Dear All

This is to invite you to submit your “Best of British” maths ed materials
for a database of innovative ideas, to be used in creating “new and better
courses for students around the world” - further details below.

Please copy this message to the manufacturers of any materials which you
think should be included in our “Best of British” list.

I can take these materials with me next month when I go to Poland for an
“International Supercourse” meeting which will begin such a database. The
organiser, Alan Rogerson (Australia), is nothing if not visionary - further
details below and on the web. (Please note that I am doing this in a
personal capacity: I am not involved in the SuperCourse organisation and
accept no liability other than to try to get your materials to the
conference in Poland for you.)

If you would like me to take your materials, please send them before 10 June
to
        John Bibby (SuperCourse meeting)
        1 Straylands Grove
        York YO31 1EB (England).
Alternatively you can send them direct to Poland (address and other details
below). If any queries about this, please email [log in to unmask],
or fax him on 01904-424381 as I shall be away quite a lot between now and
mid-June.

Over 80 people will be at the meeting in Poland, including ~50 from Poland,
and ~30 from some 15 other countries. I will take as much material as you
care to send, but if it weighs over 1 kilo please will you enclose a small
contribution to expenses - I suggest £2-£5 per kilo (cheque payable to
“MatheMagic” please).

I’m afraid I don’t know a lot more about the meeting, except that John
Gillespie, Alison Clark-Jeavons and Mike Spooner may also be attending.

JOHN BIBBY



================Further details received from Alan Rogerson
 These courses would be written by independent but cooperative teams of
writers in different countries. Each national team will be able to select
from the database what is best for their country to produce a
state-of-the-art Super Course … (This) could be a series of text-books, or
resource materials, or books/ideas for teachers, or provide good models of
text books for centralised systems of education. The overall objective for
each group in each country would be to make available for the first time the
very best materials/ideas that have already been developed, often in
isolation, in all parts of the world.


He writes: “We are looking for the very best from your country - exceptional
ideas that others can learn from! Supercourse is about creating the very
best, not just making the ordinary a little better. “

Some further details are below and on
He explains the idea of the Super Course as follows:

Our Project can … create a large database of innovative ideas and useful
materials that have already been found successful in schools to create new
and better courses for students around the world. These courses would be
written by independent but cooperative teams of writers in different
countries. Each national team will be able to select from the database what
is best for their country to produce a state-of-the-art Super Course …
(This) could be a series of text-books, or resource materials, or
books/ideas for teachers, or provide good models of text books for
centralised systems of education. The overall objective for each group in
each country would be to make available for the first time the very best
materials/ideas that have already been developed, often in isolation, in all
parts of the world.

The Educational aim of Super Course is to help students learn mathematics
better and to enjoy and to find more interesting and relevant the
mathematics they learn. The humanistic/political aim is to help eliminate
barriers and prejudices based on gender, race or social class and to empower
our students to change for the better the world they live in. The pragmatic
aim is to produce a course and/or ideas and materials for students and
teachers that will be successful in terms of school adoption because it is
the best course available in each country. With the now familiar miracle of
email and internet, it will be possible to communicate much of this database
of ideas/material quickly and easily. We can also set up a network of
writing teams working in different countries, each designing a course
adapted for their own cultural context, but each having access to the
variety of ideas and materials developed so far by the world's best
projects. Our three years experience with the world's first and only virtual
school the VSG will be invaluable in our incorporating in Super Course the
very best and most recent technological innovations as they develop. The
role of new technology will be crucial in future educational innovation.

… Of special importance for the whole meeting will be the "Open Forum of
Ideas" on Day 1, during which as much and as many ideas, materials,
software, will be displayed and demonstrated in all parts of the house. We
have 10 computers available in the new computer room, all linked to Internet
to showcase the very best software we know of from all over the world - the
other rooms and hallways will be festooned with posters, information, books,
booklets, worksheets and all kinds of materials for the teaching of
mathematics.


Would YOU please help us by bringing with you from YOUR country as many
innovative ideas and as much material/software as you can that is of the
HIGHEST quality - we are looking for the very best from your country -
exceptional ideas that others can learn from! Supercourse is about creating
the very best, not just making the ordinary a little better. If you are NOT
coming could you please send me any new and exciting things and we will
exhibit them - post them to this address:
Alan Rogerson,
ul LISTOPADOWA 1/45,
60-153 POZNAN,
Poland