Working with children and young people? Chris Budd and Sara Santos
Mar 28, 2015
Working with children and young people?
Chris Budd and Sara Santos
The challenge:
Maths is often perceived by young people as …
Dull, boring, uncool, irrelevant, only done by nerdsBut ..
Young people are the mathematicians of the future and can often be very excited about maths
The opportunity .. There are 17000 primary and 3,000 maintained secondary schools, in the UK with 7 000 000 pupils
How can we enrich their mathematical experience?
Maths Masterclasses .. How everyone can get involved
• Saturday morning classes for young people
• Mixture of talk and workshops
• Based in a university, linked to local schools
• Huge variety of topics eg. Mazes*, codes*, deep sea diving, dancing
* Involve sex and violence!
RI Classes founded by
Christopher Zeeman
How a typical KS3 masterclass works
• 10am: Arrive
• 10-10.30am: Talk 1
• 10.30-11am: Workshop 1
• 11am-11.15am: Refreshments
• 11.15am-11.45am: Talk 2
• 11.45am-12.15pm: Workshop 2
• 12.15pm-12.30pm: Conclusions
• 12.30pm: Depart
Repeat over 6-8 sessions
Other ways to get involved with children and young people
• Direct engagement with schools .. Widening participation
• MOTIVATE video conferences
• Writing text books
• INTERNET … Plus Maths, Cipher Challenge, MMP, NRICH
• Maths Inspiration
(Rob Eastaway)
Science fairs
Traditionally maths is under represented at fairs
Eg. Cheltenham .. Only one maths event!
But the British Science Festival now has a number of maths events .. 2009 Maths of Origami
Bath Taps Into Science … 1/3 of exhibits are maths
Involving Undergraduates
• Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme UAS: Simon Singh
• Bath ‘Maths Communicators’:
15 Students do a Masterclass, take part in Bath Taps, take a school lesson and do a written activity
All for degree credit
• MMG, HE-STEM
What works?
Almost anything, provided it is done with energy, enthusiasm and commitment.
An enormous amount of maths can be put over if it is done well and relates to the young people directly
How to get involved .. Basically just go for it .. It’s great fun and brings great rewards
Some organisations to team up with
• HE-STEM … Michael Grove
• RI : Maths Masterclasses … Sara Santos
• MMP/MOTIVATE … Jenny Gage
• STEMNET
• LMS (Holgate), IMA (Popular lecturers)