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Saturday Mathematics Activities, Recreations & Tutorials
The SMART Club, as it is generally known,
started in 1981, and is still on-going. At present, it is intended for
students in Grades 7 to 10, even though we admit students in Grade 6 or
11 on an individual basis. The Club meets from two to three every
Saturday afternoon in the months of October, November, February and
March.
The Club Room opens at half-past one and closes at half-past three. For
the extra half an hour at either end, the students have access to the
Club's Puzzle Library, now housed in the Binary Arts Chiu Chang Heuristic
Instruction Centre (BACCHIC) next doors to the Club Room. It is intended to
provide some meaningful activities for those who arrive early or leave
late. However, for some Club members, the Puzzle Library is the primary
reason why they come.
I observed some interesting phenomena in how the children play with the
puzzles. Some would tackle the task systematically, building their own
data base on relevant information about the puzzles. This provides
valuable training in their analytic skill. Others hold the puzzles in
their hands and stare into space, and often end up having a flash of
brilliant insight, or at least some tangible intuitive feel for them.
Some of the children are so intrigued with the mechanical puzzles that
they would stay in the BACCHIC and continue to play, rather than go to
the lecture in the Club Room. This is fine, because we have a Club and
not a class. Attendance is not compulsory, and children are free to do
what they want.
Over the years, I find that new members tend to find out from older
members how certain puzzles are solved, and then keep playing with the
same ones over and over again. This is because they still harbour the
fear of failure. They would rather play it safe, and practice on
something which they can show off to newer members. I have to encourage
them to explore, without which they cannot hope to expand their
knowledge base. |
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