Some Articles

I remember the days when I had math subjects. Let us just say that it is a vast understatement for me to say that I was not looking forward to joining math classes. Math has never been one of my favorite subjects, and that is that. I never could understand why I had one or two classmates who seemed to know how to work given numbers to result to the supposed answer. It is a reality that many students dislike having to learn math, especially when the subject gets more advanced and more complicated. There are many that can not easily grasp the concept of number put into equation to yield more numbers.

Sometimes, as a result of not being able to understand mathematical concepts, students just veer away from listening to math lessons. This often happens when the topics turn more advanced when the student has not been quite able to grasp past topics yet. Technology, however, has offered a new concept to learning math, through math games.

What are some things that can always perk you out of boredom or disinterest? One of the first things that you probably think of is game. Games can always bring about fun and a sense of interaction and camaraderie from all those who participate in it. In the case of math, math games have been found to be an effective solution towards stimulating interest in mathematics and willingness to learn about it from the students.

Math games explored

Think about the games you usually play on your computer, particularly the ones that are question and answer in nature. Now think of these games in terms of math. Yes, math games can be that, a software program that you can play with on your computer. Math games as a software program, just like with any computer games, have levels that you need to do along the way. Software programs for math games also offer teaching of math lessons or tutorials as you go along the levels of the games. This is incorporated with visuals and graphics and voice-over fit for teaching of the subject. Many schools use math games to enhance the students learning of the subject and many parents also cater purchase math games software to help their sons or daughters to understand the subject more.

The Advantages of math games

What do you feel while playing games? You feel enjoyment. The concept of math games may be for an academic purpose, but it is designed to make students feel that they are merely playing any other game. The purpose that math games were created is to let students have fun while learning a subject that a lot consider to be difficult. Math games propagate learning by helping the students understand it more. This is because students can learn math in their own pace, and if they are still confused with some past lessons in math, math games software allow them to browse back on those lessons and learn them again. It also propagates fun by the series of games that students have to play in relation to the subject. Students can also measure their progress by checking the level that they have attained and by considering the questions they have correctly answered.

In choosing what math games software to buy for your students or for your child, consider their learning paces and their visual interests. There is a number of math games software available today that can cater to wide variety of expectations.

A tutor who tutors the flute, tried to tutor two tutees the flute. Said the two to the tutor, “It is harder to toot or to tutor two tutees the flute?

-Tongue twister

Math tutors toot no flutes but they do have to know how to tutor tutees in a variety of areas. The work involves diagnosing and understanding the nature of a student’s strengths and weaknesses as well as explication of sometimes complex concepts and procedures in mathematics.

Math homework made easy? There is no better way to demystify math homework than to use Math Made Easy’s tutoring services. Expert tutors work with you or your child to make short work of math homework. With the personal and private assistance of professional tutors, students have all the math homework help they need to reinforce concepts learned earlier in class and to forge ahead for the next day’s work.

Math Made Easy tutors are selected for their ability to do both of these difficult tasks with ease and with understanding. They are trained to work with students in a compassionate and caring way in order to nurture both a love for math and self-confidence in the student. Many have backgrounds in formal education and all have substantial background in mathematics as a discipline.

Homework is no longer a chore when Math Made Easy homework help is available. These highly trained math tutors work with students to establish a personal relationship in the privacy of the student’s home using a sophisticated yet easy-to-use computer-based method designed to give the best instructional help with the personal touch.

Eliminating the fuss and the fear of math homework by getting appropriate help with tutors gives the student the necessary confidence to face the following day’s work without concern. Math homework help may be scheduled online or via telephone and hours of service accommodate even the most difficult of schedules.

Math Made Easy students have a choice of math tutor, assuring that the student will control his/her experience. While every effort is made to keep each student with one tutor, a wide variety of staff ensures that each student will find the right math tutor, one who makes the student feel comfortable and confident learning math.

Math Made Easy has a proven track record of providing a wide range of services to an even wider range of students. Math tutors are capable of working in areas ranging from arithmetic to multivariable calculus to probability and statistics to solving complex problems involving several areas of math.

