Int’l math experts train Filipino teachers

MANILA, Philippines - The Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG) has brought some of the world’s leading math experts to the Philippines to train Filipino teachers in new techniques and improve their math-teaching skills.

Four math experts from China, Canada, Taiwan and the Philippines are conducting lectures on “Multiplying Math Learning and Enjoyment,” organized by the Mathematics Trainers’ Guild-Philippines (MTG) in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao this November.

Dr. Simon Chua, MTG president and an international math teaching expert himself, said these experts are Dr. Andy Liu, professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Alberta in Canada; Prof. Wen-Hsien Sun, chairman, International Mathematics Competition (IMC) Executive Board, and president of Chiu Chang Mathematics Education Foundation in Taipei; and Dr. Liu Gui Mei, professor, Mathematics Department, Zhejiang University in China.

Liu is teaching Filipino teachers tessellation with regular polygons, and platonic and Archimedean solids while Prof. Sun will talk about using math puzzles and games to enhance math teaching.

Liu will train the teachers on a new approach in learning geometry while Chua will talk about mathematics without numbers.

For Mindanao teachers, the lectures were held at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City on Nov. 19 to 20.

Seminars are being held in the Visayas for two days (Nov. 21, 22) at the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel in Bacolod City.

In Metro Manila, it will be conducted at Robbinsdale Hotel in Quezon City on Nov. 23 to 25.

The seminar-workshop, with the theme “Multiplying Math Learning and Enjoyment in the K to 12 Curriculum,” is designed to contribute to the Department of Education’s aim to uplift math education in the country.

“This is designed to equip math teachers with useful insights on mathematical contents and concepts with the introduction of best and most effective ways of teaching mathematics in the K to 12,” Chua said.

MTG-Philippines said that schools interested to participate in the seminar-workshop can send an email to [email protected].

DepEd recently tapped the MTG to undertake a program to spot mathematically-gifted students in public schools and develop their math skills to be at par with international standards.