“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” – Albert Einstein
Mathematics is a pivotal part of our lives. Even a person
with an absolute dread for the subject will use it throughout his/her life! The
alarm that wakes you up, the time taken by the school bus, school grades and running
race timings, all involve math.
When classroom mathematics becomes all about plugging
numbers into a formula or following a fixed series of steps, it can lead to
boredom, lack of curiosity and drastically reduce the thirst for learning.
Prolific mathematician GH Hardy quoted A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns. He also said, Beauty is the first test. There is no permanent place in the world for ugly mathematics.
Traditional mathematics, taught in the classrooms, may not approach
the subject this way. We at Trio World School, Bangalore, believe in putting
thought and effort into approaching mathematics more creatively, so that it
cultivates curiosity and reduces apprehension among students. At Trio World
School, our ICSE wing, we have created frameworks for laying a strong foundation
for mathematics and language.
We are an ICSEschool, with a difference. We encourage children and teachers to creatively explore mathematical concepts. We integrate math with other subjects including art. A topic on arrays had Rangoli as a part of the lesson. For a topic on measurement, the entire unit on volume, perimeter and area was taught through measuring different objects inside the classroom, as a team, and presented in class.
Our math programme overcomes the rigid confines of a
textbook, by adapting world-class approaches to learning. Our ICSE school math
programme has 3 aspects:
1.
Alpha Math Programme
2.
Math Lab
3.
Mindspark Math Program
Alpha Math Programme
Trio, in collaboration with Scholastic, introduced the ALPHA
Math programme to the ICSE school. Scholastic ALPHA Mathematics combines the
learning practices and teaching methodologies from nations that are performing
at the highest level in math education. The Alpha math programme is being
implemented by more than 50 countries and is tailored to the needs of the
Indian curricula.
Alpha Math program
teaches through
·
problem solving
focusing on the method
·
develops
meta-cognition and mathematical thinking
Each chapter is
taught over several lessons, with each lesson focusing on a topic.
Each lesson teaches
one or more concepts. Each concept is taught using a two-part structure of
Let’s Learn and Let’s Do:
·
Let’s Learn
introduces the concept using the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach.
·
Let’s Do provides
guided practice and formative assessment.
At the end of each
chapter, students are given a problem-solving lesson to consolidate learning. We
explicitly follow the four-step UPAC (UNDERSTAND, PLAN, ANSWER AND CHECK) process,
which builds good problem-solving habits.
A checklist
accompanies every word problem to reinforce the four-step process.
Math lab
The next stage of creative math education at our ICSE school
was giving students the opportunity to learn math through a hands-on approach.
The math lab gives them an environment that that lets them explore and realise mathematical
ideas. We encourage them to make connections with various mathematical
experiences and do not constrain them to any particular lessons. The math lab
values the students’ individuality, and varied strategies. Multiple outcomes
are encouraged, with emphasis on creative representation of their findings.
This helps them develop a spirit of enquiry and confidence in their own
mathematical abilities.
These are the key features of our Math lab:
· It helps students visualize, manipulate and reason.
· It provides an opportunity to understand and internalize the basic mathematical concepts through concrete objects and situations.
· It provides an opportunity to understand and internalize the basic mathematical concepts through concrete objects and situations.
·
It enables students
to verify or discover several geometrical properties and facts using models or
by paper cutting and folding technique.
·
It helps the
students build interest and confidence in learning the subject.
·
It provides an opportunity
to exhibit the relatedness of mathematical concepts with everyday life.
·
It provides greater
scope for individual participation in the process of learning and becoming
autonomous learners.
·
It provides scope
for greater involvement of both the mind and the hands which facilitate
cognition.
·
It allows and
encourages students to think, discuss with each other and the teacher and assimilate
concepts in a more effective manner.
·
It enables the
teacher to demonstrate, explain and reinforce abstract mathematical ideas by
using concrete objects, models, charts, graphs, pictures, posters etc.
The math lab programme involves the following steps:
·
The
Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract Approach develops deep conceptual understanding.
·
Students learn to
make connections between physical materials, visual representations and
mathematical symbols.
·
Gaining mastery
involves concept development and understanding mathematical relationships.
·
Students learn to
inquire, communicate, reason, conceptualize, formulate and solve problems.
·
Developing problem
solving skills addresses both the process and the method of solving problems.
·
Students learn to
use different strategies and solve problems effectively and confidently.
Mindspark Math Program
The next aspect of ICSE math teaching is the MINDSPARK programme, that enhances the process of learning even further. Mindspark is a computer-based, interactive and self-adaptive learning programme. The programme comprises of math based problem sets, quizzes, games, and activities. Each of these are accompanied by precise explanations.
The benefits of this programme are as given below:
· Well-designed quizzes to promote critical thinking
· Games build engagement and interest
· Offers rewards and recognition to students
· Helps students practice topics that they have already explored
· Promotes application towards multiple concepts
· Builds computational fluency and provides for effective evaluation, thus helping in remediation.
· Helps in differentiating instructions
Teachers are given professional development courses throughout the year to help them implement these aspects of the programme effectively.
Sources:
https://hackernoon.com/mathematics-is-art-all-the-mathematicians-say-so-d0d569f89976
