by Katie Boswell | Jan 20, 2015 | Testing
Oh the places you will go!
Why is so much emphasis placed on a test you will take on one day of your life? Does the very thought make you want to cry or run away and join the circus? Let’s dive into some information that can hopefully make those cold sweats stop and give your student the confidence he or she needs to accomplish this great task and unlock a world of opportunities for the places to go.
The SAT and ACT tests were designed to give colleges and universities a standard upon which to base their acceptance. With school systems differing as much as pizza toppings, it is essential to have some similar way to test students coming from around the world. Are these tests fair? I could argue on both sides of this for days on end, but the bottom line is, these tests are required.
A high score on one or both exams can be just what is needed to differentiate between two students and get your student into the university of their dreams. To obtain this high score, preparation is the key. If your student has a smart phone, start by downloading an app that allows them to study vocabulary on their own, daily. There are many free apps out there and knowing and using vocabulary is a big component to scoring well on the exam and aiding with the fundamentals for college.
How can MaThCliX help you? MaThCliX offers various individualized plans of attack to help students conquer the world of SAT and ACT preparation. We begin by offering a practice exam, with a full evaluation. The Evaluation includes your student’s specific scores and where they need to focus their time. Recommendations will be made a packages offered that may include independent work, classwork or individual tutoring sessions. As every student learns differently, the plan provided will include what is best for each student and not a generic one size fits all plan.
If you have any questions, please contact me, Katie Boswell. Asking questions does not commit you to anything. I want to help all students achieve their greatest potential and open up the opportunities for the places they can go. [email protected]
by Aaron Sandlin | Jan 19, 2015 | Math
Thinking de about a career in mathematics may lead some people to think only of math and leave out the other three fields empresa in which math is a cheap mlb jerseys critical player. These fields are science, technology, engineering and mathematics and they are acronated as the word STEM. All of the hundreds of careers that fall under the STEM banner are How laid on wholesale nba jerseys the foundation of fotograflar? mathematics. I want to become an electrical engineer Vision and then progress towards quantum physics with a research scientist career for cheap jerseys government research facility such as NASA, the National Aeronautical Space Agency, or cheap nfl jerseys for Prepare a university like the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Everyone that wants to advance our understanding of the universe, or find a faster or cheaper way to manufacture Slinkys must still study math first. If you want to be the person to find a way to verbally communicate with dolphins, first you must know math. If you want to be a financial professional like an accountant, actuary or market analyst, first you must know math. Math is the concrete that we build all manner of buildings upon. Yes, mathematics can be difficult at times, but that is it’s strength. Anything that is built on something easy will not stand against something hard. Any job you can think of as part of a business or field that has been developed or is maintained by people who have the strong concrete foundation of math. Do you work at McDonald’s? Someone used math to find out how to efficiently feed millions of people in a way that is predictable, enjoyable, and not costly. Are you a game warden? Someone used math to map migration paths for the animals you need to be protecting and they used mathematical population growth models to determine how many hunting licenses to issue which fund your position. Geologists might even save your life by using math to correctly predict and warn of a volcanic eruption in your park. Are you a truck driver? Without engineers designing strong bridges to open up more shipping routes or more fuel efficient trucks, your company would not have the ability to hire as many drivers. Can you see how valuable someone skilled in math is to all of those who are employed in various fields? That value comes with a hefty price tag. The skills of those well versed in mathematics are in short supply and the demand is strong and in every corner of the economy.
by Tracy Porter | Dec 10, 2014 | Testing
How to Prepare for Finals-It’s that time of the year where students and teachers are working hard to bring the semester to the end. With all of the demands and stress preparing for the upcoming tests, use these tips to help take control of finals and not let finals take control of you!
YOU NEED A PLAN…and for Math, that means doing a little each day! I tell my students over and over and over again, you cannot “cram” for a math test, so don’t even try. You cannot “fake” math, which means you actually have to take the time to learn it. And with math, learning means doing. There are no shortcuts and doing one problem is not enough to say “Oh, I get it!”. The best thing to do is to keep up with the course and the homework the entire semester and clear up questions along the way. Then, when it comes to the final, it’s just pulling it all together.
So, a good piece of advice is to take the study guide, if you are lucky enough to get one, and do a chunk of it each day. Make a notecard along the way with formulas. After you have gone through the whole study guide, take a mock test with a timer, because not only do you need to be able to do the problems, but do them in a timely manner, as well.
For middle and high schoolers, many teachers allow students to retake old tests and quizzes to improve their grade or turn in make-up work. So, check with your teachers to see if you can do this. Be proactive! Do not expect them to chase after you.
Good luck!
