Accelerated Math

by Taylor Powell | Sep 13, 2016 | Math

Benefits of  the Accelerated Math Program

By Taylor Powell

As students approach middle school and high school, some students may be placed in an accelerated program depending on their standardized test scores and performance in previous math classes. There are major benefits in putting in the extra effort and time that comes with these advanced math courses. With this being said, this option is not a good fit for everyone. For example, someone who is not dedicated and willing to put this additional work in would not be very successful on this track, despite his or her natural ability. If your child decides to enter or continue this approach to middle school or high school, however, he or she has the opportunity to reap major benefits.

• More math classes: One advantage of this accelerated track is your student’s ability to take more math classes in high school. Many high schools have added math classes that used to only be available in college, which gives them the opportunity to learn high-level math earlier in their academic career. Because they finish the on-level classes for high school within the first couple years, they are able to take classes, such as Calculus and Statistics, which prepares them more for college.

• Advanced Placement classes: AP classes also becomes available in high school if your student has sustained this challenging program. AP classes allow a student to take a college class in a high school environment for the chance to get credit by passing an end-of-the-year AP exam. This rigor is exactly what colleges are looking for. In fact, prestigious schools may expect the student to have completed and been successful in these AP classes because they are looking for distinguished, diligent individuals. It also saves money because you do not have to spend thousands of dollars to take these math courses in college if your student passes the exam and receives credit.

• Environment: In these Honors and AP classes, the students tend to be more focused and ready to learn. This creates a less distracting environment for your student by placing them with like-minded individuals. The teachers of these classes know the students in them are driven and prepared to work, which allows them to be more flexible and willing to help. These factors help create an overall beneficial environment for the student.

Ultimately, if you and your student feel confident in his or her ability to take on this extra challenge when entering middle school or high school, it is definitely recommended. Because of these opportunities, your student will be more prepared for college and, therefore, more successful.  It is important to discuss this topic with your student when the time comes, so he or she understands the benefits that will come if they work hard!

Fear of Math

by Ty Hilton | Jun 28, 2016 | Math

Arithmophobia

Arithmophobia is defined as the fear of numbers, but can also be used to describe the fear of math. This is of course an irrational fear because numbers and their systematic operations called mathematics are crucial to every person’s daily life. It doesn’t matter what your occupation is, because at some point you are going to have to figure out how many tomatoes to use for dinner or whether you got ripped off at the grocery store.

This fear seems ridiculous, because it is difficult to understand why or even how someone could fear math to a degree that it is a phobia. However, arithmophobia may be linked to two other phobias: bathophobia and cainophobia which may seem more relatable. Bathophobia is the fear of depth, and cainophobia is the fear of anything new. Even though bathophobia is defined as the fear of physical depth, like a lake or cavern, it can also apply to abstract ideas. This makes sense because whenever someone is learning something in math, it is both new and filled with depth.

Another fear that may relate to arithmophobia is atychiphobia which is the fear of failure. Not getting the right answer to a math problem or not understanding a math concept should never be perceived as failure, even though you might get a failing grade because of it. What is important to know, is that you do not fail when you are wrong the first time, the second time or the nth time, you fail in mathematics when you give up.

Bathophobia, cainophobia, and atychiphobia are three phobias that are rational under the right circumstances. All three fears can quite possibly save your life in certain situations. However, when an individual is doing math, it is unwise to let any of these three fears to take control to form arithmophobia. It is important to understand that no matter how seemingly complex the calculations are, no matter how devastatingly unfamiliar the methods are, and no matter how improbable success in mathematics is, do not give up. Because you can always learn from mathematics no matter if you succeed or fail.

Learning Disabilities

by Mollie Hanshaw | Jun 2, 2016 | Math

Working with Students with Learning Disabilities

Some people believe that in order to succeed in anything you have to have at least a little bit of talent, but you don’t.  All you need is a little bit of effort. That being said, here are 10 things that require zero talent:

1. Being On Time
2. Work Ethic
3. Effort
4. Body Language
5. Energy
6. Attitude
7. Passion
8. Being coachable/teachable
9. Doing extra
10. Being prepared

Keep these in mind when I introduce my topic for today: helping students with learning difficulties.

In searching for ways to help students with learning disabilities, remember that you are looking for ways to help them help themselves. In the long run, facing and overcoming a challenge such as a learning disability can help your student grow stronger and more resilient.  A good attitude won’t solve the problems associated with a learning disability, but it can give your student hope and confidence that things can improve and that he or she will eventually succeed.

