Magic was in the air at IT Sligo today as Spanish mathematician Dr Fernando Blasco performed as part of Maths Week 2010.
This is the first time that IT Sligo has taken part in Maths Week and it is proving to be a massive success, with today’s presentation from the famous Maths Magician fully booked out.
Dr Blasco is a mathematician at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. He is one of Spain’s foremost maths promoters and is well known in education circles for making maths fun and helping to promote the subject across Europe.
He demonstrated his magic to a packed auditorium in IT Sligo using tools like prime numbers, knot theory, Sudoku, the Rubik’s Cube, and mind games.
130 students from St Muredach’s College, Ballina, Cairns National School, Grange, Co Sligo, and Sligo secondary schools Ballinode College, The Mercy College, and Sligo Grammer School, were in attendance.
One of the organisers of Maths Week in IT Sligo, mathematics lecturer Dr Leo Creedon said: “This is the first time that IT Sligo has hosted events during Maths Week and we are very excited about the different events being held here over the course of the week, including the presentation today from Dr Blasco.
Traditionally maths has been seen as a difficult subject but that is changing and lecturers using traditional teaching methods, along with new interactive techniques such as Moodle and computer simulation, are bringing it alive in the classroom and making it easier for students to engage with the subject.”
Maths Week continues at IT Sligo until tomorrow. Please see below for details on the remaining events.
Spanish mathematician Dr Fernando Blasco with students Shane McLoughlin, Jesse Gallagher and Conor Downes from St Muredach’s College, Ballina. Dr Blasco performed at IT Sligo as part of Maths Week 2010.
Dr Leo Creedon, IT Sligo mathematics lecturer; John Gibbons, teacher at St Mureadach’s College, Ballina; Dr Fernando Blasco; Grace Gorcoran IT Sligo mathematics lecturer; and Shane McLoughlin, Jesse Gallageher and Conor Downes from St Muredach’s College, Ballina.
| Maths Week schedule of events at IT Sligo | |||
| Date | Monday11 October 2010 | Wednesday 13 October 2010 | Thursday 14 October 2010 |
| Time | 7-8:30pm | 1-2pm | 7-8pm |
| Venue | F1006 in IT Sligo | A0005 in IT Sligo | A0004 in IT Sligo |
| Activity 1 | Using technology in the classroom | Maths and Magic | Fun with Statistics |
| Speakers | Grace Corcoran, David Doyle & Dr Etain Kiely(Maths Lecturersat IT Sligo) | Dr Fernando Blasco(Mathematician at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) | Paul Curran &Dr John Donovan(Statistics Lecturers at IT Sligo) |
| Time | 9pm | 7-8pm | 8-9pm |
| Venue | The Belfry | A0004 in IT Sligo | A0004 in IT Sligo |
| Activity 2 | Maths Table quiz | Maths and Magic | Leaving Cert Maths with AnimationsWebinar link:http://connect.itsligo.ie/r40162896/ |
| Speakers | Fergal Gallagher, Postgraduate Mathematics Student at IT Sligo | Dr Fernando Blasco, Mathematician at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | Kevin Collins, Engineering Lecturer at IT Sligo |