So even if Math Made Easy toots no flutes, the can toot their our own horn about the quality of their dedicated math tutors.

About Multimedia Tutorial Services, Inc.

Multimedia Tutorial Services, Inc. has key strengths in educational products, with highly skilled online math tutors to provide math help, algebra help, math homework help, geometry help, calculus help, math answers, SAT test tutoring, SAT preparation, and math answers. To date, the Company’s premier tutorial program, Math Made Easy(TM) has been purchased by more than three hundred thousand families. In addition, several thousand schools and colleges throughout the country have acquired the Math Made Easy(TM) series for their libraries and classrooms. Math Made Easy(TM) is widely recognized as one of the foremost home tutorial programs. The tutorial series has been featured on CNN, Bloomberg, ABC News Radio and other major networks.

Why anybody would want to get a bachelor degree in math is a mystery. When you think about it, when you get out of college with a bachelor degree in math, what can you possibly do with it besides teach? You’re certainly not prepared for any practical applications. Sure, you could get a job as an actuary but is that REALLY why you majored in math in the first place? Well, for those of you who still want to get a bachelor degree in math, hang onto your hats because the ride you’re in for is far from easy. What follows is pretty much what you can expect to go through.

Math is probably one of the hardest disciplines anybody could possibly want to go through. The math courses alone are so hard that no other courses are needed to make your four years of college a living nightmare. Think we’re kidding? Take a look at just the math curriculum itself and then decide if this is something that you think you can tackle with no sweat.

Your first two semesters of college math throw you right into the fire. This is where you learn Calculus. The courses are usually Calculus I and II. Calculus is probably one of the most difficult courses ever devised by man. How anybody even thought of this stuff is a puzzle. Talk about math that you’re never going to use in your life unless you become a scientist or an engineer.

Your next two semesters, or year two, give you a break from calculus. This is where you take Advanced, or Abstract Algebra. This is where you learn about matrixes and things like that. This is more math that you’re never going to use as long as you live. Engineers don’t even use most of this stuff.

Now you’ve reached year three and you’re back to Calculus again. This is where you finish up your training in Calculus with Calculus III and IV. The concepts in these courses are so abstract and so far removed from any real world math, you’d have to be a near genius to understand this stuff.

By year four, if you’re still a math major, you’re down to what they call “Independent Research” where you basically are on your own, but under the guidance of your advisor. You’ll do some kind of major paper on math principals or maybe even Newton for all you know. The good thing is, what you write on is up to you. The bad thing is it has to be approved by your advisor.

And if all of this isn’t bad enough, you’ve only taken 8 of your 32 courses. You still have 24 more courses to fill in your time with. Because you’ve chosen one of the science majors, you’re also going to have to take at least two semesters of either chemistry, physics or some other related science. Yes, we are talking about some more ridiculously hard material.

So if you really want to be a math major, just remember one thing. You will most certainly earn your bachelor degree in math. If you survive it.

How much real estate math do you need to know if you are investing in real estate? There are computers and calculators for calculating interest rates or amortizing loans. What you need to know is a few simple formulas for determining if a property is a good investment or not.

The Real Estate Math You Don’t Need

The gross rent multiplier is one formula you don’t need. I bring it up because people are sometimes still using it, and there are better ways to estimate value. A gross rent multiplier is a crude way to put a value on a property. You decide that properties are worth 10 times annual rent or less, for example, and simply multiply the gross annual rent a building collects by ten to get your value.

There are obvious problems with this formula. You need to constantly change it to reflect interest rates, because a property might be profitable at 12 times rent when interest rates are low, but a money loser at eight times rent if the financing is expensive. Also, there are just plain different expenses for different properties, especially when some include utilities in the rent, for example. Gross rent doesn’t say much about the factor that makes a property valuable: the net income.

Real Estate Math You Need

Rental properties are bought for the income they produce, so this is what your real estate valuation should be based on. That is why your real estate math education needs to start with the how to use a capitalization rate, or “cap rate” to determine value. A cap rate is the rate of return expected by investors in a given area, or the rate of return on a property at a given price.

