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Thinking
circle in Rockville, MD
Dear Friends,
4 years ago I started a "thinking circle" for my
children and their friends. Over the years, the circle grew into several classes
which are taught by me and my wonderful colleagues. In our class, we solve non-standard problems and learn
to think critically, assess our unstated biases and challenge them, work
together as a team and appreciate each others' input and approach. There
are no formal assessments or grades - but in each class we learn to
critically review our solutions ourselves. The problems are challenging
and complex, requiring multi-step solutions. We love to discuss open-ended
problems and compare the effectiveness and beauty of alternative
solutions. We also do a lot of hands-on experimentation and fun puzzle
competitions. We are not focusing on math team prep, though most of our students got very high scores, including state and national awards, on the international Math Kangaroo competition over the previous years. Our focus is critical thinking and divergent thinking, the areas barely covered in school, but sought after in business, academia and modern high-tech industry. In fact, we cover some of the problems suggested to Microsoft applicants :) Our unique curriculum is inspired by Russian math circle culture, and includes open-ended problems, TRIZ problems, math puzzles and brainteasers, as well as strategy games. Our instructors are extremely qualified to teach bright kids - they include Princeton graduate in computer science, GWU math graduate students, American Mathematical Competition winners and me ( former astronaut instructor). Our work is recognized by MSRI/UC Berkeley, and is regularly presented at National Math Circles Association workshops. Our older students include GT magnet school students and Davidsons young scholars. We regularly communicate with math circles enthusiasts about the
ways to enrich the math education in the USA via MSRI conferences, http://mathfuture.wikispaces.com/ and www.mathcircles.org. |
