Filling in Gaps in Math Knowledge
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the speaker addresses a question from Forrest, a viewer struggling with foundational math after a traumatic brain injury. Forrest, now in college, placed into pre-algebra but feels he might need to review grade school math. The speaker advises Forrest to focus on his current college math classes and address gaps as they arise, rather than extensively reviewing old material. This approach helps maintain focus on current studies while backtracking only when necessary. The speaker encourages Forrest to explore higher math and tackle challenges as they come. Viewers are invited to share additional advice in the comments.
Takeaways
- 📚 Forrest, the viewer, has a background in math up to calculus from high school but has struggled with foundational concepts after a TBI.
- 🎓 Forrest has returned to college and took a placement test, which placed him in pre-algebra, but he suspects he might need to revisit grade school math.
- 🗣️ The video host encourages Forrest's decision to go back to college and acknowledges the significance of his placement test results.
- 🔍 The host advises Forrest to start with the classes that the college recommends, as the placement test limits the courses he can initially take.
- 📈 When foundational issues arise in class, such as problems with inequalities, the host suggests seeking out resources to resolve those specific issues.
- 🔙 The host warns against spending too much time going back to review old material, emphasizing the importance of focusing on current coursework.
- 🎯 The host suggests that it's human nature to want to learn what isn't being taught, but advises against losing focus on the present.
- 🧩 The host believes that Forrest will be okay and that being in college and taking classes is a good start to identifying and addressing gaps.
- 🚀 The host encourages Forrest to not be afraid of exploring math he feels unprepared for, and to backtrack and resolve issues when he gets stuck.
- 📉 The host mentions that algebra is often the stumbling block in calculus, suggesting that solidifying algebra skills can be beneficial before tackling calculus.
- 💡 The final piece of advice is to focus on the present, the classes being taken now, and to address weak spots as they are encountered in higher-level math.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is addressing a question from a viewer named Forrest about identifying and addressing gaps in foundational math knowledge.
What prompted Forrest to ask for advice?
-Forrest suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in his 20s, which has caused him to struggle with foundational math concepts, despite previously being good at math up to calculus in high school.
What was Forrest's experience with the placement test?
-Forrest took a placement test and was placed in pre-algebra, but he suspects he might need to revisit grade school math to solidify his foundation.
What is the presenter's initial advice to Forrest?
-The presenter advises Forrest to take the math classes assigned by the college and focus on the material in those classes, addressing foundational issues as they arise.
Why does the presenter suggest focusing on current classes instead of going back to earlier material?
-The presenter believes that focusing on current classes is more effective because it keeps the learner engaged with relevant material and allows them to address foundational gaps as they encounter them.
What example does the presenter use to illustrate their point?
-The presenter uses the example of calculus, explaining that many people find algebra challenging within calculus. They suggest jumping into calculus and addressing algebra issues as they arise, rather than trying to perfect algebra first.
What does the presenter say about the nature of calculus and algebra?
-The presenter mentions that the concepts of calculus are beautiful and not particularly difficult, but it is the algebra that often poses challenges for students.
What is the presenter's overall message to Forrest?
-The overall message is to be proactive and focus on the present, tackling higher-level math and addressing foundational gaps as they become apparent, rather than avoiding advanced material out of fear of not being prepared.
How does the presenter view the process of encountering difficulties in higher math?
-The presenter views encountering difficulties as a normal part of learning higher math and suggests using these challenges as opportunities to identify and resolve weak spots.
What encouragement does the presenter offer to Forrest at the end of the video?
-The presenter encourages Forrest by saying they believe he will do awesome in his math journey and invites others to offer advice in the comment section.
Outlines
📚 Addressing Math Deficits Post-TBI
In this video, the host addresses a viewer's question from Forrest, who is seeking advice on identifying gaps in his foundational math knowledge after suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Forrest, who was once proficient in math up to calculus in high school, has found himself struggling with basic math concepts. Now in college, he has taken a placement test that placed him in pre-algebra, but he suspects he may need to revisit earlier math to solidify his foundation. The host commends Forrest's decision to return to college and suggests that he should take the math classes that the college deems appropriate for his level. The advice given is to focus on the current classes and seek out resources to address any foundational issues that arise during the course of his studies. The host emphasizes the importance of staying focused on the present rather than getting bogged down in revisiting past material. The host also suggests that Forrest might find it beneficial to engage with higher-level math, like calculus, and then backtrack to resolve any issues when they arise, as this can be both challenging and enjoyable.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡TBI
💡Foundational Math Concepts
💡Placement Test
💡College
💡Pre-Algebra
💡Inequalities
💡Algebra
💡Calculus
💡Backtracking
💡Focus on the Present
Highlights
Forrest's YouTube channel subscription and appreciation for math content.