An example might make this clear. Take the gross income of a property and subtract all expenses, but not the loan payments. If the gross income is $76,000 per year, and the expenses are $32,000, you have net income before debt-service of $44,000. Now, to arrive at an estimate of value, you simply apply the capitalization rate to this figure.

If the normal capitalization rate is .10 (ask a real estate professional what is normal in your area), meaning investors expect a 10% return on the value of their investment, you would divide the net income of $44,000 by .10. You get $440,000 - the estimated value of the building. If the common rate is .08, meaning investors in the area expect only an 8% return, the value would be $550,000.

Simple Real Estate Math

Estimated value equals net income before debt-service divided by cap rate - this really is simple real estate math, but the tough part is getting accurate income figures. Is the seller is showing you ALL the normal expenses, and not exaggerating income? If he stopped repairing things for a year, and is showing “projected” rents, instead of actual rents collected, the income figure could be $15,000 too high. That would mean you would estimate the value at $187,000 more (.08 cap rate).

Besides verifying the figures, smart investors sometimes separate out income from vending machines and laundry machines. Suppose these sources provide $6,000 of the income. That would add $75,000 to the appraised value (.08 cap rate). Instead, you can do the appraisal without this income included, then add back the replacement cost of the machines (probably much less than $75,000).

No real estate formula is perfect, and all are only as good as the figures you plug into them. Used carefully, though, real estate appraisal using capitalization rates is the most accurate method for estimating the value of income properties. For putting a value on a single family home, you need another approach. Yes this means more real estate math to learn, but we’ll save that for another time.

The concept of one-to-one correspondence requires two skills: (1) matching pairs and (2) comparing sets. Matching places two like items together as a pair while comparing determines which set has more or less. In these projects, the key is to focus on the language, emphasizing mathematical terms.

Books to Read
The following books teach one-to-one correspondence using stories. I love the impact a story has on understanding, and these books do a great job of packaging the mathematical ideas in a way that young children can comprehend.

Two of Everything: A Chinese Folk Tale by Lily Toy Hong
Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Seaweed Soup by Stuart J. Murphy
A Pair of Socks by Stuart J. Murphy
Missing Mittens by Stuart J. Murphy
Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy
Just Enough Carrots by Stuart J. Murphy
Some Things Go Together by Charlotte Zolotow

Projects to Learn Matching

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is a matching set. Word emphasis: match, even, pair, each.

There are three cups and three straws. It is even. Three children and three cookies. It is a match! A pair of socks for your feet. One foot for each sock, and one sock for each foot.

Project #2
Provide the following items and allow the children to sort into pairs. Word emphasis: pair, match.

1 ice cube tray
2 screws
2 washers
2 electrical circuit binders
2 matching butterfly clips
2 matching hair pins
2 pennies
2 matching buttons

Project #3
Have a tea party with stuffed bears. Set one place setting for each bear. You could say, “One seat for each bear, and one bear for each seat.” Word emphasis: each.

Project #4
Serve a lunch with matching shapes to make their own snacks. I used cookie cutters to cut the bread, cheese, and lunch meat into matching shapes. I provided at least two different shapes so that they would have to find the match in order to build their sandwiches. Word emphasis: match.

Project #5
Play the memory game. Word emphasis: pair, match.

Projects to Learn Comparing

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is not enough or there is too much to go around. Word emphasis: more, less, fewer, even.

Oops, I grabbed one straw too many. There are three cups and four straws. There are more straws than cups. We have six chairs at our table, but only four people in the family sitting at the table. That leaves two empty chairs because there are more chairs than people. Today we have company, so we have eight people and only six chairs. We have fewer chairs than people, so we will need two more chairs. Three children and four cookies. There are more cookies. If I eat one, it will be even.

Project #2
Invite the children to collect toys to put inside two hula hoops. Then count to see which hula hoop has more toys and which has fewer. Ask, “Which set of toys has more? Which set has fewer?” Word emphasis: set, more, fewer, even.

Project #3
Pour two cups of water and compare the volume. Which cup has more? Which has less? Word emphasis: more, less, even.

Project #4
Make sugar cookies and put chocolate chips on the frosting. Compare two cookies to see which has more chocolate chips. For an added lesson, determine how many chocolate chips need to be added to make them even. Word emphasis: more, fewer, even.