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by Tracy Porter | Nov 15, 2014 | Math, Teaching and Learning
How to DO MaTh-
1. First, GET ORGANIZED. You need a place for your MaTh! Put together a notebook that includes a place to write down assignments and important dates, a place for notes, homework, and returned papers. Keep it in sequential order and know where everything is so that you can refer back to it. There must be order in the chaos of learning!
2. In Class, take notes. Ask questions. Do your homework and and all assignments. Compare with other students, if necessary. Make marks by questions that you did not understand and ask about those problems. Correct any mistakes that you find and understand what you did wrong. Once you have done it enough and you think you understand, try teaching and explaining to someone else. If you can teach it, then you can be more confident that you actually understand it.
3. TAKE THE TIME TO BE NEAT AND COMPLETE. Many people think that MaTh is just about the answer. However, the process is often just as important and so, that is why students always hear “Show your work”! Write the problem down, show each step and circle or box your answer. This will allow you to go back and see your work, as well as your teacher or others.
4. STUDYING IS DOING! PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Do not think that if you understand what your teacher is doing and can follow along that you, too can do it. Also, do not think that if you can do one or two problems that you have done enough and do not need to do anymore. Learning MaTh means DOING MaTh! You must do it for yourself repetitively. That is how the connections of understanding are made and that is how you know if you can actually do it on the test. MaTh is not a spectator sport!
5. Understand TWO things:
1) Learning MaTh is like a giant snowball rolling down a hill. It gets bigger and bigger. In other words, once you learn it, it stays and you will use it in the future. So, there is no place for learning MaTh just for a test and then thinking you can forget it. It is a collection of skills that build into a giant “snowball”.
2) Everyone can DO MaTh! There is no such thing as not being able to do MaTh because your parent wasn’t good at MaTh. Confusion and struggle are normal parts of learning. They are not going away. However, determination and persistence will carry you through to success.
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by Tracy Porter | Oct 28, 2014 | Math, Teaching and Learning
MaThCliX Story and Vision-
On October 28, 2014, I had the opportunity to speak at career day at Woodstock Middle School and E.T.Booth Middle School, both in Woodstock, GA. Thanks to the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, I was honored to be a part of this special day and share my love and passion for mathematics, learning, and business with so many young minds. I spoke to 12 different groups of 8th grade students throughout the entire day and basically gave the same presentation each time. I had it down by the end of the day!
I shared with the students my story and how MaThCliX came to existence. The name “MaThCliX” came about around the year 2000, when I was an undergraduate math student at Georgia State University. As a college student, I did a lot of tutoring and would always hear people making comments like, “I’m just not good at math”, “My parents weren’t good at math”, “I never really understood math”, “I had a bad teacher and could never get math to make sense”, etc. I realized quickly that there was a large amount of the population who just had this fixed “attitude” toward math. I knew that these things were things that could be remedied, if only math were taught in a manner that each student understood and if the student practiced math correctly. It then became my thought that I wanted to make math “click” for others.
Another play on the word “click” comes in the version of “clique”. At the university, the math majors tended to stick to together and I guess you could say we formed a “math clique” as we worked intensely to study and prepare for exams, learn and understand proofs, and work countless math problems.
So, why the capital M, T, C, and X? Why Clix and not clicks or cliques? Well, I chose to use clix because it seemed to be a fusion of the two and is shorter and a bit catchier. The M is capitalized because it is the name, the T is for my name, Tracy, the C is for my first daughter, Carlie, and X is for the most popular math variable, X! It may sound complicated but I thought it gave the name a “cooler” look and if it were to be on signs, t-shirts, brochures, etc., I wanted it to look appealing.
So why the two slogans “A place where students DO math” and “Math Problems Solved”?
I wanted MaThCliX to be a place where all students can come and be part of a math family, if you will. I wanted to create a math home. A place where students can come and have their math needs met, whether it be working on homework, skill building, enhancing understanding, etc., all of which enable students to eventually DO math. I follow the counsel of Maria Montessori who said, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, the children are now working as if I did not exist.” This is when I know that students are “doing” math.
What is your math problem? For some it may be a failing grade, for some it may be a gap in learning, or some may literally be stuck on solving a math homework problem. Whatever the “problem” may be, MaThCliX is a place where any student’s math problem can be solved! I want everyone who walks through our door to feel comfortable, welcome, and at home and when they leave I want them to feel that their time was well-spent, their minds were enlightened, that the math “clicked”, and they are one step closer to their academic goals and on their way to success in the classroom and the world. I want our students to feel proud and happy to be part of MaThCliX, or our “math clique”.
I invite all students to come an experience MaThCliX!