Tips for dealing with your student’s learning disability

• Keep things in perspective. Remind yourself that everyone faces obstacles. Don’t let tests and school bureaucracy distract you from what’s really important—giving your student plenty of emotional and moral support.
• Become your own expert. Do your own research and keep up to date of new developments in learning disability programs, therapies, and educational techniques. You are the foremost expert on your student, so take charge when it comes to finding the tools he or she needs in order to learn.
• Remember that your influence outweighs all others. Your student will follow your lead. If you approach learning challenges with optimism, hard work, and a sense of humor, your student is likely to embrace your perspective—or at least see the challenges as a speed bump, rather than a roadblock. Focus your energy on learning what works for your student and implementing it the best you can.

Success for the student with learning disabilities requires a focus on individual achievement, individual progress, and individual learning. This requires specific, directed, individualized, and intensive remedial instruction for students who are struggling. This may seem like a lot to take on, but the most important thing to remember is that your student’s success is your success, and the joy of that success will be felt by them and by you.

Math and Summer Fun

by Hanna Fleeman | May 13, 2016 | Math

Math and Summer Fun

What do you think of when I say summer vacation? Pool parties, band camp, sleep-away camp, tons and tons of sleep?  How about math?  Studying?  Not so much, right?  What if I told you that you could do math over summer? *gasp* Shocking I know, but it would be so beneficial to you!  I’m going to give you a few ways to make summer math fun:

1. Games

It may shock you to hear that yes, there are math games, and it is super easy to create your own!  Think of your favorite family game and add a math element to it.  Uno, for instance, is a great example!  Use the cards to practice your addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skills! Make the red and yellow cards negative and the blue and green cards positive and compete with friends to get the largest number using the cards you’re dealt. There are so many endless possibilities; just pick your favorite game and roll with it.  Be sure to share your ideas with your teacher when you go back to school in the fall!

2. Give Yourself a Project

Any project!  It can be fun, informational, and interesting!  Pick any math topic you like! How about starting a garden?  Plant beans, tomatoes, flowers, whatever you like!  Count and see how many grow per day and per week.  Graph your results and decorate it.  This project would make a great scrapbook too!  It will also be something interesting to write about in the typical “What I Did Over Summer Break” essay you’ll have to write come August for english class.

3. Math Drills

Okay, so this one doesn’t sound as fun, but if you make it into a competition with friends and get prizes involved I bet you’d have a blast!  Make note cards with the multiplication tables from 1-12, perfect squares, and perfect cubes, and see how fast you can go!  This will also be super helpful when you get back to school. (Especially the times tables!)

4. Bake

Baking = Math! (And chemistry if you wanna get technical).  Bake a cake, cookies, or bread from scratch!  This will help you understand fractions (especially if you wanna half a recipe, or double one!).  Once you’re done baking, decorate your cake or cookies with any theme you want (Maybe a math theme?) and then enjoy!

5. Learn a New Skill

This one doesn’t necessarily have to be math!  Have you ever seen something and wanted to know how to do it?  Well, do some research!  Take a summer class!  This is a great way to expand your mind and improve your study skills.  You could learn a new language or about art, or join a book club!  Anything that spikes your interest.

Hopefully these things sounds as fun to you as they do to me.  Remember, get creative!  There is no limit to what you can do with math and your mind! Math is all around you waiting to be discovered and explored! You might just discover that you like math, and if nothing else, you will certainly do better in school if you practice some of your basic skills before fall comes around. Being ahead of the group could give you a lot of advantages in the future and in life in general.

Top 5 Skills to be a Successful High School Student

by Rebecca Mayer | May 4, 2016 | Math

Being a student is hard, stressful, and time consuming. This is a small list of the most important things I have discovered over time that I believe are the most beneficial things a student can do to be successful, without all the stress.

Time Management and Procrastination

Time management is a big part of high school success. Having a lot of homework to do and the motivation to do it will only get you so far unless you plan out the time to actually complete the assignments. High schoolers are notorious for busy schedules, being a part of sports and countless clubs, students often find it hard to set out time to do homework. This is when procrastination becomes a big problem.

Waiting until the last minute to complete homework is how bad grades appear because the work is not the best it could be. Creating a weekly schedule that lays out when all due dates are and when you have time available for doing work can go far when trying to be successful.

