Formula for Managing Your Time

July 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Americans lead busy lives. It seems they’re always saying, “There aren’t enough hours in the day!” They get stressed out trying to get it all done. Time is one commodity for which you can’t get a refund. Time management can become very important in a person’s life, especially if you feel you don’t have enough time to accomplish things.

One of the most important aspects of time management is learning to say no. Do not over extend yourself and pick up projects or duties that immediately add stress to your life. You will know in your gut whether it’s a responsibility that you should accept. Listen to your intuition.

One of the first things to examine is how you spend your time. Keep a log and get a clear picture of exactly how you are spending your time. The more accurate the log, the more accurate your formula will be.

The 10/70/20 formula is a popular time management tool. This formula requires you to divide your time into Past, Present and Future. The idea is to spend 10 percent of your time dealing with past duties such as paying bills or finishing a project. The present should take up the most time (70 percent) doing things like working or researching online courses at eLearners.com. Twenty percent is spent on future duties. Future duties would include something like preparing an agenda for a meeting next week.

You can even tweak the numbers for this formula depending on how you log your time. You can change it up and use 20/60/20 if that fits your lifestyle. The important thing is to look at your log and manage your time in a way that fits your needs.

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Real World Value: Mathematics

July 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Square root of x formula. Symbol of mathematics.

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Mathematics is a fiendish thing: a gathering of cruel numbers and impossible formulas, the angles that refuse to relent. This is your certainty, earned from years of schooling, the drones of instructors who never dared to smile. It’s a subject with no value and no appeal. You’ve gained nothing from it — except frustration. You despise it.

This is a common philosophy. Students — young and old — consider mathematics tedious. They lack all inspiration with it, sure that nothing beyond confusion can be earned. And, once the lessons are done, they toss away all they learned.

This is a mistake — but an easily corrected one. Individuals simply must gain awareness of real applications. Math must be recognized as useful, rather than dull.

Numbers surround us: from observing the price of fashion to crafting budgets to even planning for retirement. Totals define the world. It’s essential that individuals understand this, noting that even their attempts to haggle for better store deals result from math. And, when teachers stress this, the process seems far more appealing.

Applying math is a simple thing. Its basic formulas are involved in daily life. Mastering addition, subtraction, fractions and percentages is therefore necessary — and can provide aid in shops, dealerships and more. Allowing students to see this is vital. It ensures that the lessons are deemed important instead of irritating. Real-life examples must be offered.

Generating interest in math is often considered impossible. It instead merely requires patience, however, and the ability to channel numbers into reality.

 

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Mathematics in Education

June 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A leader teach is able to help this student wi... 

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Education has changed drastically from the three R’s, reading, writing, arithmetic. Now schools have the pressure of adding character education, art, physical education, music, science, history, social studies, the list seems to go on.

How do schools focus on honing student’s mathematical skills with such a vast array of other subjects that are required in schools today?

Integration is one tool that teachers utilize that connects mathematics to other subjects. While mathematics might be the most challenging to integrate, science often works well and forces students to utilize those precious math skills. Application of mathematics knowledge is key.

Homework is often provided to students to practice the skills that are being taught since there is less time to complete this work in the classroom. Homework is such a controversial topic, since teachers use homework so differently.  Homework realistically should be a review and practice, not take students hours to complete every night. Homework does show parents what skills their child needs to work on outside of school. Unfortunately math is often one of those subjects.

Creativity is often necessary to help students learn new concepts, apply the information on a regular basis and provide opportunities for students to explore with the skills that they’ve just learned. Manipulatives for younger students is often used to help connect real numbers to objects. Board games and other tools are exposed to students that are slightly older, and higher order math gets the old fashioned pencil and paper.

Mathematics isn’t going anywhere in the education system. Teachers are just forced to be more outside the box thinkers to teach and hone skills of their students.

 

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Learning Math Can Lead to Winning at Cards

May 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It does not matter if your game is blackjack or poker. When you understand mathematics and statistics, you are going to become a better player and have a better chance of winning money. The professional card players know the odds that they are up against on every hand and use that information to plot their next move.

As the old poker saying goes, “You got to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.” Playing poker is all about exploiting your opportunities to have a good hand. Texas Hold ‘em is the most popular of the casino games online right now and the key to being successful is to know when you have a realistic chance to win. Even the best hands can get beat sometimes but if you stick with playing hands where you have a reasonable chance of victory, you will be a winner in the long run.

Blackjack players can have an ever bigger advantage if they are skilled at following the cards. Expert mathematicians can track in their head how many face cards are out and will increase their bets if there are many remaining in the deck. The player knows this will improve his odds of getting 20 or 21 and improve the odds of winning. Blackjack is another of the casino games online that is being played at any time of the day or night.

Some players think that succeeding at cards is about intimidating your opponents and reading other players but really it is about statistics. Follow what the odds say and in the long run your will be a winner.



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Can Numbers Be Fun?

May 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Commutative diagram for morphism.
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Studying math in school isn’t commonly considered fun. Children and adults alike may struggle with basic and complex computations, even when they have a good grasp of mathematics. Can numbers be fun? Fun With Numbers, a blog dedicated to celebrated mathematician Andrew Grothendieck, says yes.

Math doesn’t have to feel like a frightening entity, a subject best-reserved for brainy, scientific minds. Fun With Numbers explores how math affects even the ordinary and the everyday, everything from bank loans to the boiling point of water. Using the ideas expressed by Andrew Grothendieck, Fun With Numbers shows that math can be a recreational activity, not just a subject to be studied in school. Grothendieck is a celebrity in the world of mathematics, an award-winning scientist who later refused to accept the many honors heaped upon him.

From competitive math to every day computations, Fun With Numbers explains how math relates to daily life in a casual, relatable way that makes mathematics approachable and easy. Want to pay off a mortgage sooner, become a master at casino games online, figure out how much that auto insurance policy really costs for the coverage it provides? Fun With Numbers shows readers how to do all of this and more. Readers will even have the opportunity to explore competitive math, a world that most people will never experience.

It isn’t just about recognizing math; it’s about knowing exactly how to use it, too. Fun With Numbers helps to turn math into a game, making it easier to grasp the concept of using numbers. It is possible to be entertained by math, and that’s just what this Grothendieck-centric blog explores. The famed mathematician has lived reclusively since 1991, but his ideas and his way with numbers is still the stuff of math legend. Can numbers be fun? Fun With Numbers proves that they are.

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Becoming a Teacher

May 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A leader teach is able to help this student wi... 

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To become any type of teacher, there are different levels that can be achieved, and you can work with a variety of people. You can become an elementary teacher, high school teacher, private tutor, or a college professor. There is plenty you can do if you want to become a teacher.

First, decide what type of teacher you want to be and what age group you want to work with. This will help you decide the level of education you will need to achieve your goals to become a teacher.

If you want to become a teacher you are going to have to go to college. Keep your grades up during high school so you can get into the college of your choice. You will have to go through a teaching program, but every school is different and has different requirement; you will generally spend four or five years in school.

After you finish your teaching program you will have to receive a teaching license in the state you wish to teach in. Some colleges grant licenses upon graduation. If you’re not sure how teaching licenses work in your state, contact the education department in your state.

After receiving your bachelor’s degree and possibly getting some experience in the field of teaching, you can continue your schooling in order to receive a Ph.D. so you can teach at the college level. This is only for those that wish to teach at a higher level, but it wouldn’t hurt to continue going to school. In fact, most teachers go on to receive their master’s degree, as some schools require this.

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