x = [ -b ± √(b² ± 4ac) ] / 2a

Very little time was spent on researching my praxis group project this week. I will be honest that my focus was on my own education - specifically being able to apply for classes next semester. My accuplacer test for math had expired and I needed to re-take it. Honestly, this is something preferred to be avoided except graduating this spring is pretty important to me. Math for Teachers is a required course for my A.S. so it cannot be ignored.

When I first took the test, it was on the spur of the moment at 8 AM. I woke up and decided this would be the day of the test. As soon as my son was picked up on his morning bus I biked to MCTC without having breakfast. I didn't even study for any portion of the test. I pretty much set myself up for disappointment.

I passed all portions of the test at college level except for math, although it was pretty close. So, if I was to retake it I decided that finding a math book and studying up would be worthwhile. I never got a hold of a book that was sufficient. Nor did I find a website that was sufficient.

Only a few weeks ago when I was chatting with my classmate Madalynn did I hear about a good web resource: Khan Academy. It has mathematics broken down into specific lessons to include hints and YouTube videos. So, I have spent a great deal of my time since furiously going through each lesson. I feel like a procrastinator on this issue, which I am because I could have focused more on it this summer.

This last Thursday, I decided would be the day to re-take it.With no lines at the placement testing, I felt comfortable in deciding the moment to take the it. I had some coffee and lunch after my classes. I spent an hour reviewing such terms as the Pythagorean theorem, trigonometry, and geometry. I was tempted to wait another day and spend the remainder of the day on Khan. However, I resisted this and pressed on.

While taking the test, I found it more difficult than I had thought. During a question I found perplexing I wrote down all the different equations that might be helpful on future problems but were not currently useful. For this and other problems I substituted numbers for different variables to see if they best fit the multiple choice answers. Many problems I had remembered from the first test and had prepared for never appeared, like factoring problems.

Still, I passed the test and nearly covered the college course Math 1165. I was told that my test data would be in the system by 8AM the next day. Yet, at 8PM I registered for Math for Teachers. These will be my final classes at MCTC - at least for my Education degree.

To me math does come easier than most. It can be quite frustrating at times. On Khan, when you type in an incorrect answer, your status bar drops down to nearly nothing. You must then answer several more questions in order to master the lesson. I made the mistake of going too quickly at times and did not properly see what was being asked and made user errors when I could have mastered lessons much more quickly. So, taking your time is pretty critical and checking your work.

Whether or not Education Majors need to re-take their placement tests or not, I still think reviewing your math knowledge would be useful before taking Math for Teachers. Once you reach a challenging lesson, all that mathematical frustration returns. If you persist at the lesson and reach that "Aha!" moment where the lesson makes sense and clicks - it feels well worth it. Further, it gets you in the mode of the student. Anyone can naturally feel frustrated by mathematics and re-acquainting ourselves with that can help us see the other side of knowledge better.

I've also been informing my peers about how great Khan Academy is. It may or may not be funded by the Genghis Khan Foundation, but it's a fantastic resource!