Start out each night with the things that are either due the soonest or the hardest and most time consuming. You don’t want to start  with the easiest thing and then not have the motivation or time to complete the rest. Setting out enough time to complete all assignments well is the first step to getting good grades.

Note Taking

The main  problems students have with studying for tests are that they don’t understand the textbook or the online notes that the teacher provided. The issue is that the words in the textbook are about as complex as the information gets, and you might not understand all the words it uses or all the material.

Bringing a notebook to class and some colorful pens will help with note taking in class. Don’t write down exactly what the teacher says, instead reword it to be in your own words. This way, when you’re studying, you will know exactly what the paper says and studying your own notes will help you remember what the teacher taught.

Use whatever note style best suits you, whether it’s bullet points or drawing a lot of pictures. Also, using colored pens and highlighters all over the paper will help you remember the material more on the test. Usually, when I read a question on a test, I am able to picture where it was in my notes.

Organization

It is very easy to let that school binder get bogged down with all of the papers students get daily. This makes it very easy to lose assignments, misplace papers, or crumple them. The best way to keep your binder organized is to put in colored pocket dividers, one for each subject.

I like to coordinate the colors of the dividers in my binder with the notebooks and folders for each class, so math has a green divider and a green notebook. This way, when I’m in math, I can flip to the green divider and all of my worksheets will be neatly placed in the folder, not shoved into my backpack. Then it’s easy to reach for the green notebook to be prepared to take notes and turn in homework.

Doing homework after school is also easier and less time consuming. When you’re able to grab an assignment out of a colored folder, where you know it will be, it makes it easier to start that homework and get it done.

Get to Know the Teacher

Or maybe I should say let the teacher get to know you. Sitting in the front of the classroom is one of the main signs to a teacher that a student is in their classroom ready to learn and succeed.

Asking questions in class can make the teacher feel like you care about their class and the subject, and most importantly, that you believe the teacher can successfully teach you, and you value their opinion about the topic.

Going to your teacher’s tutoring sessions can also help the teacher get to know you. When studying the night before prepare a list of questions you have, so you can make the most of the teacher’s time during sessions.

Getting to know the teacher and spending time showing that you care about their class will help you because the teacher will be more willing to help tutor a student that they like, and that they know cares.

Stay Positive and Motivated

Getting a poor grade on a test is not the end of the world. It is all part of the learning experience.

When you do bad on a test in a certain class this tells you that you need to study harder for the next test in order to do better. The point of learning is to improve your skills and knowledge, not to start out a pro at each subject.

A bad grade on the first test of a class will not make or break your high school career. All the grades will get buffered out by the tons of grades you receive throughout the semester, so there is no need to stress about the very first grades you get. Do not let bad grades discourage you from continuing to try the rest of the year, and stay motivated to get a better grade on the next test!

Attempting to complete all of these success tips every day when you go to school, even just a couple at a time, can change your grades and the way you go through your education. It will certainly help your grades, and you will have a great learning experience.

Reprogram Your Brain

by Chuck Summers | Apr 19, 2016 | Math

How to Reprogram Your Brain

You no doubt have heard the expression, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Well, it turns out you can. The human brain is quite elastic and can be molded and changed, even in older people.

Imagine a ski slope that has a fresh fall of snow. At first the slope is a dream come true because you have full control, and the slope is not too fast. As time goes on and more people use the slope, the grooves get deeper and faster because of ice build-up. You have less freedom to veer from the path, but you can go faster.

The Brain is similar in that you can purposely increase the speed of processing. The synapses that provide the connections within the pathways will shrink the gaps with more use. This will also add more synapses for the purposes you program your brain to do. This applies to whatever you want to learn, whether it be math, history or a language. Brain washing techniques use this to reinforce ideas that are being promoted, but you can purposefully do the same to yourself. It is no mystery that when you focus on a topic and repeat exposure to it over and over that you will master the subject.

In a study at Harvard Medical School it was found that not only was repetition of a particular task necessary to rewire the brain, just the mere thought of doing the task also had a similar result! Check out this article from Time: https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1580438,00.html

“Mental practice resulted in a similar reorganization” of the brain, Pascual-Leone later wrote. If his results hold for other forms of movement (and there is no reason to think they don’t), then mentally practicing a golf swing or a forward pass or a swimming turn could lead to mastery with less physical practice. Even more profound, the discovery showed that mental training had the power to change the physical structure of the brain.

