Anyone here real good at Algebra 2 (composition of functions)??
- Thread starter klmno
- Start date
T
TeDo
Guest
WO, I second Hound. In our district, calculators aren't allowed until after 6th grade. By then, we've taught all the math concepts and the calculators are simply for speed and "to keep up with the technology age". We teach long division and stacking the numbers to add & subtract even when they are written on the page vertically (rewrite them ourselves). Some of the teachers are willing to teach the same concepts in various ways and allow the kids to do it whatever way works for them....as long as they show their work. There are a few that will maark the problem wrong because the kid didn't do it the "right" way. THAT is the part that frustrated difficult child 1 AND me. Who the heck cares as long as they can do it and get the right answer!!
Mom2oddson
Active Member
Go to the Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org). It's free and they have the best videos about how to do all types of math from Basic to Trig. It is amazing. It helped Steph pass math and math is her worst subject.
Salman Khan has a TED talk all about his program if you want to find out more about it first.
Salman Khan has a TED talk all about his program if you want to find out more about it first.
klmno
Active Member
Just jumping back in to give Ms. TeDo and Ms. Kathy an A+ for their grades! This was correct- too bad E didn't take time to finish his homework this morning before class. LOL! He did read this thread and studied the answers you ladies provided and said he "wasn't sure and was afraid it might not be right". I tried to tell him I felt sure it was because it looked mathematically correct to me. He said he told the teacher he had trouble understanding it and as it turned out, I guess she didn't cover it enough in class for a couple of other students to get the concept so she went over it again today and now he says he understands it very well. That's good because they have their 1st quiz tomorrow.
Speaking of long division- I nearly fell out of my chair earlier this week when E told me he didn't think he remembered how to do it and that "no kids in algebra do this by hand (without a calculator) anymore." I'm not sure too many kids ever write in cursive anymore either.
And what's worse- I had some job training this week and the instructor mentioned that his wife taught in a k-12 sd and she said written papers were being turned in written like cell phone texts- the students are actually writing English papers and using LOL, bff, etc. Now how does that get changed when they are texting before they are even old enough in school to have to write English papers?
Speaking of long division- I nearly fell out of my chair earlier this week when E told me he didn't think he remembered how to do it and that "no kids in algebra do this by hand (without a calculator) anymore." I'm not sure too many kids ever write in cursive anymore either.
And what's worse- I had some job training this week and the instructor mentioned that his wife taught in a k-12 sd and she said written papers were being turned in written like cell phone texts- the students are actually writing English papers and using LOL, bff, etc. Now how does that get changed when they are texting before they are even old enough in school to have to write English papers?
SuZir
Well-Known Member
Hate to be straight-laced over this, but there is only one way kids/people learn to distinguish different types of text, understand and analyse them and use them, is reading a lot of different texts. It was same before texting and it is so after that. Text message and chat are just few new types of texts, nothing more. Just something to add to that list, there kid should learn to distinguish, verse from prose, fact based from fiction, news article from editorial and from column, scientific study from textbook, advertisement from news article etc. To learn to recognize irony and parody and many other style choices. And learn well enough to distinguish them even if they claim to be something else than they are (many like to write their advertisements or opinion based texts as news for example.) Reading is not just being able to put letters together and make words out of it.
If kids use inappropriate type of text for the assignment, it just tells, that they are not familiar enough with the type of text they have been asked to write. And best, and really only, way to learn is to read enough all different types of texts to get the feel.[/EDUCATIONAL PRUDE]
T
TeDo
Guest
Thanks for the grade klmno. I LOVE it when I'm right. As for E and long division, wait until he has to long divide polynomials ........ you know ........... x^5 + 2x^4 + 3x^2 + 54 divided by x+6. I can teach him how to do that too.
klmno
Active Member
LOL! by the way- he did tell me this evening that your and Kathy's answers were correct, he'd just been concerned that they weren't because it didn't sound like what his teacher was saying yesterday but after she covered it again today, it was clearer and this was the same answer. I stifled my defensive reaction and decided maybe it made sense because he wants to learn what his teacher says is right.