Forrest's struggle with foundational math concepts after a TBI.
Forrest's return to college and interests leading towards deeper math problems.
Placement test result in pre-algebra and the need to solidify foundational math.
Advice to jump into college classes as recommended by the school.
The importance of focusing on current classes rather than revisiting old material.
The suggestion to seek out resources when encountering foundational issues.
The common tendency to review old material instead of focusing on current topics.
The encouragement to take college classes and focus on the present.
The potential difficulty of algebra in calculus and its importance.
The argument for solidifying algebra before tackling calculus.
The alternative approach of jumping into calculus and resolving issues as they arise.
The idea that encountering difficulties can help identify weak spots.
The encouragement for Forrest to explore math he may not feel prepared for.
The reminder to always focus on the present and current classes.
An open invitation for viewers to leave advice for Forrest in the comments.
Transcripts
hi in this video I'm going to be reading
a question that I received from a viewer
and doing my best to answer this
question as always if you have any
advice for this person please leave a
comment in the comment section below
okay I'm going to go ahead and open the
and the person's name is Forrest and the
subject is identifying math deficits to
figuring out where to start
hey there I recently discovered and
subscribed to your YouTube channel
foreign
thanks for putting out all this great
math content I wanted to ask a question
but also wanted to provide a bit of
context
it used to be decent all the way up to
calculus in high school but in my 20s I
suffered a TBI
and seemed to struggle with foundational
math concepts like so many others I've
gone back to college and many of my
interests Propel me towards much deeper
math problems
my question is this
how can I best identify where my
foundational understanding has gaps
placement test only got me so far
pre-algebra but I'm inferring that I
might need to redo grade school math to
really solidify my Foundation again
thanks a bunch your friend Forrest
so first let me say I think it's really
good that you decided to go back to
college I think that's excellent and the
fact that you're enrolled in college and
you took a placement test and and put
you in pre-algebra says a lot
so my advice is actually really simple
and I'm not sure if it's what you're
looking for and if anyone else can chime
in and give some advice that'd be great
too
so since you're in college you're going
to have to take some math classes and
typically when you take a placement test
they only let you take certain classes
so like if you test it into pre-algebra
that means that you pretty much have to
take pre-algebra and you don't really
have a choice so my advice would be this
simply jump into the classes that the
school thinks you should take and take
them and when foundational issues come
up like if you're taking an algebra
class and you're having an issue with
inequalities seek out resources and try
to resolve that issue
one thing that people often do when they
feel that they're lacking foundational
things is that they'll go back and
they'll try to like spend a lot of time
on those foundational topics which I
think is fine but I also think it's more
important to focus on the now to focus
on the present so what I mean by that is
if you're taking an algebra class focus
on the material in that class
it's really easy for people to want to
go back and review old material instead
of focusing on the material that's being
taught now I'm not saying you're doing
that I'm just saying that's something
that I've done and it's something that a
lot of people do you know it's more fun
to go learn what you're not being taught
I feel like it's Human Nature in any
case I think you're going to be okay I
think the fact that you're in college
and you're taking classes in college is
a really good start so my advice would
be take those classes in college that
are being given to you and just really
really just focus on those classes and
when those weak spots come up sure go
back and review if you have to but try
not to lose focus on the big picture try
to keep focusing on what you're doing
now focusing on the classes you're
taking now
just as an example eventually you're
probably going to get to calculus and in
calculus something that people struggle
with is algebra people get to calculus
and I feel like that's where they really
learn algebra people say it's the
algebra that makes calculus hard not the
calculus because the calculus Concepts
themselves are really beautiful and
really not that difficult it's really
the algebra that holds people back so
one argument is you should really
solidify your algebra before getting to
calculus
that's a good way to do it but my point
of view is jump into the calculus and
then when you get stuck that's when you
backtrack
it's kind of a hard way to do it because
you're always going to encounter
difficulties you're always going to find
weak spots but I think that's the best
way to find weak spots jump into the
higher math and then when you get stuck
then resolve those problems
it's a little bit intimidating for
people to do that but it's also more fun
because it means you can jump into
higher math so Forest don't be afraid to
explore math that you feel you're not
prepared for jump into it and if you get
stuck then you can backtrack and
remember always focus on the present
focus on the classes that you're taking
now
I really appreciate your email and I
think you're going to do awesome
if anyone has any advice for Forest
please leave a comment in the comment
section below good luck
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