Any parents of gifted children here ?

[en107rn.01056yahoo.01056com.01056sg]

Tamarind, Chamonix. Just had a good look at the books. I looked through both book 1 & 2. Some of the questions can be taught. But some of the questions need more in depth thinking & it is a matter of whether a person gets it or not. Some questions will appear in primary school examination papers (depending on which school). Some questions are really puzzles to be played.


Chamonix wrote [quote]Answers is not the ultimate quest. But the ability to enjoy the process of solving questions is the joy and understanding one acquires. Perhaps this is what set a Math lover and a non-Math lover apart? [/quote]Yes! I fall in love with math when I was in sec 3. For eca queen like me (5 ecas with major post), my weekdays are for socialising, juggling ecas, revision, read books etc. But my Sat&Sun is totally devoted for math! I start attacking math problems from morning & ends late at night. I dont call that studying. I'm simply playing because the greatest satisfaction is to solve all the problems.

So after looking at both book 1 & 2. Conclusion, he can start doing both books except for those questions that \"either you get it or you don't\". At the start of my discussion with Chamonix, I did mention that ds is able to work out some of the math problem on his own without me teaching him. But when I ask him how his answer is derived, his solution is not as expected (not the traditional way). I think creativity plays a part in how he derived his answers.

Tamarind wrote [quote]I am not going to restrict to science. I will also let my girl do as much as she likes in arts, which I think is easy. Just give her paper and pencil, and then she can draw anything. I am also thinking of developing her creative writing. I admire J.K. Rowling, not because of her Harry Potter books, but because of her rags to riches story simply by writing books. [/quote]I'm not restricting my son either. That is the reason why I try him for math. He draws too, he creates things using carton boxes, plastics, bottles etc. He dont like writing except on his pet subject. I'm waiting for MASC to open the schedule for creative writing, to see if he likes it. I know he has the stamina & speed for running. But his school provide no opportunity for it. Not yet anyway.

Chamonix, thanks for the link http://www.elpmis.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=26&Itemid=44. Will send if he is interested.

Tamarind wrote [quote]But then not everyone can do it, I have many young adult students who just don't get it.[/quote]Including me! :lol:

Tamardn wrote [quote]My elder brother is brilliant in physics and mathematics. He has a PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge. He has been working as a research scientist for the last 15 years. His latest job is at the University of Liverpool, earning 2700 pounds a month. He has not come up with any important inventions or new discoveries. I believe he lacks creativity. [/quote]How about motivation? I'm actually wasting away at work where all my ideas run into a huge wall. If you can't fight them, you simply join them.

[metz]

tamarind:

It is the idea that counts. Anyone can do the programming. But not every one can come up with a good idea, it is all about creativity.

Of course what I studied in the university cannot be compared to what's being done in the industry. But the fundamentals are similar. As you mentioned it aptly, it's the good idea that counts. Not everybody who does programming can be considered creative. Likewise, not everybody who can solve math can be considered creative either.
[quote] The students should spend more time understanding the concept, for example, of differentiation, integration, etc and how to apply these skills. [/quote]This is exactly my point. Ability to solve math is not the crucial part. But the ability to understand concepts and applying them is what sets one apart. That goes for simple Math concepts too. My bil admitted to me that his 6 yr old son (abacus trained) could do long multiplication like 566x8 with ease. But his son has no idea what it means, not to mention how to apply the knowledge.
[quote]We can teach C programming to any child who knows how to read English. I believe a child as young as 6 years old can start to learn computer programming. C programming is actually very easy. It can be taught in less than 2 weeks. Once the child is taught the skill, then it is all up to him to know how to apply the skill. He can write a few simple lines of code to do very complex stuff. But then not everyone can do it, I have many young adult students who just don't get it.[/quote]Again, spot on. C programming doesn't teach a person to be more creative. It's the application of skill taught that counts.

But I wouldn't want to comment on those who don't understand C programming. Frankly, I can never understand Arts too. Having seen the real Mona Lisa painting, I still can't appreciate what's the big deal about it

[metz]

EN:

But when I ask him how his answer is derived, his solution is not as expected (not the traditional way). I think creativity plays a part in how he derived his answers.

Exactly! Those questions I mentioned previously, my ds solved them using completely different methods from the answers given. He didn't use the most obvious way

For those questions that are \"teachable\", I would usually give him hints and let him figure out himself. That's a challenge itself too.

