place and write it out backwards. For example, to write 358 in expanded notation, I would start with 8 and multiply by 10 to the 0 power, then move on to 5, then 3. The trick to this is to remember to write it out right to left, not left to right or you will have the wrong number!
This video also give a good explanation if my way is too confusing:
Even though this concept has given me trouble as of recently, I think these tips and tricks will help me remember how to do it when it comes to something like a test where I don't have a book or resources to reference and have to rely on my own mind!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Variance Schmariance....1512
I don't think I've been this frustrated in a long time! I knew that things wouldn't stay easy for long in this class but I did not expect to get hung up like I was when I came upon calculating variance! I don't know how many times I worked these problems over in the homework and practiced them out of the book. I also followed examples and step-by-step instructions in the homework assignments, but I still could never come out with the right answer. Finally, I realized I had to take a deep breath, take a break, and come back to it.
When I finally came back to variance, I decided that the first thing I needed to do was SLOW DOWN. Then I needed to take each step one at a time and make sure that all the numbers I was plugging in were right and that I was completing each part of the steps. Once I slowed down and stopped panicking, I was able to think and calculate better (thank goodness!).
The definition of variance and how to find it is what threw me off. This can seem a little daunting:
(S^2) = summation[( x - mean)^2] / n-1
In easier terms, variance is computed as the average squared deviation of each number from its mean.
First, find the mean of the set of numbers you have.
Then, subtract the mean you calculated from each number in the set.
Now, square each number that you have come up with.
Finally, add those squared numbers together and divide them by the amount of numbers that existed in the original set.
For instance, for the numbers 1, 2, and 3, the mean is 2 and the variance found this way:
If this isn't helpful or you're still confused, you can watch this video. It was helpful for me! I can do this with or without a calculator, and the video show to use one, but you obviously don't have to. I think it's a good idea to do it without for the sake of becoming less dependent on them. This is doable! The following site was also great!
Variance and Standard Deviation Site
When I finally came back to variance, I decided that the first thing I needed to do was SLOW DOWN. Then I needed to take each step one at a time and make sure that all the numbers I was plugging in were right and that I was completing each part of the steps. Once I slowed down and stopped panicking, I was able to think and calculate better (thank goodness!).
The definition of variance and how to find it is what threw me off. This can seem a little daunting:
(S^2) = summation[( x - mean)^2] / n-1
In easier terms, variance is computed as the average squared deviation of each number from its mean.
First, find the mean of the set of numbers you have.
Then, subtract the mean you calculated from each number in the set.
Now, square each number that you have come up with.
Finally, add those squared numbers together and divide them by the amount of numbers that existed in the original set.
For instance, for the numbers 1, 2, and 3, the mean is 2 and the variance found this way:
If this isn't helpful or you're still confused, you can watch this video. It was helpful for me! I can do this with or without a calculator, and the video show to use one, but you obviously don't have to. I think it's a good idea to do it without for the sake of becoming less dependent on them. This is doable! The following site was also great!
Variance and Standard Deviation Site
Unions and Intersections of Sets - 1510
When I was in school, math was not my favorite subject and I seem to remember very little other than the basics and for anything difficult or unfamiliar I turn to a calculator or the Internet to help me. So far this class (1512) has not thrown anything at me that I wasn't able to figure out without a refresher, until now, that is. This week, I ran into some problems when our section began discussing sets, specifically when it came to unions and intersections of sets. I remember disliking this stuff back in high school and I cringed when I had to start doing it this week.
The chapter that I read did a good job of explaining sets, and what an intersection or a union is, but when I went to work on the homework problems I kept forgetting which was which and would find myself referring back to the book again. I know it sounds silly, but I finally realized something that will hopefully help me remember the difference between the two:
The U is the union and it's like a marriage - everything comes together and becomes one. The intersection is just like a traffic intersection - the roads that each car is on are separate, but the place in the middle where all the roads become ONE is the intersection, and that's the same with the sets. The intersection includes the elements that are in common.
I also found that Venn diagrams are helpful to me in understanding this concept. I am a visual learner and I really found it helpful to look at the idea of a union and an intersection, and it was even more helpful to create a few of my own. Also, the video below was also helpful and I think it would be helpful for a younger student that may not being grasping the concept.
Now that I've gone through this stuff, the unions and intersections of sets aren't as daunting or as confusing to me anymore. I hope that if you had any issues with this concept, this blog has helped you in some way to understand!
The chapter that I read did a good job of explaining sets, and what an intersection or a union is, but when I went to work on the homework problems I kept forgetting which was which and would find myself referring back to the book again. I know it sounds silly, but I finally realized something that will hopefully help me remember the difference between the two:
The U is the union and it's like a marriage - everything comes together and becomes one. The intersection is just like a traffic intersection - the roads that each car is on are separate, but the place in the middle where all the roads become ONE is the intersection, and that's the same with the sets. The intersection includes the elements that are in common.
I also found that Venn diagrams are helpful to me in understanding this concept. I am a visual learner and I really found it helpful to look at the idea of a union and an intersection, and it was even more helpful to create a few of my own. Also, the video below was also helpful and I think it would be helpful for a younger student that may not being grasping the concept.
Now that I've gone through this stuff, the unions and intersections of sets aren't as daunting or as confusing to me anymore. I hope that if you had any issues with this concept, this blog has helped you in some way to understand!
Friday, June 10, 2011
First Time Blogging!
Today I set out to create my very first blog account and I have done it! I am really happy with the way it has turned out and I can't wait to start writing my first posts related to elementary mathematics. I look forward to a fun and informative semester of learning how to teach math!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)