A Mathematics lecturer based in Colombia, Bernardo Recaman Santos, has described the subject, which is dreaded by many students, as fun and relaxing.
Speaking at the Abuja edition of the Cowbellpedia Academy, which was organised to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Cowbell and Mathematics, Santos, of the Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, said that Mathematics teachers should help their students cure their fright of the subject by making it exciting, simple and understandable.
He explained his own teaching style to the teachers and students at the event which held at the Nigerian Tulip International College, Abuja. “With my students, we discuss Mathematics. We talk about Mathematics and we solve Mathematics. Mathematics is fun as it can be used to relax and solve problems. The beauty of Mathematics is amazing in different ways,” he emphasised.
Sponsored by Cowbell Milk, the Cowbellpedia Academy is primarily aimed at driving support and interest in Mathematics by exposing 500 students and 150 teachers across the country to various teaching and learning techniques in achieving, sustaining and managing academic feats especially in the subject. Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja were chosen for the pilot scheme of the academy according to the organisers.
Santos, who majored in Recreational Mathematics, who subscribes to the philosophy of teaching Mathematics through interactive learning, further urged teachers to develop the skills of letting their students have new insights in solving problems on their own.
Another facilitator at the three-day session, Karam Aloui, who teaches Mathematics at the University of Spax, Tunisia, said that critical thinking is the way to go in tackling Mathematics problems, advising students not to box themselves into a corner by using a particular approach.
Aloui’s academic exploits is centred on Analytical Numbers Theorem, Arithmetic Topics, Pure Mathematics, Numbers Theorem and Combinatorics.
A Mathematics teacher who participated at the Cowbellpedia Academy, Mr. Victor Owolabi said that the session offered him a perception he had never known in his seven years of teaching. According to him, “critical thinking has helped me to realise that there is no Mathematics question that is not possible to solve.”
Also, Mr. Okon Ojedo Joseph, teacher with His Grace High School, Enugu State described the programme as quite fulfilling and impactful, citing the way and manner the facilitators took time to teach them the various topics in the learning processes.
He commended Cowbell for the initiative and hope that the gesture would attract the interest of other companies.
