Current and Alumni Scholars Attend the 9th British Congress of Mathematics Education Conference
Looking out of the window it is clear to see that spring has arrived and along with the excitement and anticipation of longer (and hopefully warmer) days to come. No matter what the time of year, having something to look forward to can boost flagging morale and help focus attention on getting tasks completed. Both aspects are certainly true when the Scholarship scheme offered to run a half hour workshop at the 9th British Congress of Mathematics Education (BCME9).
Held at Warwick University immediately after the Easter bank holiday. This key event for all involved in mathematics education is held every four years and draws together teachers, mathematicians, educators, learned and professional societies for a unique four days of shared learning, inspiration and networking.
During the time the Scholarship scheme has been running, we’ve been fortunate enough to have offered a wide range of workshops to both current and alumni scholars. With this is mind, the scheme felt it was important to offer something tangible back to the wider maths education community by showcasing some of the most inspirational activities the scheme has seen. But how should these be chosen and who should run the session? The answer of course came from our fantastic group of scholars, alumni and partnership organisations.
It wasn’t hard to find current and alumni scholars to be involved – and from their initial ideas of showcasing patterns in primes and factors with interlocking cubes (Evan) and magic squares (Oliver) came the ideas from our partner organisations of the wider magic of interlocking cubes (Steve Lyon, National STEM Learning Centre) and teaching probability practically (David Speigelhalter, President of the RSS). All the ideas showcased were taken from actual scholar workshops which meant all the participants were involved in hands-on activities. This fact, combined with the tight time constraints of the day meant the workshop was lively, engaging, inspiring and fast-paced. A real team effort.
The Mathematics Teacher Training Scholarship scheme continually seeks to provide opportunities for all scholars and alumni to become actively involved in the wider mathematics education community. This is just one such example of why taking full advantage of all the opportunities offered (workshops, super visits, blog writing, membership of the partner organisations) is so important and sets the scheme apart from the bursary. If you’d like to be more actively involved in the scheme, get in touch at scholarhsips@ima.org.uk
Sophie Carr