Happy Syllabus and Pretest Week!
What did I learn about in class this week? The syllabus, of course! This is the first week after all, what else could we possibly do? In all seriousness, though, after the usual "don't set the school on fire" part, I did actually get a useful overview of what I am expected to do in this class that's different from normal math classes (like these blogs!). Other than that, it's pretty much been review of concepts from Pre-Calc and formulas from the hazy days of Geometry.
This review has reminded me of important ideas that will serve as the basis for everything I will learn in this class; that's why it matters so much and why every single math class will have a review of what was previously learned. But because this week has been review and I have already learned the ideas in the review packet, nothing is really that hard conceptually wise. The problem is that I haven't looked at math like this since June, and I don't remember how do at least half of the stuff in the review packet. The most difficult part of this week has been the fact that I remember learning how to do all of this math, but I am now unable to do it. This is especially frustrating when I know that the concept I forgot is really simple; this happened when I tried to remember how to write in interval notation. I gave up and eventually asked Mr. Cresswell.
The good side of all of this frustration is that at least I remember the concepts; I don't need to relearn anything, I just need to see it again. While the easiest way to do this is to just ask Mr. Cresswell or another student, it's a much more satisfying feeling when I am actually able to dig deep into my brain and figure out how to solve a problem by myself, like when I figured out how to solve x^3-x^2+9x=9 by grouping instead of graphing it on the calculator. The best way for me to keep improving during this review part is to look at my old notes to re-familiarize myself with the concepts.
In general, I am really looking forward to this class because it has an emphasis on understanding the concepts and underlying principles rather than just memorizing formulas and strategies. Through methods like blogging, I look at math in another light; I am able to see past the formulas into the concepts. One of my favorite YouTubers, ViHart, also explores mathematical concepts in other ways besides doing problems. She explains math through music and doodles. Here's an example of her stuff. In any case, I'm just really excited for this class and the first week has been great. Here's to the end of Syllabus Week and to the beginning of a great year!
What did I learn about in class this week? The syllabus, of course! This is the first week after all, what else could we possibly do? In all seriousness, though, after the usual "don't set the school on fire" part, I did actually get a useful overview of what I am expected to do in this class that's different from normal math classes (like these blogs!). Other than that, it's pretty much been review of concepts from Pre-Calc and formulas from the hazy days of Geometry.
This review has reminded me of important ideas that will serve as the basis for everything I will learn in this class; that's why it matters so much and why every single math class will have a review of what was previously learned. But because this week has been review and I have already learned the ideas in the review packet, nothing is really that hard conceptually wise. The problem is that I haven't looked at math like this since June, and I don't remember how do at least half of the stuff in the review packet. The most difficult part of this week has been the fact that I remember learning how to do all of this math, but I am now unable to do it. This is especially frustrating when I know that the concept I forgot is really simple; this happened when I tried to remember how to write in interval notation. I gave up and eventually asked Mr. Cresswell.
The good side of all of this frustration is that at least I remember the concepts; I don't need to relearn anything, I just need to see it again. While the easiest way to do this is to just ask Mr. Cresswell or another student, it's a much more satisfying feeling when I am actually able to dig deep into my brain and figure out how to solve a problem by myself, like when I figured out how to solve x^3-x^2+9x=9 by grouping instead of graphing it on the calculator. The best way for me to keep improving during this review part is to look at my old notes to re-familiarize myself with the concepts.
In general, I am really looking forward to this class because it has an emphasis on understanding the concepts and underlying principles rather than just memorizing formulas and strategies. Through methods like blogging, I look at math in another light; I am able to see past the formulas into the concepts. One of my favorite YouTubers, ViHart, also explores mathematical concepts in other ways besides doing problems. She explains math through music and doodles. Here's an example of her stuff. In any case, I'm just really excited for this class and the first week has been great. Here's to the end of Syllabus Week and to the beginning of a great year!