- #31
franznietzsche
- 1,503
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JasonRox said:
You're not going to melt for agreeing with me are you ?
How Can We Revive Enthusiasm in a High School Math Club?
- Context: High School
- Thread starter Imparcticle
- Start date
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Discussion Overview
The discussion centers around reviving enthusiasm in a high school math club that currently lacks engagement and participation. Participants explore various activities and approaches to make the club more appealing, including hands-on projects, games, and discussions about interesting mathematical concepts.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
- Conceptual clarification
- Homework-related
Main Points Raised
- One participant suggests introducing hands-on activities, such as building a parabolic solar furnace or analyzing chess puzzles, to engage members.
- Another proposes discussing interesting unsolved problems or explaining specific mathematical concepts during meetings to spark interest.
- A participant mentions the appeal of recreational mathematics, referencing books by Martin Gardner for stimulating ideas.
- Some express frustration about the lack of genuine interest in math among club members, attributing participation to college application motivations rather than a true passion for the subject.
- There are suggestions to vary meeting activities, including playing card games that involve math reasoning, watching math-related movies, and inviting teachers to discuss topics like fractals and cryptography.
- One participant shares their experience of using candy as an incentive to engage members, highlighting the importance of fun in attracting interest.
- Concerns are raised about the perception that those who truly love math do not participate in clubs, as they prefer to study independently.
- Another participant recalls a successful bake sale for an astronomy club, suggesting that fundraising activities could also be a way to engage members in math-related projects.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express a mix of ideas and experiences, with some agreeing on the need for engaging activities while others remain skeptical about the potential for genuine interest in the club. Disagreement exists regarding the motivations of members and the effectiveness of proposed activities.
Contextual Notes
Some participants note that the lack of enthusiasm may stem from external pressures, such as college applications, rather than a lack of interest in math itself. There are also references to varying levels of mathematical knowledge among members, which may affect engagement.
Who May Find This Useful
This discussion may be useful for high school math club leaders, educators looking to enhance student engagement in mathematics, and students seeking ideas for activities that could foster a more enthusiastic learning environment.
You're not going to melt for agreeing with me are you ?
- #32
JasonRox
Homework Helper
Gold Member
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franznietzsche said:You're not going to melt for agreeing with me are you ?
Never.
Our school use to teach through Spivak in first year... now they don't.
Things are so boring, and I have no motivation to do anything.
I do my own thing, like I mentionned in my post, but that's it. Yes, I would to do some Spivak this summer, but it's not that fun on my own. It's more of a conversational text.
- #33
hypermorphism
- 504
- 1
JasonRox said:
Why not go through it in the Calc&Analysis forum the way Tom is going through Differential Forms in the Tensor Analysis forum ? Although it's not free, it's a book all serious Calc students should be exposed to, and there are many mature mathematicians on this site that would probably love to aid conceptual and theoretical questions and maybe other approaches to problems or add modern commentary.
- #34
JasonRox
Homework Helper
Gold Member
- 2,381
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I'll consider it.
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