ASSIGNMENT

MATHEMATICS
CLUB
Presented By
Jisha Joseph
B.Ed. Mathematics
Reg. No : 180/13376005
INTRODUCTION
One of the challenging tasks for a Teacher of Mathematics is to create
and maintain interest among his Students. Students, in Mathematics classes,
easily lose interest and show signs of restlessness. Perhaps, it is one of the most
difficult problems encounteres by the Teacher of Mathematics. It is a well known
fact that the Students will work most diligently and effectively on tasks in which
they are genuinely interested. Interests are motives which serve as important
influences in producing both activites and attitudes that are most favourable for
learning. A strong interest in Mathematics tends to enhance the desire to learn
Mathematics in a more productive way. Thus the development and maintenance
of interest is Mathematics becomes an important concern of the Mathematics
Teacher.
CONTENT
A resourceful Mathematics Teacher cam make use of a good number of
methods and techniques for arousing and sustaining interest in Mathematics.
Learning Mathematics in an informal way through recreational and ........filled
activities is an important means of non formal Mathematics education.
Mathematics provides ample opportunities for fan and recreation. Mathematical
games and puzzles open up avenues for learning Mathematics in a lucid and
relaxed manner.
The Teacher of Mathematics can provide a variety of fun filled activities
that could sustain the Students interest and promote Students interest and
promote Students Mathematics learning. Such methods include organising
Mathematics Club, Organising Mathematics fairs and emphasizing Aesthetic
Nature of Mathematics. These activities tap the creative mind of the Students.
Mathematics Club
A Mathematics Club plays an important role in motivating the Students
to learn Mathematics with interst and involvement. Sometimes monotonous that
the Students become restless and get easily distracted. A Mathematics Club
provides ecellent opportunities for Students to break away from the montony of
a rigid and structured class room environment. Though the learning that takes
place in a Mathematics Club is informal in nature. It is meaningful as the stress
is on practical applications. In Mathematics Club the Student chooses the activities
on his own and pursue them on hiw own interest in a free and relaxed manner
contrary to the atmosphere prevailing in a classroom. Club provides of lot of
freedom of expression for the Students and is supplements classroom learning.
The functions of the Mathematics Club can be summarised as under :
1. Mathematics Club helps in the proper utilisation of leisure time.
2. It helps in arousing and maintaining Students interest in
Mathematics.
3. It provides the Students with opportunities to develop their
explorative, creative and inventire faculties.
4. It inculcates the habit of self-study and independent work among
the Students.
5. It offeres an ideal venue for a free exchange of Mathematical ideas
and for frank and helpful criticism of these ideas.
6. it provides an informal and a sandal atmosphere which the
classroom can hardly provide.
7. It offers excellent opportunities for free consideration of matters
of special interest to the members without the necessity of following
any particular sequence as requiral in a Class room.
8. It helps in developing hearistic and problem-solving attitude among
the Students.
9. It provides opportunities for Students to translate the theory into
practice and to apply their learning in daily life situations.
10. It helps the Student to imbibe social qualities like co-operation,
tolerance, adjustment and open-mindedness, as they work for in
groups.
11. It helps to meet individual needs of the Students as every member
gets an opportunity to work in his areas of interest.
12. It offers a good platform for Students to listen to renowned
Mathematicians, eminent Mathematics Teachers and educationalists
and to acquaint themselves with the latest developments in
Mathematics.
13. The informal knowledge acquired through Mathematics Club
activities supplements classroom learning.
14. Mathematics Clubs extend learning beyond the limits of the
classroom. Though clubs may meet during School hours, their
activities may often extend to out of School hours-at home, in the
laboratory, in the field etc.
15. Club activities provide first hand experiences to the learners as they
participate in model making, arranging for exhibition, field work,
laboratory work and so on.
ORGANISATION OF MATHEMATICS CLUB
A properly organised Mathematics Club goes a long way in stimulating
interest among the Students in Mathematics. It is desirable that the initiative for
the organisation of such a Club should come from the Students. It should be run
by the Students under the supervision and guidance of the Mathematics Teacher.
The objectives of the Club should be clearly stated and understood by all the
members. Emphasis should be on active participation of the members. Emphasis
should be on active participation of the members. A draft constitution of the Club
can be prepared by the Mathematics Teacher, in consultation with the Headmaster,
to facilitate the smooth functioning of the Mathematics Club. This draft constitution
provides information on name of the Club, aims and objectives of the Club,
membership details and membership fees, purposes for which the expenditure
can be incurred, the competent authority to sanction the fund, the various Offices
available and the procedure for filling up such Officer, etc.
The following Office bearers are essential for the successful working of
the Mathematics Club.
Patron : The Mathematics Club should have the head of the Institution as its
Partron.
Sponsor : One of the Senior Mathematics Teachers can be the sponsor of the
Mathematics Club.
Members : All the Mathematics Students of the School can be the members
of the Club. Those Students who are interested in Mathematics can
be the associate members, However, the membership of the Club
should be, as far as possible, fairly homogenous as regards age and
grade level in order the programmes that may be of interest to all
members can be arranged.
An Executive Committee
An Executive Committee should be formed including the following members
elected or nominated from among the Students.
1. Chairman
2. Secretary
3. Assistant Secretary
4. Treasurer
5. One or two Class Representatives from each Class.
Duties of the Office-Bearers
For the efficient and successful working of the Mathematics Club, it is
advisible to demacate the duties of each Office-Bearer.
Patron : The Patron of the Club takes a keen interest in all the activities of
the Club. He is responsible for providing all possible facilities to the
Club.