This is great news for those of us who think they aren’t smart or strong. Because we CAN teach “an old dog new tricks”. The neuroplasticity of the brain extends even into old age. Even with damage, such as a stroke:

“If a stroke knocks out, say, the neighborhood of motor cortex that moves the right arm, a new technique called constraint-induced movement therapy can coax next-door regions to take over the function of the damaged area. The brain can be rewired.“

There is a verse in the Bible that is useful in understanding this effect:

Philippians 4:8-9 (ESV)

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

The impact focused thought can have on your life is amazing.  When you think on good things as the verse says, your brain rewires itself to be much more open to such things and less so towards others. If you want to have a positive outlook, fill your mind with positive thoughts. The inverse is also true, when you think “unhappy thoughts” you will bring these thoughts to fruition, and your brain will actually make it easier to have such thoughts in the future.

So what does this have to do with learning MaTh? For one, if you start training your mind to think in mathematical patterns, even simple ones, then your brain will rewire and accommodate your efforts. Practice with simple math puzzles and logical problems. If you don’t know where to start, we at MaThCliX can help. It will expand your mind and help you to learn other similarly patterned subjects. Attaching positive emotions to the process will also help your brain rewire It is more difficult to learn something you don’t like.  There is a saying among motivational speakers: “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, either way you are right”. It seems that there is a physiological explanation for this phenomenon.

Reprogramming your brain for success is possible with focused effort, but you can do it!

Take Note

by Melody Hailstone | Apr 19, 2016 | Math

Take Note

Remember being in class and the teacher warns, “This will all be on the test.”? Suddenly there’s a mad scramble for paper and pen, and you begin to frantically piece together what the professor just taught. Many of us have been there. Many still wait for some signal to take out their paper, but good students prepare for note-taking, write down key concepts, and review their notes right away.

Often a teacher will assign reading before a class so that the students are ready to discuss the concepts during the presentation. Taking the time to read the prep work in advance will give you an overview of what is being taught and help to direct your note-taking. You will be more prepared to understand principles and to ask good questions. A little time in advance will save time later.

There’s a difference between transcribing what the teacher is saying and actually taking notes. It isn’t necessary to get everything down in written form. In fact, trying to get each sentence may distract you from understanding what’s being taught in the first place. Remember that notes are an abbreviated version of the concepts. Consider organizing your notes into sections, with a place for questions and a place for a summary. Cornell note-taking suggests 3 sections: one down the left side of the page for cue words, main ideas, or questions; a main section for general information, diagrams, dates, key information, and formulas, with space at the bottom for a summary of your notes. Remember to date the page and provide page numbers to keep your notes in order.

After class, take some time to look over your notes and create a summary, identifying and defining abbreviations and acronyms. Giving it one more look before you move on to something different may give you the pause you need to correct something, make that handwriting legible, or add more information for a better grasp of the subject matter.

Some debate the virtues of taking notes directly to the laptop, with its efficient speed and navigation versus putting pen to paper. Many find that notifications from social sites and email are distractions or temptations to lose focus, while others can type much faster than they write. Whether you go for the modern approach or are comfortable with your low-tech, tried and true written page, keeping top-notch notes makes for sage scholars.

Math Vacation

by Hanna Fleeman | Mar 29, 2016 | Math

With Spring Break fast approaching, you might begin to wonder, where do math tutors go on vacation? Times Square of course! Personally, I always prefer the beach, somewhere I can relax, read a book, do some math in the sand.  But what about those who are completely dedicated to knowledge?  Those mathematicians that not only DO MaTh, but explore the proof and people behind it.  Where do they go on vacation?  Where do they spend their free time?  Now you may be thinking, “Well it’s obvious! In a lab! In the library!”, but mathematicians are people too; they strive to travel, to explore, to discover.

Some may think that the only place a mathematician can discover new things is in the infinite limitlessness of space, but trust me, not everyone wants to (or can) be hurled into space by a rocket traveling 20 times the speed of sound.  In the future perhaps, but today? Not so much.  So where do they go?  Well, why not back to the place where a principle of math was discovered?  Why not go see where Pythagoras lived?  Or Galileo?  Visit Einstein’s or Fibonacci’s hometown?  So many people from artists to physicists draw inspiration from the things around them.  What inspired these great people might do the same for the mathematician.

