Maths activities challenge gifted students

A common perception is that only children with learning difficulties need attention. While it is true that children with difficulties need special care, children with above average learning abilities also deserve attention that could help them make full use of their potential.

With this in mind, Anna Maria Gilson, Education Officer for Mathematics, the Department for Curriculum Management and its director, Raymond J. Camilleri, in collaboration with the Department of Mathematics of the University of Malta, organised a master class for Form 4 students with a keen interest in mathematics, an activity which was well received by both students and their parents.

Ms Gilson explained that schools were invited to send their best mathematics students to participate in the Activity of Gifted and Talented Mathematics Students.

"Children who are gifted do not find difficulty in understanding an explanation in class, unlike those children who have learning difficulties. However, it is difficult for teachers to extend special attention to gifted students so that they are intellectually challenged and therefore go that extra mile to deliver their best."

Ms Gilson explained that gifted students obtain excellent results, most of the time, without even trying. They have the mental capacities to produce work of the required standard and sometimes do not bother to give their full output.

"That is why it is so important to organise activities such as the Activity for Gifted and Talented Mathematics Students as well as the Mathematics Olympiad. Most developed countries organise similar activities to challenge their students to put their grey cells to better use. Classroom activities, such as challenging investigative tasks, help these students give their best," Ms Gilson explained.

The idea behind the master class activity was born following a talk delivered by Ian Stewart, professor of mathematics from Warwick University, to fifth form students from both state and non-state schools.

"The response was overwhelming - the Sir Temi Zammit Hall at the University was so packed that we could not accommodate all the students who wanted to attend," Ms Gilson recalled.

The talk, organised by Mario Micallef, also a lecturer at Warwick University, and the Mathematical Society in collaboration with the Curriculum Department of the Education Division, served as the impetus to get the ball rolling for a hands-on master class for Form 4 students.

"The activity generated such a great demand from schools that more activities are being organised. We could see that although the activities were extra-curricular, students keen on mathematics were happy to spend some of their free time taking part in such a challenging activity."

During the first activity, Ms Gilson recalls that the students were shy at first - an expected reaction since they were coming from different schools. Within a few minutes, they were all working out mathematical codes, a task Dr Micallef had set, and as the session progressed, the students were eager for more challenging questions. A group of teachers were present to help the students who had difficulty.

Ms Gilson said: "At the end of the activity, the students kept asking questions on whether their interpretation of the codes was correct. It was only the promise that we would be hosting a second activity that convinced them that the session was over!" Ms Gilson said that the parents were very pleased and pleasantly surprised to see their children reluctant to leave. Many parents phoned in to congratulate them for the initiative and to urge them to organise more activities. In fact, the department is planning similar activities next year, which will cater for Form 4 and 5 students.

The next hands-on activity for students in Form 4 state and non-state schools - students will be again selected by their schools - will be held on February 19, with a repeat on February 20, at the National Curriculum Centre (NCC) in Hamrun. Josef Lauri, professor of mathematics at the University of Malta, will be focusing on Fixing Broken Codes.