Teaching maths through dancehall - JamaicaObserver.com

Saturday, November 21, 2009 9:57 PM

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Teaching maths through dancehall

By Cecelia Campbell-Livingston

Friday, July 03, 2009

For many students, mathematics remains a challenge, and that's why math teacher Claude Evans has come up with the idea of putting the math curriculum to music.

CLAUDE EVANS... 'I got the idea because as a math teacher and a parent, I know the weakness of students with their times table.'

Evans, who started teaching math in 1973 after graduating from New York University, eventually gave it up to pursue his other love - playing music. He did that through his sound, African Love, even at one point managing the career of a very successful Shinehead.

He later returned to teaching part-time and now that he has more time on his hands, the math teacher is determined to make a difference in the classroom with this new project.

"I got the idea because as a math teacher and a parent, I know the weakness of students with their times table. Many students can use a calculator, whether it is a handheld calculator, a calculator in their cell phones or on a computer, to multiply two numbers, but cannot do so with pen and paper. Therefore, when they have to take a test without the use of a calculator, they fail because they take so long to multiply that the test is over before they have time to finish all the problems, or they might calculate in their head that three times four is 16, and that miscalculation will make them get the rest of the problem wrong. When this happens, it discourages the students, increases their math anxiety and they develop a dislike for math," stated Evans, in explaining how he came up with the idea for such a project.

According to Evans, he will be starting off with the multiplication tables and eventually taking on other portion of the math curriculum such as formulae and definitions.

"Each artiste will perform one table and a chorus to be created by the artiste, the producer or myself," Evans said, elaborating on the dancehall maths project.

"Each song will include two multiplication tables. each artiste will perform one table and a chorus," he shared, adding that already he has had commitments from artistes such as Tony Rebel, Queen Ifrica, Stephen McGregor, Beenie Man, Busy Signal, Mavado, Assassin and producer Don Corleon.

July 7 will see Evans in Jamaica working on the project.
Evans could not hide his enthusiasm when he spoke with the Observer. "When I previewed the idea to some students, they seemed pretty excited about it. I sometimes get comments like 'if they had taught me the times table like this, then I would have enjoyed it!"

Evans is anticipating the completed dancehall math project as he says: "Can you imagine when their real heroes perform the songs, putting their flavour in the chorus, how much more exciting it will be?"

Dancehall artistes are not the only ones embracing this idea by Evans. After he pitched the concept to two members of the Ministry of Education and one from the Ministry of Information and Culture, he was encouraged by them to continue with the project with the assurance that if it was properly done, a recommendation would be made to both ministries to endorse its use in schools.

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