December 14, 2009
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I am Smart at Math
I have been hearing a lot today about how people are claiming that they are underrated and overrated and math and IQ numbers have been thrown into the mix.
I just wanted to say that I am smart at math. I taught 5th and 6th grade math. I always gave my students a pre-test before we started the year in math class. Usually the kids would score in the 50 or 60 percents. By the end of the year I gave them the same test, none of my students scored under 95%. None if my math serves me right, that is good.
Anyway here's further proof I am good at math: The associative property works for both multiplication as well as addition.
If you take the group of numbers 2, 3, and 4 no matter which numbers you add together first, they will always have the same sum. (2+3)+4=9 or (4+3)+2=9.
As I mentioned this same property works for multiplication. We will use the same numbers: 2, 3, and 4.
(2*3)*4=24 is the same as (4*3)*2=24.Does knowing the associative property make me better than anyone else on Xanga? Probably not.
Does applying the associative property make me the world's best blogger? No.
Am I an ass for posting this? Yes.
You may get a laugh out of this but I qualified for MENSA. It ain't difficult.
Comments (41)
You tell it how it is godfather!
good stuff
Haha. Duly noted.
It looks easy when you put it like that.
Indeed, and often our successes of character overshadow our flaws
You r hero i am zero at math:)
Well-said
wow. can i have your brain? i need to teach my cousin how to do logs...
also,
@Chinese_Sait0u -
hey ian, it's elsa.
did you really? i heard that the only thing common among MENSA folk is that they all like to talk a lot. is that true?
your post here is randomly cute by the numbers!
Do you play poker? Or have you? That's where I have applied most my math skills in the real world.
hmmm apparently there was some sort of bru-ha-ha going on here last night... i missed it (...and i'm totally okay with that
..but good for you and your big math brains just the same 
I . . . I . . . think I just learned something.
i could solve all the problems in the world! but i don't want to.
because i would still be bad at bowling, and that miffs me. can i use miff as a verb? i think i can.
Now I know who to come to for help with my 4th grader's math.
They haven't gone past division yet, so, so far, so good.
After thinking about the math thing further...do you have any hints on how to teach a 10 year old basic multiplication tables? She hit a complete brick wall last year and it still stuck.
Mensa? Very impressive! Really!
@royal_diadem -
Hahaha...burn on me. Actually I never put much stock into IQ since most of the education research I did has found IQ tests to be biased and not really a true measure of intelligence. It does make me feel special from time to time. Even though I was "smart" I didn't learn to tie my shoes until 6th grade but I felt better than Einstein since he never learned.
@dlmcniel -
Well I try.
@Chinese_Sait0u -
thank you
@schallerbrandon -
true, I may be good at math but I can't understand women and I know guys all say that but I am truly horrible in that department.
@GloomySunday1 -
I always tried to teach my class without using confusing language. Basically I brought my speech down to the kids' level so it would stick with them better.
@PeaceSearcher -
thank you!
@feathereyecandy -
Thank you
@smile_dolphin_gal -
As soon as they can do brain transplants, then you can have it.
@POETIC_ISIS -
thank you, there was a "tiff" on Xanga this weekend and this was my reply.
@Paul_Partisan -
I actually do play poker. I don't have the patience to play online. You lived in Madison, right? If so do you remember Wisconsin Dells? Anyway that is my town and there is a casino there and they always have poker going, mostly Texas Hold'em but every once in awhile Omaha. For a while I was spending time there making more money in one night than my monthly salary from teaching.
@Peridot21 -
Yeah there was a "tiff". It's resolved. It's the holidays so expect those things to flare up. The only bad thing about having a big brain is having a big head and not being able to find hats that fit...;)
@ThatOneBlondeChick -
Wow...I never thought I would be able to teach through Xanga
@BranmacFeabhail -
You can most definitely use miff as a verb. I too may be smart but I suck at bowling. Even President Obama is a better bowler than me. In college, we had PE and one of the quarters I took bowling. I found a guy who was just as bad and one morning he bowled a 50 and I bowled an 11. In my defense, I was hungover.
@itsjustamething -
Well the first thing I usually recommend is that you try flash cards. Because at 10 kids should be really memorizing those facts. My math class every day involved a quiz. The series was set up by a military man and he said the best way to start the class was through drilling the basic math facts. The kids were given 50 addition problems and when they could get all 50 in under 2 minutes then they moved to subtraction and then multiplication and then division and then fractions. Through that constant drilling they got the math facts down so I didn't have to worry about spending 15 minutes reviewing how to subtract numbers larger than 10. Another thing that I used when dealing with students that had problems with multiplication or any math system was base ten blocks. The kits online seem to be expensive but these blocks are visible and can be manipulated. This is a starter kit. Once the student was able to handle the blocks and visually set up the problem then it became quite easy. Another thing, depending on your child's learning style, would be math through music. I saw this work when I was in grade school. A lot of my classmates learned through a record that our teacher played. This is a cd you can buy but I am sure that you could find stuff on youtube in fact check this out for the 8 tables. Here's another site that features a few more multiplication music cds.
I very much appreciate all the info! She is a very bright girl. Did great until it came to multiplying.
If you ask the simplest of 'problems', say, 7X9, she gets the "deer in the headlight's" look.
Kinda of getting at my wits end. No help from the teacher yet, but, there are other people to get in touch with. I am done being patient with this. After Christmas vacation, I become the original "squeaky wheel". I am getting the "grease".
Thank you for everything!
You qualified for MENSA? To take the test or to join?
@itsjustamething - Well, there are some core multiplications that should be learned first: 1*x, 2*x, 5*x, 10*x and the other way around (x*1, x*2, x*5, x*10). From there you go to the neighbors or double them. This way the kids learns and understands the system behind it all.
@nattata -
I don't know what that HTML stuff is above this sentence, but, I will leave it there in case that is something important.
Thanks Nattata, I as I said, I appreciate anything that can help.
That is part of the problem.
My daughter never did catch on to the 'basic' multiplication period. Aside from 'whatever' x 1,2, and 0, a few 'special' problems (ex. 9x9 or 12x12) it just hasn't stuck. She just hasn't grasped it.
She is a smart girl. I haven't ruled out a 'learning disorder' but, will have that checked into as well after the Christmas break. My daughter was tested for just that about 2 years ago and there wasn't any evidence of such then. I don't know if these things just come on.
I really believe it is a matter of the multiplication being presented to her in a way that 'makes sense' to her. I think that may be all trial and error. But, it must be done!!
With division on the agenda now, you need the multiplication! It's just not happening.
Thanks again!!
@itsjustamething -
the html stuff is the coding for the reply...I am too lazy to switch my format.
@godfatherofgreenbay -
Ok, I have now met someone that is in my leage!!
Thanks, I wondered why that unknown stuff was on "my" computer. I normally don't allow it! (just because I don't know HTML coding)
@itsjustamething -
I just know enough for the html for embedding videos...copy and paste.
@itsjustamething - I've learned that patience and practice are the most important things in math. Good luck with your daughter!
Yes, you're a smart guy, not only at math but overall.
@RestlessButterfly -
Aw...thank you
You are a master of the Math! We need you on a mountain top to give us mathematical answers to lifes equations.
Comments are closed.