Remember, he spent the better portion of the last 3 1/2 years incarcerated and had to be very assertive at times to even be put in academic classes--until he maxed out what they had to offer in Department of Juvenile Justice. That's why he's a senior taking algebra 2 and spanish 2 and bio 2. They simply didn't have any teachers in there (Department of Juvenile Justice) to teach these classes so he hasn't had anything above the 1st or 2nd (he had 2 science classes and algebra 1 and geometry) level in these areas in 1 1/2 - 2 years. He says it's coming back to him and it appears to me it is. He still might need some help from you though- and TG this board and you ladies are here! He's had the 3 years of history and English classes already so only needs the 4th year in them.
Some things- like texting on the cell phone- I'm glad he's behind other teens on. Other things- like the academics and stuff like putting air in the car tire- I'm real sorry he's behind on. But he's really doing his part to catch up this time. I'm still keeping fingers crossed and praying but I have to say, doing the right thing seems to be winning out over his temptations and occassional feeling of giving up (which he still has) this time.
He asked me to post another math problem (1 out of his entire homework) tonight but when he told me what it was and I saw the context of the rest of the homework, I told him I thought he could figure it out on his own and he did. It was about absolute values but he'd just done an entire worksheet on them 2 nights ago and got them right. I think part of the problem is him getting his confidence back- that he can do this in a mainstream sd and hold his own academically. I keep reminding him that he can if he does his part (and he can) but we aren't mensa members here so it's going to take some hard work and a lot of studying.
Sorry- I think I'm rambling. I'm just so proud to finally see him study on his own accord, get up for school on his own, be excited about classes, etc....it's been a long time coming and I want it to last, Know what I mean??
Remember, he spent the better portion of the last 3 1/2 years incarcerated and had to be very assertive at times to even be put in academic classes--until he maxed out what they had to offer in Department of Juvenile Justice. That's why he's a senior taking algebra 2 and spanish 2 and bio 2. They simply didn't have any teachers in there (Department of Juvenile Justice) to teach these classes so he hasn't had anything above the 1st or 2nd (he had 2 science classes and algebra 1 and geometry) level in these areas in 1 1/2 - 2 years. He says it's coming back to him and it appears to me it is. He still might need some help from you though- and TG this board and you ladies are here! He's had the 3 years of history and English classes already so only needs the 4th year in them.
Some things- like texting on the cell phone- I'm glad he's behind other teens on. Other things- like the academics and stuff like putting air in the car tire- I'm real sorry he's behind on. But he's really doing his part to catch up this time. I'm still keeping fingers crossed and praying but I have to say, doing the right thing seems to be winning out over his temptations and occassional feeling of giving up (which he still has) this time.
He asked me to post another math problem (1 out of his entire homework) tonight but when he told me what it was and I saw the context of the rest of the homework, I told him I thought he could figure it out on his own and he did. It was about absolute values but he'd just done an entire worksheet on them 2 nights ago and got them right. I think part of the problem is him getting his confidence back- that he can do this in a mainstream sd and hold his own academically. I keep reminding him that he can if he does his part (and he can) but we aren't mensa members here so it's going to take some hard work and a lot of studying.
Sorry- I think I'm rambling. I'm just so proud to finally see him study on his own accord, get up for school on his own, be excited about classes, etc....it's been a long time coming and I want it to last, Know what I mean??
klmno
Active Member
thank you, DDD! I know there are several members here that have always tried to help us both and never saw it as an "either/or" situation and they have always been dear to my heart and E's when he knows who they are. Every day means something and every day makes him stronger and makes a decent future for him more possible.
I know we both had thoughts last night like maybe it's just too much ...such a simple thing like being able to get some help on homework helped us both keep things in perspective combined with the 4 mos he's been out showing effort keeps us both hanging in there. And what luck this time- being a senior he can now enjoy some milestones that just aren't there for younger teens in the near future. He gets senior photos taken in about 10 days, he might get a slassring (waiting to see on that), we're scheduled to look at colleges in Sept. and Oct., ok..it's not just for him- I'm getting a lot of motivation out of all this, too. LOL! Momma's rights, right??
I know we both had thoughts last night like maybe it's just too much ...such a simple thing like being able to get some help on homework helped us both keep things in perspective combined with the 4 mos he's been out showing effort keeps us both hanging in there. And what luck this time- being a senior he can now enjoy some milestones that just aren't there for younger teens in the near future. He gets senior photos taken in about 10 days, he might get a slassring (waiting to see on that), we're scheduled to look at colleges in Sept. and Oct., ok..it's not just for him- I'm getting a lot of motivation out of all this, too. LOL! Momma's rights, right??