Sponsor : The sponsor takes initiative to start a Mathematics Club and
motivates the Students to plan and carry out a number of activities.
His role is that of a guide, an advisor, a Supervisor and Facilitator.
Chairman of
the Excutive
Committee : The Chairman has to convene and preside over executive Committee
Meetings.
Members of
the Excutive
Committee : Members of the Executive Committee have to extend their full
Co-operation in planning and carrying out the programmes of the
Mathematics Club.
Secretary: The Secretary calls for Executive Committee meetings in
consultation with the Chairman and in accordance with the
provisions of the constitution. He is required to maintain a proper
record of the various activities of the Club and the minutes of the
Executive Committee Meetings.
Assistant
Secretary: The Assistant Secretarys role is to assist the Secretary in his duties
and in the absence of the Secretary, be performs the role of the
Secretary.
Treasurer : Treasurer is responsible for collecting membership fees and
maintaining the correct amount of the income and expenditure.
Suggested Activities for a Mathematics Club
The programme of Mathematics Clubs may cover a wide range of topics.
The topics may include history of Mathematics, Biographical sketches, evolution
and development of certain aspects of present day Mathematics, some selected
topics from any branch of Mathematics, games and contests, and application of
Mathematics to other subjects and fields of activity. The nature of the programmes
and topics will depend upon the age and advancement of the members of the
Club, the sources and facilities available and the advantages drawn from such
programmes. It is desirable to plan the programmes for the whole session.
Some of the activities that can be undertaken by Mathematics Club may
be of the following types :
* Organising Mathematical exhibition or fairs.
* Organising lectures on important topics of Mathematics by eminent Scholars
and Teachers.
* Celebrating historical days and enents of Mathematical significance.
* Organising Inter-School contests and quiz competitions on topics of
Mathematical interest.
* Helping in the establishment and maintaining of Mathematics laboratory.
* Preparing charts, models and improvised appartous for the Mathematics
laboratory and Mathematics Class room.
* Helping in the organisation and maintenance of Mathematics library.
* Arranging for listening to the radio broadcast on topics of Mathematics
interest.
* Arranging for watching appropriate UGC programme in Mathematics
telecast by Doordarshan.
* Organising Seminars or Lectures on history of Mathematics, biographies
of eminent Indian Mathematicians, evolution of certain Mathematical
concepts, utilitarion values of Mathematics, some selected topics from
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trignometry and so on.
* Conducting useful individual or group projects in Mathematics.
* Organising field work and field trios to places of Mathematical interest.
* Writing articles related Mathematics for the School Magazine or Newsletter.
* Organising recreational activities in Mathematics such a puzzles, riddles,
catch problems, Mathematical fallacies, number games and so on.
* Publication of newsletter and bulletin of the Club.
* Prepairing exhibits of Mathematical interest for the bullettin board,
Mathematics Library and Mathematics laboratory.
* Organising cultural activities related to Mathematics such a dramatics,
poetry writing, role play etc.
Mathematics Club and Classroom Teaching
The activities of Mathematics Club and a supplement to classroomteaching.
Such Clubs play an important role in making Mathematics Education more
meaningful and effective. Various charts, models, improvised apparatus prepared
by members of the club can be used as important teaching aids for teaching of
Mathematics in the classroom. References could be made to various Mathematics
projects undertaken by the Club Members and the Club Members may be asked
to explain their projects in the Class. The explanation of a project by a Student in
a Class may then be put to open discussion in the Class which would make other
Students more interested in learning mathematics.
To make best use of the trips and excursions arranged by the Mathematics
Club, the Students be given a questionnaire so that Students may be more attentive
to provide their answers. Answers given by the Students may then be discussed in
the classroom and Teacher can Co-ordinate all the facts observed by the Students
into a complete lesson.
Some method can be used to correlate and Co-ordinate various Club
activities with Classroom teaching.
There is no doubt about the fait that if the club activities are organised
properly they will never interfere with classroom teaching. various activities of
the Club are expected to develop the skill of the Student his power of reasoining,
understanding, his power to distinguish between relevant and irrelevent etc.
Evaluation of Mathematics Club
To find out the extent to which a Club has succeeded in achieving its
stated objectives it is necessary to carry out regular periodical evaluation of the
activities of the Club. Such an evaluation may be external or internal or it may
be a mixture of both. For internal evaluation the views of patron, sponsor about
the activities of the Club may be obtained. They should express their views
along with their suggestions for improvement in the working of the Club. For
external evaluation the sponsor of some other near by Mathematics Club be
asked to vistit the Club activities and express his opinion. He may also be asked
to give suggestions for improvement. An effort be them made to further improve
the working of the Club in the light of suggestion given for improvement.
CONCLUSION
For supplementing the teaching of Mathematics in the Classroom and to
widen the knowledge of his Students a good Mathematics Teacher can involve
his Students in a number of co-curricular activities such as Mathematics Club,
visits and excursion, braod-casts, gramaphone lectures etc. There is no limit to
such extra curricular activities and Teacher is free to undertake one or more such
activities in his School for the benefit of his Students. Thus a Mathematics Club
gets the Students acquainted with a wide range of topics relating to Mathematics.
The success of a Mathematics Club depends upon the enthusiasm shown by the
Teacher as well as the involvement of the Students in the activities and programmes
organised by the Club.
References
Dr. Anice J ames - Techniques of Teaching Mathematics :
Neelkamal Publications Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi
Sudhir Kumar - D.N. Ratnalikas - Teaching of Mathematics :
Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd.
New Delhi-110002