Some facts and fictions about Algebra

Algebra is an integral part of our life since beginning of human civilization. It is a quite common and compulsory subject for all students, at least up to the higher secondary level. Unfortunately many people believe that learning algebra sharpens and enhance the logical thinking ability of a person. Thus every young student is being taken as granted to be well versed and proficient in it. As a result of which one in every five students fails to qualify in final exams and develops an inferiority complex.

Some shocking figures

Most of the teachers and educators will agree to the fact that a major percentage of students are failing because of algebra only. Surprisingly 45 percent failed in Nevada in the year 2009 as disclosed by a national survey. In South Carolina it was 34 percent and 35 percent in West Virginia. It is also interesting to know that in the University of California only those applications are considers from students who have finished a three year study in Mathematics. Then what about those students who have excelled in the streams like Science, Arts or History? The word doesn’t end here. Even for clearing SAT entrance many colleges are setting up a high score like 700 on mathematics. But the reality is only 15 percent of students are able to achieve that score every year.

Solving Algebra can damage your brain cells

Yes, this is the fact. Recently researchers from Chicago University have revealed that for people who get butterflies in stomach in the name of algebra, they can hurt their brain cells during solving any algebraic problem.
Fourteen persons were studied who suffer from algebra anxiety with a fMRI machine that scans their brain activity. The research found a significant increase in activity in the posterior insular of their brain which is known for responding to threats and pain experience. So this is indeed an alarming situation.  

How to get the solution

Well, the thing is that we all want our children to be a math literate. Everyone should study at least the basic arithmetic. But going beyond that should always be an individual’s choice. I mean after a certain grade, Algebra should be an elective subject rather than mandatory and thus stop forcing youngsters to learn it at every level. This will create eagerness in students to study and explore further to know a subject. We can also take the help of online tutorials where students can enjoy learning Math in more interactive and amusing way.

Ten ways to improve your Math skills

Math is a subject that is not everybody’s cup of tea. While some students can easily grasp it, there are few who always wonder how ‘x’ can be equal to any number. However there also exists another group who finds mathematics quite interesting but not able to go beyond a certain level. So here goes some tips ‘n’ tricks that can help them to cope with it:

Do not feel embarrassed to ask questions, however silly the question maybe. It is better to feel foolish than remain ignorant.

Understand Mathematical concepts. There is no point memorizing without understanding the logic behind the concept.

Write down mathematical formulas and go through it every day. As soon as you see a problem the mathematical equation should just pop into your mind. Everything takes time but if you try to put aside your aversion for the subject, you patience will be rewarded.

Always double check the answer. Silly mistakes can easily be avoided as they can be detected by a second check. You may be good at Math, but ‘To err is human’.

To sharpen your Math skills, do mental math. When you buy things total up the amount mentally and give you a pat on the back when it tallies with the computer printout. You will definitely get a thrill knowing that you were able to total up the amount mentally, faster than an electronic device.

Memorizing multiplication tables will definitely help. . In good old days, the first thing in the morning was to chant the multiplication tables, but now with the advent of the calculator the mind is not being exercised.

Half and double is another good way to sharpen your Math skills. Take a random number, double it or half it; try to make a game of it.

Try to remember phone numbers. Mobile phones have made life easy but at the same time we have stopped exercising our brain. Our Math skills are fast disappearing with too much rest.

Another way is to try and solve Sudoku puzzles. It is a fun way to sharpen your addition and subtraction skills without boredom.

If you feel nothing works, take Math help from an online tutor.

A good online math tutor will be able to change your outlook and you will see instantaneous results.

A checklist for parents before hiring an online tutor

Hiring online tutors for your child can be a crucial decision. Every child needs a tutor at some point of their educational career. Especially when the child steps into the middle and high school level, their course contents changes drastically both in quality and quantity as compared to the elementary level. So this is the time when your child may need some extra help in studies and your responsibility is to provide a good tutor to him/her.

Though there are many kinds of tutoring options available these days, I would personally recommend for hiring a tutor online. Of course, you will get a lot of benefits of online tutoring over other forms of traditional tutoring methods. Firstly your child will get an individual one to one attention from the tutor which would help to build self confidence in him/her. It’s a good opportunity for parents to get involved and monitor their child’s education as a child can take the online sessions from the home itself. Adding to that you’ll get all these benefits for quite a lesser fee in comparison to traditional form of tutoring. Howe ever one should be careful about choosing an online tutor.

Things to consider before hiring an online tutor:

Always prefer a local tutor with whom you can even meet offline when needed.

Ask for recommendations from your friends, colleagues or local teachers and always go for an experienced online tutor in the required subject.

Check all the original credentials for qualification. Even a criminal back ground checking is highly advisable. But do it only after you’ve finalized with a few as it will cost you a bit.

It’s not essential that a person with a good academic background should be a good tutor too. So you can demand for a demo class before actually hiring a person to assess his/her ability.

It’s good to have a detail discussion about your expectations; child’s individual needs etc. and make a proper tutorial plan before proceeding further. It also helps to set a goal for the tutor and ask him/her to achieve it.

Be clear about the pricing structure, rules for missing out sessions and other miscellaneous fees for study materials, practice tests etc.

However the most important of all is to discuss with your child about it. Let him know why you want to hire an online tutor for him and also listen to him carefully and respect his/her judgments. Because it’s vital for the student to become accustomed and in tune with the tutor.

