Summer of Math Exposition #4 | Teachers, I'd love to hear from you

Key Concepts

Summer of Math Exposition (SoME), peer review, math education, online explainers, teacher involvement, cash prizes, Brilliant sponsorship, content creation, community engagement, activation energy, helpful resources for students.

Summer of Math Exposition (SoME) - Sum 4

The Summer of Math Exposition (SoME) is an annual contest, initiated in 2021 by Grant Sanderson (3Blue1Brown) and James Schloss, designed to encourage the creation of online math explainers. This year marks the fourth iteration, named "Sum 4," following "Sum Pi" (a community-driven version last year). The core idea is to provide a deadline, prizes, and a community to motivate individuals to create math-related content, overcoming the initial hurdle of starting a project.

Contest Details and Timeline

Participants have until September 1st to create a math explainer in any medium (video, article, etc.) on virtually any topic. Following the submission deadline, a peer review process takes place. Participants and others review entries, providing ratings and feedback. This feedback is used to rank the submissions. Grant Sanderson then reviews the top entries (approximately the top 100) and selects five winners.

Peer Review Process

The peer review process is highlighted as the most valuable aspect of SoME. It provides feedback to creators and incentivizes participation. It also serves as a platform for creators, especially those with new channels, to gain exposure.

Prizes and Sponsorship

This year, five winners will each receive $1,000, courtesy of Brilliant, the sponsor of the event.

Shift in Contest Focus: Targeting Classroom Use

Grant Sanderson aims to slightly shift the contest's focus. He notes that the peer review structure tends to favor content geared towards those already interested in math ("math for math people"). While niche content is valuable, he wants to encourage the creation of resources that are genuinely helpful to students in classrooms, addressing the widespread struggle with math.

Teacher Involvement in Judging

To achieve this shift, Grant Sanderson is inviting math teachers to participate in the peer review process. Teachers can identify themselves and their subject areas when creating an account. During the peer review, teachers are asked to consider whether the content would be helpful to their students, either as inspiration for lessons or as an external resource.

Judging Criteria and Subject Tagging

After the peer review, Grant Sanderson will filter the results to see how teachers ranked the entries. He will also consider the relevance of the teacher's subject to the video's content. When submitting their entries, participants will be asked to tag them with relevant subjects. The final judging will prioritize entries deemed most helpful for students in classrooms. The criteria for "most helpful" are deliberately kept vague to allow creators to focus on areas where they feel they can contribute the most.

Call to Action for Teachers

Grant Sanderson includes a call to action for teachers:

• Reddit Thread: A Reddit thread (linked in the pinned comment) is created for teachers to discuss topics that would benefit from more online explanation.
• Google Form: A Google Form is provided for teachers interested in participating in the peer review process. This helps gauge the number of teacher reviewers available.

Central Hub: somme.b1b.co

All details and resources for SoME are available at somme.b1b.co. This website serves as the central hub for the event, including the peer review platform and links to the Discord community.

Notable Quotes

• "The idea is that there's a lot of people out there who have had at least vague thoughts of making some kind of online math explainer... and if you offer you know a deadline a little bit of a prize and a community it can get a lot of people over that activation energy hump." - Grant Sanderson, explaining the motivation behind SoME.
• "Even before I give any prizes most of the benefit has already come from the entire event." - Grant Sanderson, emphasizing the value of the peer review process and community engagement.

Technical Terms and Concepts

• Activation Energy: The minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction or, in this context, to initiate a creative project.
• Peer Review: A process where experts or peers evaluate the quality of work, providing feedback and suggestions for improvement.
• Math Exposition: The act of explaining mathematical concepts in a clear and accessible way.

Logical Connections

The video logically connects the initial success of SoME with the desire to refine its focus. The peer review process, while beneficial, is identified as potentially skewing the content towards a specific audience. The introduction of teacher involvement is presented as a solution to broaden the contest's impact and encourage the creation of resources for a wider range of learners.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The Summer of Math Exposition (SoME) Sum 4 aims to foster the creation of online math explainers through a contest format, emphasizing community engagement and peer review. This year, a key focus is placed on encouraging content that is genuinely helpful for students in classrooms, with the involvement of math teachers in the judging process. By offering cash prizes and a supportive community, SoME seeks to lower the "activation energy" for creators and provide valuable resources for math education.