If a student is struggling in any mathematics subject area, it is important to find ways to help. Probability, Statistics and Calculus are areas where even normally high achievers may find themselves struggling.

Classroom instruction works well for many; however, for others, a 45-minute classroom session, surrounded by the distractions of their peers, is simply not the ideal way to learn. Even if students pay close attention in class, they are liable to miss a lesson or a portion of a lesson for any number of reasons. And since math works like a chain, with one concept leading to the next, a “missed link” causes subsequent material to stop making sense.

Probability & Statistics

Many students struggle with Probability and Statistics through no fault of their own. After all, Probability and Statistics has its own unique language and set of rules. Nonetheless, the frustration experienced by Probability and Statistics students can result in a loss of self-confidence.

If the student is struggling with Probability and Statistics, look for a comprehensive, step-by-step Probability and Statistics tutorial, an approach that simplifies complex concepts by breaking them up into smaller steps, using illustrations and providing real-life examples.

Calculus

Need help with calculus? You are not alone! Calculus is one of the most difficult subjects for many students, even those who are normally high achievers. But here’s some good news: once a student becomes familiar with the special “language” of calculus, it can become one of the easiest, and even most enjoyable, things for them to do!

Calculus is based on a special kind of logic–once it clicks in students’ heads, it becomes easy to apply to any type of problem. The trouble is, some students learn best at different paces, and in different environments, than others.

Geometry

Many students struggle with geometry. Geometric shapes don’t translate very well on a blackboard. Students need a much more visual imagination to understand concepts such as: points and lines; angles; parallel lines; analytic geometry; the coordinate plane; distance; midpoints; slope; equations of lines; deduction and formal proofs; polygons; introduction to triangles; angles of a triangle; right triangles pythagorean theorem; congruent triangles; similar triangles; quadrilaterals: trapezoids, parallelograms, rectangles, rhombuses, squares; perimeters and areascircles; lines associate with circles: radius, diameter, chord, tangent, secant; the equation of a circle; angles associated with a circle; area and circumference! Nonetheless, geometry is an essential component of a good education.

Tutorial programs and tutors can help a student grasp difficult mathematical concepts and excel in his or her math class. Find a math tutor who can offer a comprehensive tutorial program and cement challenging math concepts through repetition. Hundreds of interactive exercises are available by tutors to ensure that the student masters all the formulas and concepts of the review. Tutors can also assist with recommending and providing good math workbooks. Such workbooks provide additional practice and exercises and students can eventually work through and solve problems on their own.

The knowledge and sense of achievement that a tutoring program can bring to the student will pay big dividends for years to come. Not only will it help earn a good grade in Probability and Statistics or Calculus, but it will also lay a critical foundation for future success, including help with college admissions exams.

“Numbers are the highest degree of knowledge. It is knowledge itself.” -Plato

As the quote elucidates, knowledge sits on the shoulders of numbers. Whenever I encounter a quote like this, particularly when the source is as renowned as that of the likes of Plato, I sit back and muse smugly that I hit the nail on the head many years ago when I realized that numbers were indeed the highest degree of knowledge. Extrapolating from this realization, we can say with certainty then that learning to work with numbers as through math tricks and such-that is, getting an inner feel for all their intricacies and richness-will produce extraordinary results in the education of any man, woman, or child.

During my first year of college, my fortuitous stumbling in pre-calculus actually led me to the transcendent awareness that mathematics paved a road to a higher-indeed spiritual-realm. Because I was determined to maintain my “A” average, I forced myself to open my arms to this subject and to study it feverishly. Having secured the “A” grade in pre-calculus, I plunged headlong into calculus. Similar experiences with calculus reinforced my belief that math and numbers were the key to all higher learning and our connection to the divine. Indeed many of the quotes from famous mathematicians embrace the idea that math touches upon this very sphere of existence.

