Hong Kong Joint School Mathematics Society jsms.hk@gmail.com| www.hkjsms.org HKJSMS Newsletter 3rd Issue March 2012
From the Editor Since the January newsletter was published, we have been receiving positive and encouraging feedbacks from both teachers and fellow students. Member schools are very active in contributing to the March issue. The theme of this issue is Geometry and the feature interview is about the opportunities and challenges faced by mathematically gifted students. We hope you will find it interesting and insightful. Yeung Hon Wah
Academic Corner – P1 Event Focus Corner – P4 Experienced Contestants Corner – P5 Member Schools Corner – P7 Mathematical and Problem Corner – P9
Academic Corner Interview with Professor Benny Y C Hon Department of Mathematics of the City University of Hong Kong By Yeung Hon Wah
Professor Benny Y. C. Hon is at present a professor in the Mathematics Department of the City University of Hong Kong. His major research interests include numerical computation for solving various types of partial differential equations related to storm surge predication and option price evaluation. He is particularly keen on promoting gifted education in Hong Kong. After organizing the first summer mathcamp for gifted children in 2001 and the first summer project on the mathematics of arts in 2005, he is now serving as an adviser for the Gifted Education Section of the Education and Manpower Bureau and the Hong Kong Association for Parents of Gifted Children and an honourable mentor for the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education.
The Opportunities and Challenges faced by mathematically gifted students
In addition to his research on mathematics, Professor Hon has been involved in researches on gifted students in recent years. Through this interview, we would like to seek his points of view towards the opportunities and challenges faced by mathematically gifted students HW: I understand that your primary research interest is Mathematics. However, you have been doing researches on mathematically gifted students recently. Is that right? YC: I am responsible for teaching and research activities relating to mathematics. Giftedness and gifted education will be the focus of educational psychologists. There is a team of academics within the university keen on doing research on mathematically gifted students. I have been involved in such research activities, giving talks and sharing with various parties and authorities, in Hong Kong and the Mainland, such as the Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau (Gifted Section), the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education, the University of Science and Technology of China, and the Chengdu Normal University in the recent years. I also do sharing with teachers and parents of primary and secondary schools. One of my major focuses is how to define, identify, nurture the mathematically and scientifically gifted children.
HW: Why are you so interested in this area? YC: Well, I would say my elder son Jeffrey inspired me. Since he was a toddler, I noticed his strong observation power and talent in mathematics. It became more obvious after he had grown older and got into primary school. His learning problem in mathematics class when he was studying at P.4, however, confused me and motivated me to organize the first summer mathcamp for gifted children in 2001. The experience I gained from the mathcamp is invaluable in my current research in gifted education.
Characteristics of mathematically gifted students HW: How would you say about mathematically gifted students? Are they typically quick at doing calculation? YC: People used to think that mathematically gifted kids are calculating prodigy. Actually it is a myth. In 1970s, there was a young boy who had very fast computing power and was named 神童輝. He could calculate faster than a calculator. He frequently performed on TV programmes and became the talk of the town. A few years ago, he was interviewed by some newspaper and was found that his academic performance, including mathematics, was not