"This work has made a massive impact on me, the one who was very, very sceptical at the beginning and not happy as I was 'lumbered' with the project. I think I have had the biggest shift of opinions in the room today!"
Gary Carlise (maths teacher at William Bradford school) at the evaluation day.
The aim of this project was to develop new ways of making mathematics more creative for girls, using the medium of dance as a creative strategy. We primarily worked with year 11 girls.
The creative characteristics we were focussing on were: divergent thinking, fascination and co-learning. Student level of enthusiasm was high (the maths teacher observed that some students who normally wouldn't take part, joined in and in a very positive way. For the artists, it felt like a very successful project when assessing the student/artist collaboration.
Before this project, generally the girls who we worked with were resistant to new problems and challenges. When faced with this project, at first they were a little reluctant and seemed un-confident. However, fairly quickly they trusted us (the artists) and engaged fully Gary observed that two students (Natasha and Sarah), who are from opposite friendship groups, gained a mutual understanding of each other and through this shared experience it bought them together. An intensive project that naturally asks the students to work closely together (e.g. partner-work and lifting) had a positive effect on the girls engagement, confidence, willingness to work together.
Gary Carlise (head of maths) is very keen to use and share the ideas from the session (although he was not able to join in with many of the sessions, through discussion and watching the performance he was able to take the ideas.
Explored different concepts that the students study in GCSE MATHS - but through dance, which then culminated in to an end performance.
New approach to learning about maths, which provided a change to the usual sit-down classroom learning the students usually part-take in.
Fun, challenging and interesting approach that utilized creative thinking and problem solving.
Working in the contemporary dance genre allowed students to create their own movement and fusing this with popular music made the project more accessible to these students.
It developed their maths, dance, communication, confidence and creative skills.
The dance made the maths problems easier for some to understand and vice versa. Realising that they were able to reach the correct answers gave the students a real sense of achievement.
Bringing 2 different school departments together so they are not as isolated. Looking at HOW they can work together to promote a more productive/collaborative/creative/fun/interesting - learning environment.
There was a learning method suitable for every student in the session whether it be visual, auditory or kinaesthetic.
(Observation and student feedback - the performing arts group were very much kinaesthetic learners, this way of learning maths really improved their knowledge and confidence in the subject.)
It was not only the students who we worked with throughout the project that will have benefited from the experience. Those who watched the final performance will have picked up a lot from observing the new ideas in our sharing. This is students and teachers.
The teachers and students will now be able to use the ideas and take them further in class to contribute to student learning.