So how do we use this knowledge about numbers and mathematics to our benefit? Simply, we probe the world of numbers and operations involving them. To make matters more fun, we learn math tricks which sharpen our math skills and give us a sense of power over these curious and ever mind-bending creatures.  By learning how to better deal with numbers and their associated arithmetic properties, we forge a tunnel that leads to the very essence of nature: mathematics and science, two inter-related disciplines that can only be understood through numbers and their properties.

By studying and learning the inter-relationships among arithmetic and algebraic properties like the Associative, Commutative and Distributive laws, we become better connected to numbers and consequently see evidence of such laws working in nature.  Learning about special sequences like the Fibonacci only requires a basic understanding of numbers; but then, one learns that this very sequence of numbers is used as a stock trading tool by professionals to make millions of dollars!

When one delves into numerical operations, he comes to share the sense of enlightenment and empowerment that comes with a mastery over numbers. And as though this were not enough, the extra dividend of learning math tricks and mastering numbers is that educational success overall is sure to follow, besides possibly making a killing in the stock market! Now what could be a better road map to success in school and life than this?

Basic facts are key to a student’s success in math. Basic facts are simple mathematic equations like eight times seven or forty two divided by six, similar to knowing common words in language or reading notes in music. They are essential skills used for every concept in math. Only about one third of students achieve the needed level of proficiency in with basic facts school. Another third will get most of them, but will fumble through the tougher ones resorting to time consuming techniques like to counting fingers. The remaining third will be hopelessly lost. You will see this in almost any classroom you walk into. These skills are as important as learning to dribble and shoot in basketball. They are simply skills a child needs to succeed in math.

As a general rule when asked a multiplication question students that can answer within three seconds will do well at math and those that answer in less than one second will do excellent at math. They must be able to do this for every basic fact for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. As well, a student must be able to answer the fact whether it is written with numbers (written on the board), given verbally (asked by the teacher) or represented symbolically (shown blocks representing numbers). Although this seems particular, imagine listening to someone sing “Oh Canada” only knowing most of the words.

The trouble with learning basic facts is that most students are only taught one way to memorize them. Many teachers use the default method of rote memorization typified by the posting of the multiplication tables and routine time tests often called “Mad Minutes”. Although occasionally a teacher will use an alternative to this approach, the result is inevitable. Only one way to learn the facts is presented and only one third of the kids in a classroom will learn them.

Although the lack of basic skills will not be obvious to the teacher, parents or even the child, there will be signs. Since these students will focus a large amount of unnecessary time on computing the basic facts they often miss the other concepts taught in a lesson. Although children can fake their way through many math lessons, low scores, disruptive behaviour and a genuine dislike for math are often the results. If the source of this destructive trend goes unchecked, the student will continue to suffer down the road.

The solution in most cases is simply time. Being aware of this situation is a huge step for many parents and teachers. By taking the time and patience to do a thorough job of teaching the basic facts is one of the greatest gifts you can give a student. Offering options for learning the information like using flash cards, card games, posters or manipulatives will give more opportunities for success. Every minute of practice will improve the skill and confidence of a learner. There are many learning styles and ways of categorizing and approaching these styles. Thorough teaching and testing is crucial. If a student cannot add nine and seven easily, algebra is going to be a nightmare.

There are also alternatives that go outside the normal field of thinking. Using mnemonic devices (memory techniques) specific to math can allow students to learn the math facts in hours instead of months or years. This method is not easily accepted by adults as it breaks tradition on is different from how they were taught, but it does work. I’ve personally seen it work with hundreds of students with amazing results.

This article hopefully gave you some insight into the mind of a struggling math student, the numbers to reassure you that you are not alone and some optimism that there are solutions out there.

Swimming pools, like any other man-made object, will fall apart without regular maintenance. Simple maintenance of your pool will help to prolong its life and delay any need for repair. There are many little things you can do to keep your swimming area well maintained, and in the process keep both yourself and others safe.

There are many things you can do every day to ensure your pool is well maintained. Listed below are just a few of the daily things you can do:

Add Chlorine - Be sure to add chlorine to the pool daily to make sure all those pesky bacteria that can cause sickness are sanitized. While many pools use chlorine as a sanitizer, bromine is an acceptable substitute.

