Infinity Maths Contest

From January 14-16, International School Dhaka participated in the Infinity Mathematics Contest
conducted by ABWA, Mumbai in collaboration with BITS Pilani and Waterloo
University Canada. Two of our teams qualified for the final round which was conducted
in Mumbai, India.
The contest had various rounds where students worked independently and collaborated
with others. During the contest, they further strengthened their understanding of the
importance of integrity and honesty. Students learn the best when they are involved in the
learning. This active and engaged learning outside of the classroom helped students to
broaden their knowledge of the subjects and this allowed them to see how ideas are
connected while expanding their collaboration, critical thinking and knowledge retention
skills.

For many of them, it was their first time visiting India and they were full of excitement and
curiosity. After the Infinity Maths trip to India, one of the students shared that “As the
trip was coming to an end I understood that it is not us vs them, it never was. It actually is
“us”, all of humankind standing together even though we might have different
backgrounds, cultures or even values. I will never forget this experience, especially the
people. India and especially its people will always hold a special place in my heart. This
trip did not only make me a better learner, mathematician and student but it also made me
a better human being”.

Such experiences and reflective skills helped students further understand the information
that they have learned during the trip while learning more about the global context of that
knowledge. This extends its influence in the students’ development of critical thinking
skills, as students will be made to reflect on the experience in the form of a report or in
the form of narration.

This trip was a successful learning experience where our students became more balanced
and open minded learners. Now they are more open to consider experiences, beliefs,
values, perspectives, etc. that differ from their own. They also experienced and explored
how diverse people across the world think and act.

Jalaj Chaturvedi
Secondary Math and Theory of Knowledge Teacher