17th Quick Step: Hi everyone, Edison, EH here. HOW’S THE LEARNING?
A peek into the Math by Edison empire*.
Math by Edison is the platform I use to share the hundreds of strategies that I had to design and invent to have the tutoring be effective with my grade 7 to 12 math and first year uni students (aged 12 to 18). This 1-on-1 passion has been my sole job for decades, though 80,000 hours and counting sounds more wow!
Message to math students > I’ve been working at Math by Edison for over 10 months, and I can tell you, will tell you, must tell you, the start is always the hardest part.
Hi everyone, Edison here. HOW’S THE LEARNING?
Thanks for reading Math by Edison!! I’m using this Quick Step to have you better understand Math by Edison’s objectives, let you know I’ve shifted to a fee and no-fee format, ask you three questions, give you a peek behind the scenes and answer some questions about Math by Edison’s objective.
* ”A peek into the Math by Edison empire”, made me smile. I guess I’m starting to achieve my Resolution of, writing funny. Ha 😊! Ha ha 😊😊!
Articles written each month
Quick Steps by EH: Sundays 7:00-7:30am, 3-4x/mth
Math by Edison: Tuesday/Wednesdays 6:30-7:00am, 2-3x/mth
Message to math teachers: Tuesday/Wednesdays 6:30-7:00am, 1-2x/mth
Money IS math: Thursdays 1:30-2:30pm, 2x/mth
Journey to achieving my Jan. 1, 2024 New Years Resolution: 1x/mth for 12 months.
I’m in the process of giving everyone who subscribed prior to today a complimentary subscription which gives access to the fee and no-fee articles (e.g. 1-month for most adults, 3-months for university students, 6-months for high school students).
Today’s is a no-fee so all can read, and Tuesday will be the first fee article. Send me an email if you’re not able to read Tuesday’s article or some of the past articles that now fall under the fee umbrella (e.g. Benefit of a Math Break).
So what is Math by Edison all about? Focusing on the other side of the math learning coin 😊, that never gets talked about in schools ☹. If your view of learning math has shifted, then I’ll take that as a memo to keep doing what I’m doing.
Focusing on the other side of the math learning coin 😊, that never gets talked about ☹.
Three questions
1. What have you liked most about Math by Edison?
2. What would you like to see more of?
3. How can I assist you with your learning or learning for your child or for a math student you know?
(you can respond to these questions by email, if you’ve received this article by email)
Below are a few questions I’ve been asked since I started Math by Edison (Q & A) - thought you would be keen to get a behind the scenes peek, as I’ve added much more to my initial response.
Why are learning strategies not taught in schools?
Good question? As an entrepreneur you learn very quickly that if life gives you lemons, you don’t have to make lemonade. I’m aiming to create a paradigm shift in math learning! And my motivation comes from seeing math education for decades and tens of thousands of hours not teach learning skills. How can that be? How to learn isn’t taught in schools, but isn’t learning a part of math, school and life? Habits, integral to life? Motivation, paramount in life? A strong foundation a must to building anything strong in life?
As an entrepreneur you learn very quickly that if life gives you lemons, you don’t have to make lemonade.
It baffles me why this is withheld, but as I tell my students, when you’re stuck, when you have a problem that you don’t know how to solve, start thinking and turn on your problem-solving engine and use what you know … to solve the problem! Did I say thank you for reading Math by Edison 😊.
Who reads Math by Edison?
Math students (grade 7 to 12, and university), parents and grandparents of those math students, lawyers, doctors, dentists, math teachers, guidance counsellors, psychologists, university professors, entrepreneurs, accountants, physiotherapists, retirees, …). All students want to do well, and all parents are interested in their kids succeeding in school, and into college and university. Learning math well and gaining good habits matters!
Is this ‘create a paradigm shift in math learning’ a pipe dream?
Yeah, I often find myself thinking that thought, especially after I’ve spent over 20 hours writing one Math by Edison article; time that I should not be giving to something where the end result is not guaranteed, time to a writing craft I have little experience in, time that I cannot afford to give with what I have on my plate. But I trudge on, because this ‘Math is hard’, ‘Why do I need math’, ‘How is math going to help me get a job’, has been a mantra and self-belief that’s been going on for too long. It communicates that math is the issue, but it is not. Did you know that Math isn’t what makes math hard - it’s that other 75% non-math …”, is the third most read article on Math by Edison? It’s like everyone has been looking at only one side of the coin.
Will learning strategies ever be taught in schools?
Yes! My intent is to make that happen. When I see students’ positive response after reading an article, that tells me they’re hungry for this. A seed gets planted every time a teacher or guidance counsellor reads a Math by Edison article. When a psychologist writes, “I love your "Math By Edison" articles. They're excellent. Is it ok if I occasionally share these with my Psych Colleagues?”, reminds me that professionals see the value in this too.
It is the feedback from the students that continue to light a fire under my b! How their attitude has shifted, motivation upped, their ‘giving-up’ has tailed off, their problem solving has taken a quantum leap, it is all of that, that inspires. This is about them, for them, their future.
It is the feedback from the students that continue to light a fire under my b! How their attitude has shifted, motivation upped, their ‘giving-up’ has tailed off, their problem solving has taken a quantum leap, it is all of that, that inspires. This is about them, for them, their future.
Walk your talk, Edison!
Action speaks louder than words! My Jan 1, 2024, New Years Resolution, “I will write funny’ is walking my talk, rubber hits the road … updating on the journey and how the learning strategies I teach students can be used outside the math classroom.
And I get to walk in the shoes of a math student yet again - feel vulnerable, want to do better but not sure how, figuring out how to overcomes challenges, tentative about putting their hands up (or sticking their head out), unsure …. ‘I will write funny’ has me feeling the nerves, pressure, time limits, motivation, hopes, expectations … I feel like a struggling math student all over again 😊. Ha! That made me smile. Except this time, I have the ‘How to learn’ strategy on my side.
Did I ask you, How’s the learning going?
Let’s get learning!
Edison, EH
Edison Hopkinson, BSc Mech Eng, B.Ed.
Math Learning Strategist
Strategies to get better with your learning!!
What’s EH? My initials for Edison Hopkinson, eh!
What’s ‘eh’? ‘eh’ is a part of Canadian culture - it’s how many of us snow loving people finish off our sentences.
Hey there’s 1-way over there eh! And that’s 2-way chatting with 1-way eh!