Enabling Students Gifted in Math

Event Recording Available Here

We have all known (or at least heard of) children with precocious abilities in music, sports or math. If a child is gifted in music or sports, we know what is to be done- we get a coach for the child, get the child to play/ perform with similarly talented students and so on. When it comes to math though, things may be less clear- in fact do we even know which children have a really strong aptitude for math? Is it the child who is really fast at computations, the topper in tests and exams or the one who is good at certain types of puzzles? Even if this vexing question of identifying students gifted in math is addressed- what can we do to help them reach their potential?

The 'we' here refers to educators, schools and parents and many of us are unclear about what we should do and feel helpless about what we can do. We may get students to take math olympiads, and if we are lucky enough, find a coach, program or resources to support the child. Can more be done though? Can a school accelerate the learning of such students by providing differentiated instruction within a classroom or allowing students to attend classes with higher grades? What kinds of resources are available for children passionate about math and what kind of out-of-school programs would be most helpful? Do technology offerings have a role to play?

The panel will attempt to answer questions such as the above. The panel is composed of the following practitioners and thought leaders:

• Jerry Burkhart of 5280math.com; worked with talented math students for 20+ years and written a series of books on Advanced Common Core Math Explorations
• Mick Purcell, Head of School of KC High, Chenna;  has taught math for over 25 years in different countries. He is certified by the IB in Physics, Mathematics, History, Pedagogical Leadership, and Governance.
• Sridhar Rajagopalan, Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer, Educational Initiatives(Ei), is a recognized thought leader in education. The Ei ASSET Talent Search is an above-level test that has been used to identify gifted school students for over a decade. Ei Mindspark is an award-winning personalized adaptive-learning tool that has been recognized by The Economist magazine.

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