Online math help: Best way to improve your math skills

Online tutoring has been gaining popularity rapidly in recent years. According to a recent study by GIA (Global Industry Analysts Inc.), the global online tutoring market will go beyond $152 Billion by the end of 2015. Especially in developed countries like USA, UK, Canada and Australia it has become a key component of all mainstream education. Because traditional system of tutoring in these countries are quite high. So online tutoring seems to be a better option for parents who want to supplement their children’s education with a private tutor. When it comes to help in math subject, online help is an obvious choice for all.

There are many advantages of taking online math help.

1. One of the major and immediate benefits of online Math tutoring is it makes learning more creative and interesting. With advanced things like whiteboard technologies online tutoring sessions have become more interactive and enjoyable.

2. Another important fact is the student can record and even save all the text files of online sessions and review it any time if he/she faces some doubts. This is not at all possible in traditional system of learning.

3. While tutoring online, student and the tutor, both can access to other valuable math resources that are available over internet which in turn can be learning as well as enriching experience for both of them.

4. Even parents can be involved in these online sessions and get an immediate feedback about the performance of their children.

5. At the end, as we know, this is the most convenient and affordable way to get a help in math.

If you are planning to hire a math tutor for your kid then you should consider My Tutor Store which is a one-stop-solution for all your math help needs, algebra help, and other subjects as well. This portal is a global leader in online tutoring having years of experience in this field. They provide both online and offline tutoring for all subjects from kindergarten to college level. All the tutors here are highly experienced with a minimum of Post-Graduation or a Master degree in their relevant subject. You’ll get one to one tutoring in all subjects and can clear all your doubts instantly. There are many packages to choose from that are specially designed for different IQ levels with a very affordable price.

Online Tutors, the trend of 21st Century

Introduction

With the advent of Computer and Internet, the entire scenario has been changed drastically in the way we impart education to the next generation. Online tutors are increasingly in demand these days, ranging from competitive exams and higher studies even to the kindergarten level. Whether you need to solve algebra or to clear your doubts in science, these online tutors always come in handy for you. But do you know how it all started? Let’s take a look at it.  

History

It all goes back to 1960’s, when two professors from Standford University tried to teach in elementary schools for teaching math and reading. After following a couple of experiments, CompuHigh, the first online high school was founded in 1994. However the online tutoring business geared up its speed when No Child Left Behind Act(NCLB) was signed by President Bush in 2002. Online tutoring allows students the convenience of learning at their own place along with the flexibility of taking it at any scheduled times. Besides, another significant factor is online tutoring is far more cost effective as compared to the traditional face-to-face teaching. So it became the only viable option for economically challenged families to provide tutoring to their children.  

Benefits of Online Tutoring

Though online tutors can never replace the class room teachings. But they definitely work as a booster to a student’s learning process. A lot of research has already been done on this topic and some of the findings say’s:

1. They provide individual, one-to-one attention which helps weak students to perform better.

2. It helps to build confidence in shy students who are not comfortable in face-to-face teachings.

3. You can avail it any time according to your convenient time and place.

4. Online tutoring is like a boon for the poor students because of its cost-effective nature.

5. You can always clear your doubts instantly on any subjects.

However parents should always be careful about checking the quality and background of the service providers. Suppose you want to hire a best math tutor for your kid, then you should always check his/her online profile, reviews, references etc. You can even ask for a proof for his/her educational qualifications specializing in Math subject. And last but not the least, online tutors act like an interface between the parents and teachers. So parent’s involvement in all the activities of children is always appreciated.

Beating up the algebra anxiety

Algebra is only meant for those with a high IQ level. It’s not for the average students. Actually this is a common belief among people prevailing all through the generations. Rather I must say that it’s a “blind belief” which is constantly carrying forward to the next generations. Now it’s time to put a full stop to it and make a new beginning with a fresh thought.

First of all one should understand that no subject is a rocket science at least up to the college level and it can be learned provided it is taught in a proper way. Of course Algebra is a subject that needs a logical blend of mind which is again can be acquired through advanced teaching methods and regular practice. So in this scenario, today’s students are more privileged as they are getting more exposure in terms of online tutoring that is more convenient and affordable as well.

In Algebra, it is always a bad practice to go for the next chapter without grasping the previous one. That way you’ll hamper the logical thinking of your brain. And once it is formed it is difficult to get rid of that. Here comes the role of an online portal that is perfectly designed to cater to all your needs for online tutoring. It is specially focused on providing highly qualified Indian tutors having a passion for teaching and a neutral accent for English language all around the globe.

Some of the salient features of Mytutorstore:

1.      One-on-one Tutoring: This is the best thing that you can get from an online tutoring service. You can hire well experienced tutors and can learn at your pace with flexible schedules.

2.      Assignment/Home work help: With this feature you would be able to finish all your assignments/homework efficiently on time. Added to that it’ll enable students to devote these extra times in doing any research work or any other creative activity.

3.      Practice Tests for examinations: This is another important feature of Mytutorestore. It includes instant feedback on answers, exam tips & tricks, detailed explanations to the questions etc. which will help you to make a robust foundation in Algebra and other subjects as well to prepare yourself for national/state level exams.

And guess what? You can get all these benefits with a fee that is not at all heavy for your pocket and more of all you can avail it at any time with the comfort of your home.