Competition is great! We compete, whether we know it or not, every day. We compete with each other, we compete with ourselves. We strive to be better. Better educators should equal better students. With that in mind, let's visit some competitions. Mathematics Competitions. Will you be able to take your students to these events? Maybe, maybe not. But while browsing through these sites, think of how you can integrate competition into the classroom. Not as a general state of mind, but maybe as a diversion, a way to get students thinking about being better mathematicians.
American Mathematics Competitions - http://www.unl.edu/amc/amcframe.htm
The American Mathematics Competitions is one of the largest national competitions. There are categories for Junior High and Senior High Mathematics. There is a schedule of upcoming competitions, including those for next year. There are invitation brochures for junior and senior high schools. Best of all, there are sample questions for you to use (including answers!).
The Mandelbrot Competitions
For High Schools - http://www.mandelbrot.org/
For Middle Schools - http://www.midlevels.org/
The Mandelbrot Competitions are split into two categories at each level - Level A for advanced students, and level B for less experienced students. This gives the competitions an edge, they take into account students that are interested, yet may not be experienced in problem-solving. The competitions are held remotely - no travel (a plus for those teaching in rural districts). This site includes a FAQ section, as well as sample tests.
The Casio Mathematics Contest Page http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~ucfcasio/prob...
Sponsored by Casio Electronics, and run by the University of Central Florida and The University of Mississippi, this is truly one of the neatest contest sites for mathematics. There are six different contests, for elementary to high school students. Answers may be submitted electronically. The contests are fun, and the prize for the winner each week is a Casio Calculator (and not the $5 ones, either). Contests updated weekly.
What can these contests can bring to your classroom?
ยท You can use these contests to get your students to work together, to solve some of the questions posed in each competition. Students will learn to work in groups, and to bring their individual ideas to the group.
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