Comments on: Learning To Learn: Pencil, Then Ink

By: kalid

kalid — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 18:17:00 +0000

In reply to Kathi Grimes. Thanks Kathi, glad it helped!

By: Kathi Grimes

Kathi Grimes — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 03:57:00 +0000

WOW!!!! An aha moment. I read what you wrote and finally my approach to learning, living, and teaching math is validated after 40+ years!!! I have spent the last 40 years thinking about how I learned to love math – I see and I can solve. I draw. I use analogies from every day life. I want my students (adults who didnt finish high school) to be open, to explore, to see math, not just do math. Thank you for validating my way of seeing math!!!

By: katelynne@fiscus

katelynne@fiscus — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 16:57:44 +0000

By: Kalid

Kalid — Fri, 02 May 2014 07:21:28 +0000

Thanks for the thoughtful comment Eric. I had a similar experience which actually prompted the creation of this site. When studying my first semester in college, ideas that had confounded me all semester suddenly started to click. With the proper analogies, I didn’t have to “memorize” any facts, they just seemed self evident.

(I.e., we don’t “memorize” that a circle is round, that is just an intrinsic property of the element. If you are memorizing a fact like that, it means you’ve missed the point of a circle!)

The journey is what I want to share, far more than any specific nugget of knowledge. Just as you say, showing someone a photo of a mountain can be beautiful, and inspiring, perhaps… but’s not real. It doesn’t last. I want to help people experience ideas themselves (not just the conclusions!) and hopefully build enthusiasm for learning more (and for what they can teach me too).