PanchTatva Based Learning Strategy The universe is made of five super elements namely Earth, Water, Fire, Space, and Air. These are popularly known as Kshitij, Jal, Pawak, Gagan and Sameera. When we live in alignment of these elements, life become blissful in all aspects. It holds true with Learning Strategy too. Learning Strategies derived through these elements make learning effective, enjoyable and help students lead a successful life. How do these elements translate to learning strategies? How do we implement them in our life? Let’s have a look at them. The first element is Earth. The strategy that comes from it suggests us to be grounded. Be connected with roots. Work on basics. Understand basic things deeply to gain advanced knowledge at higher levels. It is interesting to observe that most of the difficulties in learning at higher level are caused by poor understandings of basics. It is extremely useful to revisit basics to clear the hurdles at advanced le...
The Missing Inverse in Percentage Calculations “An increase of 20% followed by a decrease of 20% does not bring you back to where you started.” Most students know this fact. Many teachers demonstrate it with examples. Students memorize it, use it in examinations, and then move on. But there is a more interesting question. If a 20% decrease is not the inverse of a 20% increase, then what is? Surprisingly, school mathematics rarely asks this question. Yet the answer connects percentage calculations with one of the most fundamental ideas in mathematics—the concept of an inverse . We already understand inverses When students learn algebra, they encounter two important inverses. Additive inverse A number and its additive inverse cancel each other. a+(-a)=0 For example, 8+(-8)=0. Also, if you add 8 to any number and then subtract 8 from the result you get back to the original number. That's why these two are inverse of each other. Multiplicative inverse A number and its multiplicative ...