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(62,406 posts)PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,841 posts)I want to take some math classes from that man! Quick, where does he teach? Will they let me in?
Ptah
(33,024 posts)Eddie Woo is Head Teacher Mathematics at a public comprehensive high school in Sydney, Australia.
https://misterwootube.com/
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,841 posts)airplaneman
(1,239 posts)I discovered Eddie a while back - Its been fun watching his videos.
-Airplane
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,841 posts)not woo.
He is amazing.
Keep in mind I have a son in an astronomy program on the east coast, and I constantly call him up with question about astronomy and related fields. He is a wonderful son (of course!) and I have never once heard him roll his eyes at me. But I spend a lot of time talking about science, physics, astronomy, and math with him. I did eventually make it through the first semester of calculus (a business calc, not a pure math calc) in a community college. I loved what I learned. About halfway into the semester I could look around me at ordinary objects and realize they were in reality calculus problems. Please do not quiz me on this, as it was a good 25 or more years ago and I've forgotten almost everything I learned about calculus.
But my son. Oh, my. He is wonderfully patient with me, explaining concepts and specific things, many of which I've asked him multiple times before. As I said above, I have never once heard him roll his eyes at me. Actually, a few days ago we were discussing something or another (the topic at hand was how far away are the most distant stars we can see in the Milky Way galaxy, and what is the time frame for Milky and Andromeda to collide, and stuff about some other small galaxies that are already colliding with Milky Way) and I said to him, as I often do, that I really love our conversations because I always learn new things, and he said something like, "I like our conversations, too." Which was immensely gratifying. I joke that I could give you his cell phone number, and if you have an astronomy question you could text him asking "Is the Astronomer on Duty?" and then just say you're a friend of his mom's and ask the question. He would answer and you'd learn a lot. In reality, I'm not about to give out his cell phone number, but trust me, he's an amazing resource.
Also, I had the incredible good fortune to have taken a math program in high school, called UICSM. The University of Illinois Committee on School Mathematics. I am yet to meet someone who has ever even heard of it. It was brand new in the early 60s. So new, that we didn't have normal textbooks, but had workbooks that we got to fill in. I am incredibly regretful I didn't save any of them. Anyway, we proved everything. Trust me on that. As a consequence I can recall a lot of specifics of that class, and if I want to, I can re-derive the formula for converting between Celsius and Fahrenheit. So when thirty years out of high school I started taking math classes at my local community college, I tested into algebra 2. And did quite well in it. Got a B. Next semester I got an A in college algebra. What was most interesting was that sitting in class, as the instructor was explaining something or another, specific language would bubble up in my mind (out of the very dark depths, trust me here) such as something is true "if and only if" something else was true. When I'd ask the instructor why that specific language wasn't used, she basically said it wasn't that important. I eventually came to learn that what I'd been taught back in UICSM was a far more rigorous approach to math.
Eventually I took more math classes, through first semester calculus and just loved it.
So, yeah, I want to take classes with this guy.
asiliveandbreathe
(8,203 posts)My daughter-in-law, has her masters in math for which I take no credit, but do boast proudly. She is from the Philippines where teachers are revered. She came to this country 6 years ago and landed a teaching job within 11 months...took a bit of time for her to become acclimated, married..to most honorable son. (a globetrotter, retired Navy Chief), yes, boasting again, whom she met three years prior, in the Philippines. She is the most humble person I have ever met, so kind, caring, and full of grace. They just came back from their globetrotting to Hong Kong (yes, they have pictures of the protest) and her family in the Philippines. Wonderful stories of their adventure - they go back every year after their school term ends. He teaches also.
I ask her questions all the time about her experiences teaching here. She laughs, or shakes her head, but steady and persistent, in keeping 5th through 7th graders in line..is definitely different from teaching in the Philippines...where the students are very studious and respectful, if I may. Some of her stories are funny, some sad, and some downright horrible, and yet, she is going into her 4th year. She moved the needle at her school for math test scores..this is what motivates her to continue..as she shakes her head and laughs..
I just love this from YOUR story, "such as something is true "if and only if" something else was true". Can be said for so many situations.
I will share this link as well as your story with her. She is teaching me Tagalog, her native language...so, I will just say Salamat (thank you in Tagalog)
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,841 posts)to Tagalog. I tried the Google and it wanted to give me Filipino. I'm pretty sure they're different languages.
And yeah, the "if and only if" wording is very important, especially in math.
asiliveandbreathe
(8,203 posts)Walang anuman
.
Walang anuman
asiliveandbreathe
(8,203 posts)Filipino is the Hispanized, or Anglicized, way of referring to both the people and the language in the Philippines - Filopino for male, Filipina for female....
Walang anuman
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,841 posts)Oops.
But my lengthy post still stands.
pangaia
(24,324 posts)or debates, or ..... or.... for a brief time..
keithbvadu2
(36,766 posts)Some things can be understood much better depending on the explanation/presentation.
Some can be taught/understood falsely depending on the explanation/presentation.
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Physics and internet speed.
This guy does it with a perfect straight face.
It's bullsh_t but he does it so well and it's so convincing.