Let’s focus on Pythagoras to begin, since I believe most people are familiar with his most famous Pythagorean Theorem.  In history he is known as the first pure mathematician.  Born in 570 BC, Pythagoras traveled through Egypt, Italy, Greece and some say even India.  He studied under Anaximander, and he was known to be an influence on Plato and Euclid (among many others).  Can you imagine taking a pilgrimage through these places?  As we are all aware, we may not be able to see exactly where he was because he lived so long ago, but a trip to see the Pyramids and a walk through an ancient Greek town might be just enough to inspire greatness.

How about Fibonacci next?  Have you heard of the his famous sequence? In the Fibonacci sequence of numbers, each number is the sum of the previous two numbers, and as most mathematicians know it is pretty phenomenal, particularly because it can be found all throughout nature.  You can see more about that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahXIMUkSXX0.  It’s extremely interesting, and not just to MaTh nerds.  Fibonacci was born in 1170 in a town called Bugia on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  He traveled extensively with his father (a wealthy merchant) around the Mediterranean Sea where he learned the Hindu-Arabic system and the arithmetic that accompanied it.  He was a great influence on modern mathematics, introducing the Hindu-Arabic numerals (digits 0-9 and place values) in his book Liber Abaci, thus replacing Roman Numerals system throughout Europe.  In the 19th century he was immortalized in stone with a statue now located in the Piazza dei Miracoli (where the Leaning Tower of Pisa is located).  Now wouldn’t Italy make for an inspirational trip?  You could even learn about a little bit of failed architecture.

Next, let’s find someone a little more modern: Einstein.  And I know what you’re thinking, he’s a physicist, but math is a huge element of physics, so let’s just see what we can find.  Born in Germany in 1879, he lived most of his early life in Munich, but he also traveled a lot (which is becoming synonymous with many famous mathematicians).  He worked and researched in Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States.  Quite a road trip, right?  It would be almost impossible for me to summarize Einstein’s papers here, especially since a lot of his theories are still in the works of being proven today, but I will leave you with this, Einstein was an incredible person, intellectually and personally.  He felt a great deal of responsibility for Germany’s actions in WWII, and without him the Manhattan Project may have never come to be. I believe a pilgrimage to his hometown, the universities where he taught and researched, and his home in Princeton, NJ would be an amazing experience and inspiration.

All of these intellectuals lived (somewhat) just like us.  They grew up with hardships and challenges and out of that came something beautiful.  They answered (and created) some of this world’s greatest questions.  So on your next vacation (mathematical or not), look around and wonder, “What can I learn here?”.  Who lives there?  Works there? Could the place inspire greatness? There is always something to discover.  And who knows, you might just discover something great.

Math and Science

by Amanda Fagan | Mar 29, 2016 | Math

Why Math and Science Go Together

Many students wonder why they have to do math in their science classes. They are completely different subjects…. aren’t they?

The reality of this question is that math itself is a science. Mathematics is defined as “the abstract science of numbers, quantities, and shapes, and the relations between them.” This might seem strange to some people. Isn’t science the biology, chemistry, and physics we learn in school? It is, but in a more general sense science is knowledge about or study of the natural world. Science is a systematic way of learning. The systematic approach to learning is what we know as the scientific method.

Think of any way you do a math problem. For example, imagine how you would find the zeroes of any quadratic function by using the quadratic formula. You work one step at a time to plug the coefficients from the equation into the quadratic formula and then to simplify. After finding the zeroes, you can then plot them on a graph. Every algebraic expression is solved in a systematic fashion- the same way  any scientific problem would be solved. Any math problem is solved one step at a time.

Now, compare this to the scientific method. The scientific method begins with a question, which leads to a hypothesis. This hypothesis is then tested in an experiment. Following the experiment, you analyze the data and draw conclusions. Everything is done one step at a time. It doesn’t make sense to analyze the data before you conduct an experiment, just as it doesn’t make sense to plot the zeroes of a quadratic function before you have fully solved for them.

There is also quite a bit of research in math that involves the scientific method. Mathematical research is the reason we have formulas that we can use to begin with. There would be no explanation of why these formulas work without science. Many of the people who shaped the early history of mathematics also shaped the early history of science. For example, early Indian mathematicians are responsible for the beginnings of algebra as well as many major astronomical observations. Chinese mathematicians invented the abacus, which was an early counting machine. These mathematicians were also used for solving practical problems in engineering and business. The Greek philosophers Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle were responsible for much of the world’s early conceptions of the universe. They also began the conception of numbers as elements of all things in the universe, making mathematics a respected field of study.