Inventory problem solving competition

This year, in January 31, between students grades 8-9 of region secondary schools “Inventory problem solving” team competition took place first time, where Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Semey was as an organiser.

In the mentioned school, our teacher Kalieva Kuralay has attended for a workshop from TIPS (Theory of inventory problem solving) master Anatoli Gin 4 years ago. In order to apply her knowledge she started to deliver an optional course called “Inventory problem solving” for grade 7-8 students in our school. A group of students that has demonstrated their knowledge and skills participated in the “Creativity-battle” among the NIS network schools and they have got the 3rd place this and last year. During this years, our colleague has been shared with her practice on TIPS with students and teachers of №3 secondary school of our city and provided a series of workshops for teachers of our city. As a consequence, Kuralay Akylberdikyzy organized in the format of “Creative-battle” a competition for 8-9 grade students of region schools. 16 schools has applied in the above-mentioned competition, so 45 students and 15 group-leader teachers have participated.

The initial goal of the event is through the solution of a team develop students’ inventory ideas and analytical thinking skills. According to our colleague, inventory problems – open (inventory or research) questions often it may be a problem that has many solutions. In this case, it is quite reasonable to mention about XXI century teaching and learning principles, like the development of students’ functional literacy, critical thinking and communication.

School principle Kayirzhanov B.T. in the opening of the competition said that, in the modern teaching and learning tendency and students’ competencies subject integration and creative thinking plays one of the main roles. Also he wished a success for participants and guests.

Leading of the competition was on our colleague but judging and evaluating students’ answers were on NIS teachers – Zhylkibayev B.T., Mirasheva K.K., Tursyngazin N.S., Kurmanbayev A.A. and 9th grade student Zhumahanova Nuray took this task very responsibly.

At the end of the competition juries gave a short comment about the game of teams and according to evaluation criteria made a conclusion about winners. Participant students and group-leaders got certificates, and the best teams got 1st, 2nd and 3rd place diplomas. The winner teams, the school №20, Prirechensk and the school №31 got also books as a present for their game.

Narken Burkenov,
mathematic teacher