Exhibition “Experiencing Mathematics" in West Africa - Report 2010

With the help of UNESCO, but also of IMU, ICMI and CIMPA, we have presented the Maths exhibition in 2 countries, Senegal and Benin in 2009 and Burkina-Faso in 2010.

• Senegal – April to June 2009

With the help of the French Embassy and the French ministry of foreign Affairs, we have succeeded to present the exhibition just for EMF2009 in Dakar (Colloque de l'Espace Mathe??matique Francophone – in April, 6th to 10th) who took place at the Cheikh Anta Diop University.

Presentation in 4 places of 3 regions:

- Dakar, Lyce??e JF Kennedy (8th to 18th April) First setting up and training for animators and 8 professors from Dakar University with Philippe Brie?re, designer from Centre.Sciences.

- Kaolack, Lyce??e Waly Ndiaye (20th to 29th Avril).

- Saint-Louis, Lyce??e El Hadji Omar Tall (10th to 16th May).

- Dakar, Lyce??e Limamou Laye (8th to 15th June).

At all we can estimate at 8.500 the visitors of the exhibition in 2 months.

Training session with University teachers (Dakar – April 2009)

 

Operators:

• Pr Cheikh Mbacke?? Diop, IREMPT Director, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar-Fann

• Mr Gilles Thuaudet, Cultural Attache??, French Embassy for arrival and departure.

• Mr Alexandre Mbaye Diop, Director of Secondary Education, for the itinerancy

• Pr Mamadou Sangare??, Director of “Ecole doctorale maths & informatiques???, Dakar University
These 4 persons are representatives of their administrative structures at the official opening on the 9th April.

At the end, the material was sent to Benin by air.

• Benin–October-November 2009

The exhibition was presented in 2 places:

- Cotonou, French Cultural Centre (6th to 25th October).

- Porto-Novo, University (1st to 15th November).

First setting up and training for animators and teachers from Cotonou University and Lyce??e Montaigne with Re??gis Goiffon from Lyon University. Re??gis Goiffon has presented the 2 CDroms and web sites:

www.experiencingmaths.org/

&

www.dimensions-math.org/

and had a training session with the Maths teachers of Lyce??e Montaigne one half-day.
At all we can estimate at 2.500 the visitors of the exhibition in the 2 cities.

School boys & girls visiting the exhibition (Cotonou – October 2009) © Cathy Gales

Official opening with local officials & the French & Nederland Ambassadors

 

Operators:

• Pr Joe?l Tossa, ISMP Director, Abome??-Calavi University, Porto-Novo

• Mr Alain Richard, Cultural Attache??, Fr. Embassy for arrival, departure & logistic.

• Mr Fre??de??ric Gales, Professor at Lyce??e Montaigne (Cotonou) for the coordination

 

The material was sent to Burkina Faso by air.

• Burkina Faso – April to June 2010

The exhibition will be presented in 3 places:

- Ouagadougou, French Cultural Centre

- Koudougou, Lyce??e provincial

- Bobo-Diolasso, French Cultural Centre

Operators:

• Pr Kalifa Traore??, IUT Director, Koudougou University

• Mr Bella Sawadogo , Inspecteur de l’Education nationale

• Ms Anne-Sophie Barreau, Cultural Attache??e, French Embassy

 
One year before, Kalifa Traore?? with a director committee (Ge??rard Kientega, Charles Nassouri, Moussa Ouattara from Ouagadougou University and 8 other members, Kirsi Douamba, Akry Koulibaly, Charles Nassouri, Franc?oise Oue??draogo, Issa Oue??draogo, Stanislas Ouaro, Bela Sawadogo, Hamidou Toure??) began to find the good time, the best places and the animators in each, the found to pay them... contact the presidents of each university, the Minister of Education (Pr Joseph Pare), the French Embassy.

Against the difficulties of starting (arrival of the material from Benin in late, bad school period with the examinations...), the success was total and is growing in power from one city to another. First setting up and training for animators and teachers with Re??gis Goiffon (Lyon).

At all we can estimate at 4.500 visitors of the exhibition in the 3 cities.

First setting up in Ouagadougou (April 2010)

In Koudougou (May 2010)

In summary, with time and patience, thanks to the will and the perseverance of the mathematicians of the three countries, these presentations could be done successfully.
Only one regret: other neighbouring countries could not enjoy from it.

 

The virtual exhibition "Experiencing mathematics" in Angola in 2009

 

Note that the virtual exhibition, www.ExperiencingMaths.org, continue to be presented in Angola where a second training session with teachers for teachers was done in December 2009 with the help of INIDE and UNESCO. The CDrom and the pdf files were distributed to more than 120 Angola teachers in other training sessions.

In the same case,

-    300 CDrom were given to maths teachers in Chile in January 2010 where
the exhibition was presented for a second time.

-    1.000 were given to Spanish maths teachers in Cordoba  in September for the XIII CEAM congress where the exhibition was presented for 2 months.

 

Michel Darche