1. What is the new course Cricket Math about?
Cricket-Math is a collaboration between the Agarkar Centre of Excellence, also popularly called ACE and UnMath School. It is an idea envisioned where the virtual ‘math-game’ combines sports action in a flexible format, bringing alive the relevance of both math & cricket concepts.
2.Objective of ACE Sports Education behind collaborating with UnMath?
Many middle schoolers tend to get overwhelmed when decoding math skills therefore, the real desire was to simplify concepts using UnMath school expertise with their investigative approach and use ACE Edu Sports’s cricket vision to make learning fun for students. Cricket is always associated with skill, talent and the physicality of sports which does not give enough importance to the logic and reasoning skills, this is where the math concepts come into play. ACE Education also focuses on the real-life relevance of concepts, and what better way to bring this to table than combining the expertise of two very evolved companies.
3.How is Cricket integrated with Math imparting knowledge to the students?
Implementing AjitAgarkar’s illustrious career matches as he is a veteran of 4 World Cups, Cricket-Math utilizes the generic grade level ‘syllabus’ learning outcomes taught in schools (national or international) and creates unique game based case studies for students to ‘solve’ while ‘playing’ live with fellow students. Through these engaging and interactive group sessions, students learn to apply different math concepts like quadratic equations, linear and non-linear equations, transformations, decimals to name a few, essentially ‘applying’ math concepts learnt in school. But this time, in a way that connects to real life, especially a sport like Cricket.
4.How will it set a foundation for the students in advanced mathematics?
Practice and repeated application including re-enforcements is the basis of critical and lateral thinking which is the foundation for advanced math concepts. Enrichment and combing higher order thinking questions, and challenging students to go “beyond” using case studies sets up a perfect foundation for advanced level skills.
5. Different packages and commercials of the course?
Cricket-Math follows a Short Certified 2 Day Boot Camp of 1 hour and 30 mins of the virtual session which is priced at Rs. 999/-. There are grade level packages such as Rookie Level, Rookie Plus and Pro depending on the level of the students and their knowledge of both cricket and math.
6.Since students are at home currently, how is this course going to have an effect on offline approach towards learning?
Lockdown times have created a “new normal” where learning is transformed using different online mediums so that it is a seamless and continuous process. Cricket-Math uses this online medium but focuses on precise and well curated content, gamifying approach, live discussions and case studies to make it interactive where concepts revisited are applied in a concise manner during these two-hour sessions with fellow participants. There is motivation to participate simply because the “gaming” format uses multiple skills to decode, there is application with everyday examples and the result is a fun filled session that enables them to reinforce concepts and therefore, builds on their understanding which naturally translates into confidence as they begin to think.
7.How will Cricket-Math improve logical reasoning for the students?
AjitAgarkar’s pre-recorded videos are shown after each game byte that they watch, and his experience during those difficult decision-making moments. For instance, when he representing Mumbai for Ranji Trophy, Test matches, T20s, IPL, etc as there is much more one can learn watching or playing cricket. The programme also has ‘clues’ for the kids to solve the math problems.
Sports is the perfect blend of decision-making, handling-pressure, managing conflicts, creativity, flexibility, relationship management, time management and project management skills. These skills are required to be future-ready and hence, a course like this is a great way of introducing and improving logical reasoning and inducting students into a smart curriculum.
8.What are the techniques and development with time in Cricket-Math that students should look forward to?
CricketMath will evolve to include more complexity with case studies. Further to this the levels will include a competitive league that will be developed with a zonal spin and perhaps induct a physical format in the near future.
9.Will the course throw light on building personality and making math easier for students?
Yes, of course! During these virtual sessions, students are given real life case-studies on various concepts, which requires them to use different skill sets such as decision-making, handling pressure, managing conflicts, creativity, flexibility, etc. which contributes to their overall personality as an individual and making them future-ready.
10.Please share a student testimonial, explaining the experience with Cricket-Math compared to regular math?
Manan Shah, a 5th grader who has attended these Certified 2 Day Boot Camps shares his experience.
“I was not a fan of Cricket but I love Math, but once I enrolled in the program, I got to know about the game, and for me, it was taking some calculative permutations to work out the answers, and I loved competing as a Captain. Going forward I may not play the physical game, but I am a fan now because the game is a lot of fun when I hear AjitAgarkar talk about it. Lastly, this has also helped me connect to the Math concepts and understand its relevance in a fun way.”
11.As you have been into education for a long time, how has your experience been?
Covid19 has changed the way we are planning, delivering academic learning targets and also assessing children. The importance of socio-emotional learning and life skills cannot be emphasised enough, and the virtual engagements with children is still a work in progress – perhaps enabled us to customise, differentiate than ever before. Also, the adaptability component and adversity quotient are critical components which are forcing educators to think differently and creatively plan their lessons so that children remain engaged and interested. Content which is learner centric and puts the learner in a position of control also requires a faster format with teaching, and constantly working to motivate them.
The experience has been rewarding, and bringing attention to teachers to be skilled, and embracing technology in a way that is effective. We have to work harder!!!
12.Future roadmap with Cricket-Math, planning to include higher secondary schools?
We expect more backward integration with an inclusion of younger grades.
Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)
