24th Quick Step: Be Prepared For Your New Math Course. It starts in ... less than 2 weeks❗
What’s new? 1. Math by Edison continues, 2. MAKE math LAUGH, 3. Strategy sessions.
Hey everyone, Edison here. Welcome back from the July-August break❗ How was your summer? Or should I say winter, if you’re down under in Australia? What’s new?
1) I will continue to write Math by Edison articles (minimum of 10x/year). This August article, ‘Be Prepared For Your New Math Course’ was not planned as I was still on summer vacation, but it’s a crucial topic here in Canada, with some students starting their new math courses next week, and most within the next 14 days.
2) MAKE math LAUGH is a new site I’ve created. It’s where I’ve merged math and my 2024 Resolution, ‘I write funny’! Math & writing funny united, with the dual goal to spark a LAUGH ... and learning!
3) Strategy Sessions with Edison. NEW❗
Will focus on the must have learning skills:
1. HABITS in September
2. GOALS in October
3. MOTIVATION in November
4. PROCRASTINATION in December
5. RESILENCE in JanuaryIt’s 40’, live, online with me, Edison, and is open to any student - and the focus is on strategies, not math! Go here for some details on HABITS session in September.
Your new math course starts in the next 2 weeks. Let’s get you ready!
When did you last do math?
1. If in the last 9 to 21 days (e.g. did a math course in July), then math needed will be fresh in your mind. What’s next? Read the rest of this article to make sure all squares checked, plus read these two Quick Steps:
2. If July-August used to review past math and/or reached ahead to understand your new math then you are ready for your course 😊❕❗ What’s next? Raise your prep! Check out these two links for strategies/tips on getting tougher questions:
3. If no math done in over 2 months (e.g. completed you last math course in mid-June 2024), then read ‘Be Prepared For Your New Math Course’ below, and I’d also recommend you read, Edison’s Math School, The Input-Output-Machine: Partie deux de trois - Math!
4. If no math done in 7 months (completed last math course in mid-January 2024), then read this Be Prepared For Your New Math Course. And I’d also recommend checking out all other links listed in this article, as well as the two below:
The Input-Output-Machine of Life, Math, Learning & You: Partie trois de trois - Learning & YOU.
How not to do a final exam review ❌❕ Yes, I know this Be Prepared post isn’t about preparing for an exam but that ‘exam review’ article tells you this: You start studying for your final exam the day your course starts … which is now!
Steps to be Prepared For Your New Math Course?
‘Be Prepared’ is the Scout’s motto, and is excellent advice to follow whenever you undertake any new endeavour. A new math course is a new endeavour!
The ‘Be Prepared’ strategy accomplishes three things:
1. You understand what’s coming up and going to happen in your course,
2. You will solve future math problems now - so they’re going to be easier when you see them in class (e.g. when math from last year shows up) and
3. You’ll be stronger and ready for new challenges (e.g. the new math, tougher questions, tests).
Of course, following the ‘Be unprepared’ strategy leads to 1) More struggles, 2) More frustrations and 3) Higher odds that you won’t reach your potential (what you’re capable of). We don’t want that. Let’s get you prepared.
How to prepare?
Best way is to use the 70:30 ratio strategy - Past Math needed to New Math you haven’t been taught yet. This is a strategy I use with my students, and I wrote about it a year ago, in August 2023, I don’t understand my teacher! You need to know the 70:30 ratio of teaching math.
Past math needed is the math you need to know for your next math course. New Math is the new math you will see in your course that you've never seen before, and most of this math builds on that past math.
The 70:30 ratio comes from the understanding that in each math class, about 70% of the math in your new course is Past Math, math you've been taught before, and math your teacher will expect you to remember. Then your teacher will build on that 70% past math, to teach you the 30% that's the New Math. So knowing that past 70% prepares you for the new math❕❗❕
Note: The students I referenced in point 2., above have done this 70% (i.e. reviewed past math), so they'll know that 70% of Past Math their teacher expects them to remember, which means they, of course, will pick up the New Math quicker!!
1. How to find out what the past 70% is? Ask any teacher (e.g. email last year's teacher), ask anyone you know who did this course last year (specifically ask, "What's the past math we're expected to know?"). Or ask me!
2. Once you know what that past math is, 'understand it’! How?
- Use the Summary sheets you made last year and re-do each question (you will have the full solution right there for help 😊).
- If you don't have Summary Sheets, then get the past tests from your last math course and re-do all questions (again, if unsure, the correct solutions are right there) 😊.
Either Sheets or Tests work as this 'recover work' is math you know and have done in the past*. Now make it fresh!3. *Reminder: You will recall and remember that past math quicker when you’re looking over math you’ve done, math in your handwriting, as it will act as a trigger. I spoke more about ‘triggers’ in, Recovering from an extended school break (9-17 days of no math).
That’s it!
If you’re heading into your last math course in high school (grade 12s in every Canadian province, except Quebec) you probably know that other students will have prepped in advance of their course starting. Why? Because suddenly marks are the motivator, as it is primarily marks that universities and colleges base their offers of acceptance on.
Finally, however long the break was that you took (9 days, weeks, 2 months, 7 months), it was needed as it was a chance to exhale, relax, have fun and get re-energized. Which, if you think about it, isn’t that different than taking a mini-break when you’re studying, 13th Quick Step: The benefit of a math break!
So … break’s over … time to … get prepped!
Edison
More on breaks
And yes, if you’re starting your new math course in 5 months, in February 2025, then this, Be Prepared For Your New Math Course is for you too! An 8-month gap of doing no math (June to Feb) isn’t how you want to start your next math course ☹.
Then there’s the 12-month gap of doing no math - February 2024 to February 2025. My advice? Shrink the gap of ‘no math’ by prepping now!
And if you’re a university student, then you already know about the benefits of doing work in between math courses. You’re better prepared 😊!