There was a real buzz of excitement and anticipation around lecture theatre MR2 in the Centre of Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge on 13th December last year. Just over 100 year 12 and year 13 students spent the day in a carousel of workshops. They worked together to solve problems, presenting solutions, and worked in small groups with others from various schools. The event is probably best described by their feedback when asked ‘What was your favourite aspect of the event and why?’
‘The variation in types of problem-solving, exploring parts of maths I’ve never even thought about before, which was a great insight into the University level experience.’
‘Explaining the difference between questions and problems and letting us try to solve problems in groups’.
‘The problem solving and presenting your solutions workshop’.
‘Mixing with other schools because you can work with people you don’t know to solve problems’.
‘When we were put into mixed groups, I really enjoyed collaborating with people I didn’t know’.
‘It taught me that it’s okay to go wrong as long as you keep trying.’
‘I liked the mini lecture as it was my first insight into a real lecture and was also interesting’.
‘I really enjoyed solving the logic puzzles with the true/false statements’.
If you think your students would enjoy this and benefit from this experience, there are similar events coming up in the region.
On 5 July we are hosting the ‘Problem Solving Conference for Year 12 Students and Teachers’ in Southend on Sea. Students will have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of mathematical problem-solving skills.
Please check our events page for all our current events. We also have a several events planned for the summer term, so please keep an eye out.
By Chris Savage