Program Description

The NUMERYCLES DEMO will take participants into the intriguing Discovery phase of the four-phase NUMERYCLES program. We will use logic, critical thinking and creativity to discover an exhaustive inventory of Necklaces and to observe an emerging pattern of colors on a 9 x 9 matrix. While still awed and reluctant to believe what they have discovered, demo participants will be introduced to the Numerycles game, and compete to discover that perhaps those funny numerycles could be right there, in their lunch money! …
Not just all around in nature.

NUMERYCLES is a mix-mode (on site/on line), multidisciplinary program covering four phases: Discovery, Creativity, Technology and Leadership. The DEMO will cover phase I of the program, which uses a modified Fibonacci series to generate cyclical digit series. These Necklaces, as they are called in the program, are used in phase II (Creativity) to trigger musical, artistic and literary compositions. During the Technology phase, a spreadsheet is used as a tool to attain longer and more complex Necklaces. In the Leadership phase, Numerycles apprentices become instructors, spreading knowledge and the fun of learning unchartered topics while continuing to learn themselves.

A complete description of the four phases can be found at: http://bit.ly/phases4

The Numerycles program has been delivered with diverse audiences from Argentina, Switzerland and other countries to share and to learn through the use of technology. The full program takes 15 hours over a number of weeks that varies from school to school. This 90 minute demonstration will give students and teachers a unique hands on learning experience and a taste of the full program available if interested.

Videoconference Outline

• Welcome and Introductions (10 minutes)
  Please have a student representative at your school share the name of the school, name of the teacher, subject being studied in this class and something interesting about their town.
• Introductions/Overview (5 minutes)
  What we are about to see. How many kinds of Necklaces do you know?
• Discovering and Working with Necklaces (40 minutes)
  Pick a two digit number without a zero, and you will discover a curious thing…
  Is that the only Necklace? No! Pick another two digit number and you too will discover…
  Wow. But are those two the only Necklaces? And how many are there in total?
  So can we have one more? How about infinite?
  And yet another one?... Yeah!
  …and perhaps anoth… oh. No? OK but we have the inventory!
• Creativity Phase (5 minutes)
  Now let’s draw a 9 x9 matrix. If we chose a color for each Necklace and start coloring…WOOOOWWW!!! Can you believe that???
• I know you want the game. Is there a Numerycle in your pocket? Hmm... (25 minutes)
• Wrap-Up/Conclusion (5 minutes) 

Pre-Videoconference Activities

Special form to enter game solutions: A form will be set up to enable those who want to learn the game independently to enter solutions and pictures of their bills. This will act as an incentive to read about the program and to come to the demo with some prior knowledge of the program. Access to the form is through this link here.

About the Presenter

Pablo Baques studied Chemical Engineering at Universidad de Buenos Aires and received his Master's at DePauw (MAT, math education concentration). Pablo was the VP, International Relations Pan American Games 1987 Indianapolis; CEO American Chamber of Commerce in Argentina and has taught at locations worldwide including St Leonard's, St Hilda's, Lincoln School (Argentina), NAPS, BFIT, CCRI (USA) and many more. Pablo has a known addiction to chutney (all kinds and can make it himself as necessary). When not teaching or playing Numerycles, Pablo enjoys kayaking, skiing and squash and has two daughters and one son - all of whom are expert Numerycle gamers as well.

Special Instructions for the Teachers

NUMERYCLES strongly supports the idea of teachers as facilitators of learning rather than as sources of information and knowledge. In keeping with that tenet, we suggest that teachers go through the demo alongside their participating students. Especially in the Discovery phase on which the demo hinges, spontaneity and true discovery feeling in the classroom could be lost if the teacher knows certain outcomes. Teachers!: Come to the demo willing to learn some amazing new ideas and be prepared to take them to even greater dimensions. Do not be surprised if your students lead the way.

Get Involved with Numerycles

Numerycles is a strong advocate of the use of technology in education. Prospective participants are welcome to join Twitter account @numerycles, as well as program owner’s account @pbaques, where tweets refer to various aspects of the program, including the game, and where other tools used by the program such as Google+, the blog, webdoc and the web site are often referenced.