Are Your Kids Struggling in Math or Science?
Khan Academy - When I look at this web site, I think of all the frustration that I had in grade school and high school.
Vividly, I remember my junior high geometry teacher. He was writing on the black board. We were plotting coordinates - or maybe we were looking at the angles of a triangle. I'm not sure. What I clearly remember was -- everyone seemed to understand the problems on the board -- everyone but me. The other students raised their hands. They looked confident. They knew the answer to the math problems. They even casually joked with the teacher. But I did not understand. I just looked at the writing on the board and saw nothing but a giant mess of numbers and shapes that were supposed to mean something, but didn't.
And I wondered. How could something like math make sense to everyone around me - but not make sense to me?
Of course, being a 13 year old quiet student - I would not dare ask the teacher. (A teacher who, in hindsight, would have been happy to help me anytime - and probably wanted to help me.)
Instead I struggled. I stared down at my math books. I looked at the numbers on the papers in front me. I threw my hands up in the air - and swore that math (especially geometry) was nothing more than ridiculous puzzles purposely meant to ruin my life.
It wasn't until college - until I finally realized that math was not my enemy. All I needed was a patient (very very patient!) teacher, and the courage to finally ask someone for help.
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This web site - Khan Academy site (created by Salman Khan) is one of the greatest educational sites I have seen in a long time. There are over 2,000 step-by-step videos covering everything math and science (and I mean everything) - geometry, algebra, physics, multivariable calculus, chemistry, astronomy, economics, and on and on.
These videos are completely visual that you can watch and replay over and over. Even now as an adult, if I wanted to, I could sit down with this site and relearn Geometry or teach myself more about finance.
Once I found this web site, I found myself looking back at the 13 year old student. And I wondered. Could this web site have helped her during a time she was struggling. Yes, I am certain it would.
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