Bringing maths to schools for Mathsweek
Mathsweek was once again a huge success and goes from strength to strength. This week the School of Mathematics & Statistics brought the beauty and incredible power of mathematics to school audiences.
The School of Mathematics & Statistics is a long-time supporter of Mathsweek, which aims to bring mathematics to everyone and show that mathematics can be magical as well as immensely important to our everyday lives, whether it is behind the technology we use, the weather forecast, or the global financial markets. Most importantly, since the start of Mathsweek two decades ago, the School has been involved in showcasing mathematics, its fascination and its applications to the next generation - school children. This year was no different.
Dr Butler had the pleasure of hosting two mathematics outreach events for Transition Year and senior cycle secondary students, in collaboration with Ian Roller from TU Dublin's Access and Outreach unit. Events started the week before Mathsweek when Transition Year students from The Holy Family School for the Deaf explored the mathematics of predator–prey relationships. With support from Conor Curtin, a Phd student in the School of Mathematics, the group also took part in a games and puzzles workshop, preparing activities they could share with the rest of their school during Maths Week.
During Maths Week itself, senior cycle students from Larkin Community College, Cabra Community College, Mercy Inchicore, Synge Street, and Mount Carmel visited TU Dublin to participate in the predator–prey and face recognition workshops.
Both events were a great success, with excellent engagement and very positive feedback from the students. Dr Butler described the sessions as “a joy to run,” praising the students’ enthusiasm and curiosity.
We would like to express our special thanks to Access and Outreach – TU Dublin for organising an ISL interpreter, ensuring the events were inclusive and accessible to all participants. Find out more about Maths in the Wild: https://john-s-butler-dit.github.io/Maths-in-the-Wild/.
Finally, as part of the School of Mathematics and Statistics’ other Mathsweek activities, Dr Butler was invited to speak at Portmarnock Community School and St Marnock’s National School on Friday, 17 October.
At Portmarnock Community School, Dr Butler delivered a one-hour workshop to 150 second-year students on the mathematics of face recognition, followed by a one-hour session with 140 Transition Year students on the mathematics of machine learning.
Later in the day, Dr Butler visited St Marnock’s National School to speak with fifth-class pupils. The students learned how computers encode faces using 0s and 1s, and how to calculate similarities and differences between facial expressions. The kids got a kick out of discovering that multiplying a happy face by a happy face gives a happy face, but a delighted face multiplied by a happy face gives a happy face.