“What is a + b whole squared” asked a scientist who sat along with the students in the classroom. “A squared + b squared + 2 ab” pat came the reply. The scientist immediately went to the blackboard and explained the formula to the students by drawing a simple diagram which the students understood clearly.
The students of the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Arcot, were thrilled to have foreign scientists teach mathematics to them in their classrooms, during an International Scientists-Students Meet organised jointly by the Tamil Nadu Science Forum (TNSF) and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMS), Chennai, at the school premises on Thursday.
Foreign scientists relished the experience of teaching mathematics to the school students. The students were so thrilled that they surrounded each scientist who came out of the classroom and took autographs from them.
R. Ramanujam, Scientist of the IMS, told newspersons that the 32 scientists, software experts and mathematics teachers from different states in India and different countries who were attending a five-day Conference on Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication at IMS, Chennai, from Monday onwards agreed to visit the Arcot school on Thursday to study the teaching of mathematics and to have an interaction with students and teachers. They wanted to impart the techniques for making mathematics teaching/learning simple and easy among the students at a time when most students had an aversion to mathematics, he said.
T.V. Venkateswaran, Scientist of Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, said that the conference in Chennai and the current visit of the scientists to the Arcot school, were aimed at improving the communication of modern mathematics to school students. “We want to spread the mathematics teaching/learning techniques through radio/TV/newspapers and through direct interactions with students and teachers.”
Methods of spreading mathematics through mobile apps would also be explored, he said.
R. Srinivasan, Arcot MLA, who inaugurated the meet, said that the event was a boon to the students and the teachers.
Mr. Ramanujam gifted to K. Sambasivam, headmaster of the school a computer hardware device which could be connected to a computer for performing nearly 400 experiments in physics.
Mr. Venkateswaran said that the future society is going to be a knowledge society. Good human resources have to be created in order to create the knowledge society.
“We have to develop modern teaching/learning methods in mathematics and other subjects in order to develop good human resources,” he said.
K. Viswanathan, Vellore District Secretary of the TNSF, performed simple scientific experiments to the students. K. Senthamizhchelvan, state vice-president of TNSF, presided.