Adjust pH levels - If you have an automatic balancer in your pool this step is already done for you. If not, be sure to adjust both your pH and Alkaline levels. This helps make sure your water does not turn an undesirable cloudy, or irritate your skin when you go for a swim.

Clean your skimmer - Your skimmer should be cleaned daily to make sure your pool water stays fresh, and can circulate around the pool.

In addition to these things that you can do on a daily basis, there is more you can do. You don’t have to do these every day, but rather only every one to two weeks, and this can go a long way to adding years of functionality to your pool’s life.

Shocking Your Pool

Shocking your swimming pool is where you add a concentrated amount of chlorine into the pool water for a short time. The chlorine levels become so high that any organic organisms (mold, algae, and bacteria) are completely destroyed. You should shock your pool at least once a week, but may have to do so more than one time per week depending on how often the swimming area is used. You may also need to add algaecide to kill any remaining algae that the chlorine did not already destroy.

Adding Metal Out and Clarifier

You will have to add other chemicals into your pool on a weekly basis, with clarifying and anti-metal agents being chief amongst them. Metal Out agents are used to eliminate the tiny particles of metal that escape your pool filtration system. Clarifier, on the other hand, is used to prevent your water from turning cloudy. It also helps to remove those particles of matter that are too small for the pool’s filter to catch. The Clarifier makes it so that these particles cling to each other, making them large enough for a vacuum or your filter to catch.

There is still more you can do to keep your pool well maintained. Vacuuming your pool from time to time will help keep your water clean, as will skimming the surface of your pool water for leaves. Every winter (or every six months if you live in a warmer part of the country) you will want to drain your pool and scrub your pool walls and floor. This may also be a good time to check your railings and bolts on accessories, like diving boards or step rails to see if they need to be tightened or replaced.

You know who those students are. No matter what you do as a teacher, they just **** math. Perhaps there is a simple concept they never picked up in the earlier grades, or maybe they just don’t care for numbers. You can make the class as exciting as possible, but some children are just more interested in other subjects. One way to motivate those students who really would rather be in another class is with computerized math games.

Math games do not replace the need for a teacher. There is nothing that educational software can teach in math that can be taught without a teacher. Math is one of those subjects that really requires an instructor. However, math games can be used to reinforce and reward in the math classroom.

Imagine if you are teaching junior high math and realize that some of your students do not know how to add and subtract. If you have to take valuable class time to teach these basic elementary math skills, the rest of your students will suffer. However, if this student group is not able to do simple addition or subtraction, they are going to struggle all year. One way to encourage them to practice in a fun, competitive way without detracting from the overall class is to allow them to play math games. Maybe time can be set aside regularly and designated as free time. Students who need to reinforce skills can get extra math practice and students already at grade level can start homework or be challenged at a higher level. Teachers can set up the math games so that they focus on areas that need reinforcement. You can make random groups and rotate them so all of your students get a chance to play during the week. This way, certain students are not identified and all students receive important practice.

One benefit of math games that is often overlooked is the fact that the students are working independently. Sometimes those students who struggle in subjects, especially math, are embarrassed about their difficulties. If you were to play a group practice game or ask them to answer questions orally, they might be too embarrassed to try their best. On the computer, however, these students are not faced with their peers. They can progress through the math games at their own level, gaining valuable practice each day.

As you are shopping for math games, you need to realize that there is a wide range of products available. You will still be able to find traditional math games. These are the games where students practice their basic facts with arcade-like programming. But, math games are no longer only the arcade-style games you may remember. You can find software that contains your students’ favorite cartoon or movie characters. As they move through the levels they must answer math questions to proceed. Tracking student’s progress and the cability to personalize lessons to the student’s ability are features of some math game software. Students advance levels once they’ve reached competency on skills being worked on. Some math games have features that encourage and build analytical skills, problem approach, logic and systematic thinking. While your students may not realize this is math, you know that these thinking skills are essential to finding success in the subject. You can even purchase mystery programs where the students act as detectives solving “math mysteries.”

Whatever program you decide to use in your math classroom, be sure to set aside time when the students can play math games. Interactive math games are one way to introduce and reinforce math concepts with an entertaining medium. With math games, math can become a little bit more fun for everyone.