Category: Math

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Memorizing or Understanding?

Would you choose to learn through memorizing or understanding? This is a critical question for every student out there. I used to be very hesitant to answer this question, probably because of what I’ve experienced. However, as I grow and learn, I could find an answer to this question. Learn through understanding. 

I’ve been learning through memories for the whole life of my 6 school years ;grade 1 to 6. Even though I got good grades, I could feel that it is not an efficient way for me to learn. When I study in my government school, memorizing is the main key to get a good grade. However, they should’ve thought about the students understanding as well.

When I came to Liger Leadership Academy, I really enjoy how my learning is being progressed. Specifically in math class, well first of all, math is not a subject that I’m very good at, however my facilitators helps me to grow my understanding and thinking of each math problem. 

If our learning were to depend on our memorization only, we’re not going to get to our goal. Like in math, if we only remember the formula, but we don’t know how to do and interpret the formula, you won’t get to the answer. This school year is tough for me, but also interesting. I am introduced to a lot of new things. This year in math class, this is the first time where I work with algebra a lot. Something that is very cool about algebra, or math in general is that it doesn’t only about getting the answer right, but it also teaches us how to think outside the box and being strategic about each problem because in every math problems, there are a lot of strategies that we could have for each problem.

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Rate and Speed

As I always say, as time goes by, we always learn new lessons. Here we are again in Math class, we ended this round by learning about “Rate and Speed”. But why is it important to learn about it? Well, it is obviously important because we need this to interact with our daily life. 

Another question is what is the relationship between speed, distance and time? The relationship between three of them is that we can measure how quickly something could move from one point to another point. 

Here’s the formula: 

Distance = Speed * Time

Speed = Distance/Time

Time = Distance/Speed

Example:

A van traveled 216 km in 4 hours. Can you find its speed in km/h? 

So the problem wants us to find the speed in km/h. Well, you already know the formula so it is easy! Just following the formula which Distance/Time:

216/4 = 54 km/h

So that’s the answer to the problem above!

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Percentage is not just existed and does nothing…

Percentage is not just existed by itself, it’s existed with a purpose, a purpose of helping people with their remembering, understanding and their comparison. 

Percentage is a number with the symbol of %. It expressed as a fraction of 100. In this class, we also learn how to convert the fraction into the percentage. 

Here’s the strategies that convert a fraction to percentage:

numerator / denominator * 100 

 

As you can see the example above, if you take 16*100/100, it’ll be 16 as a result. 

Here’s another example: 

What’s the percentage of 2/3?

Answer

If you take 2/5*100, you’ll see 40%. One thing that you can do is that you can also do the multiplication first and division after that. For example 2*100/5, it’ll be the same answer. 

Besides percentage, we also learn several rules/strategies about geometry. These strategies help me solving the problem more efficiently and let’s see if they help you as well:

1.

Photo from Google

This means angle 1 & 3 are equal and angle 2 & 4 are equal.

2.

Photo from Google

3.

Did you learn at least one things from these strategies? I hope so! Personally, I think sometimes we have to find the pattern of doing something, so that it helps more with the future works. Like a quote say, “Work Smarter Not Harder”. 

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Decimal

Converting Decimal into Fractions

To make it easy, all you have to do is take the numinator divided by denominator. If it’s go forever, you can stop whenever they wants you to stop. 

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Fractions & Geometry – Math

Tricks about Math (Triangle Area)

Tricks about Division Fraction 

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Beginning of Algebra

This year I was introduced to the beginning of algebra. I was a little bit nervous because I was scared that I won’t perform well in class by solving the problem with algebra. I’m learning 5A grade books. We didn’t go deep to specific and advanced algebra, but our facilitator (Sam) taught us the general information of what algebra is. My first thought to algebra is to think as deep as Mariana Trench, highest as Mount Everest, critically as Albert Einstien. In fact, the secret is that we always solve the problem with algebra every day, but we never notice about it. I enjoy and figure out about learning it, but sometimes getting dizzy as well. Conclusively, I think it is very important to learn about algebra which is one of a good learning strategies for solving any problems. Positively, if we’re being optimistic and getting excited about it, boring would never come. Trust me! After I got this lesson, I’m now familiar with it. 

I also found it very helpful by using the pictures instead of algebra. Sam teaches us different types to solve different words problem. This is a really good learning strategy. These are the words problem that I solve using pictures and algebra:

John had 300 stamps. He sold 120 stamps and gave 13 of the rest to his brother.

(a) How many stamps did he give to his brother?

(b) How many stamps did he have left?

At first, I found it complicated, but I wasn’t panic. I calm down and solve the problem step by step. 

In addition, Sam also teaches us about fraction, order of operation, distribute of properties and prime factorization. I believe that Math is one of the subjects that uses critical thinking skill. It is very important and it has the ability to help our future job.