[metz]

chamonix:

My bil admitted to me that his 6 yr old son (abacus trained) could do long multiplication like 566x8 with ease. But his son has no idea what it means, not to mention how to apply the knowledge.

Just wanna to add on this - In one mother's blog that I read, she described how her son came up with an 'Almost Prime Number Theory' all by himself. Incidentally, this boy is also 6 year old (same birth month as my bil's son).

[tamarind]

chamonix:

Again, spot on. C programming doesn't teach a person to be more creative. It's the application of skill taught that counts.

I hope you did not mistake me for saying that C programming teaches a person more creative. That was never what I meant. This is what I wrote in the previous page :

If a child is very good with maths, that is, if he is very good with logical thinking, instead of encouraging him to solve countless maths problems, I would teach him a computer programming language. Like C programming, or Visual Basic. That gives him the power to create any computer programs. Instead of spending hours solving all those tedious maths problems, why not write a computer program that will solve those problems within milliseconds ?

The interesting thing about C programming is that it is simple, a person can learn it in within a very short time, but it is very powerful. Actually I prefer Perl which is even more powerful. A computer programming language should not be compared to maths skills. Anyone can use C, perl, Visual Basic, etc to create useful programs which can directly affect how people live their lives. That includes teenagers and even children. But how many people can create anything useful using maths skills ? Actually we should not even be comparing maths and C programming, the latter is a language that is used to tell the computer to perform certain tasks. Just like we cannot compare maths with english or chinese.

If the child knows a computer programming language, then he has the power to turn his creative ideas into a useful computer program. Anyone with a computer at home can do it.

I ask my students to think of ideas for their own project using C and C# programming. Some of them do come up with very creative projects.

[tamarind]

EN:

How about motivation? I'm actually wasting away at work where all my ideas run into a huge wall. If you can't fight them, you simply join them.

My brother is doing scientific research in a university, it is quite different from the industry where everything you do must be profitable. Usually the university is happy to support any new project or ideas.

[metz]

[quote]I hope you did not mistake me for saying that C programming teaches a person more creative. That was never what I meant.[/quote]
Perhaps you didn't mean that but that's the message I got from your post.

I guess you have a passion in programming, that's why you think highly of it. But yes, Math does affect how people and things are today. In fact, without Math, I doubt there will be a place for programming. Imagine without those tiresome Math theorems, why would we need programming? If you have the time, perhaps you may want to read how Math has been affecting Science, thereby technology and our lives. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mathematician&x=0&y=0

[quote]If the child knows a computer programming language, then he has the power to turn his creative ideas into a useful computer program. Anyone with a computer at home can do it. [/quote]It's not programming alone that has such power. I would like to think a creative person has the ability and power to turn his/her ideas into something useful for people, be it programming, arts, science, maths, English etc...

[tamarind]

I have no doubt about the importance about maths.


My question was :
But how many people can create anything useful using maths skills ?

How many people do you know have done so ? I mean that ordinary people like you and me cannot hope to create anything using maths.

Now that almost every household have a computer, and there are free compilers out there for people to do computer programming, any adult, teenager or even a child who has a good idea can create a useful computer program. And now with the internet, the program can be used by millions of people around the world. I think that the computer programming language is one of the most powerful tools that anyone can use to create something useful.

Again I have to emphasis that you cannot compare programming to maths, science, english, etc. A person will take many years to master English in order to write an original novel. A person can master C programming within months, and then use it to create new computer programs.

[metz]

tamarind:

I have no doubt about the importance about maths.


My question was :
But how many people can create anything useful using maths skills ?

How many people do you know have done so ? I mean that ordinary people like you and me cannot hope to create anything using maths.

Now that almost every household have a computer, and there are free compilers out there for people to do computer programming, any adult, teenager or even a child who has a good idea can create a useful computer program.

Likewise, I'm not really a computer literate like you. Programming is neither useful nor does it affect my life. Ordinary folks like me do not hope to create anything extraordinary with programming. Not trying to stir anything but that's an honest view from an ordinary folk too

[tamarind]

Every time you use google, read or write in this forum, draw money from the ATM, or made a phone call on your mobile phone, do spare a thought for all those software engineers and software architects who made all these possible for you :mrgreen:


OK I think there is enough talk about this point already

I was responding to EN's question about how to develop creativity. Any other ideas ?