By exposing our students to topics from recreational mathematics and the works of Martin Gardner, we can provide them with a life-long interest in mathematics, a sense of joy and wonder for the subject and a desire to play, tinker and imagine.

A remarkable magic square - the sum of the four numbers in every row and column is equal to 19,998 even when the square is turned upside down or held in a mirror.  The sum of the four corner numbers is also equal to 19,998, so is the sum of the four numbers in the middle of the square and on and on and on ...

Bio: Ron Lancaster is the recipient of the 2015 Margaret Sinclair Memorial Award Recognizing Innovation and Excellence in Mathematics Education awarded by the Fields Institute. He is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream at the University of Toronto where he teaches mathematics methods courses for future middle and high school teachers.  He has over 20 years of experience teaching grades 7-12 mathematics.  Ron's professional activities include consultations for international, private & public schools, educational organizations, and technology companies and conference presentations in North America, Asia, England, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar and Africa.

Ron has been a presenter at hundreds of conferences, including the highly-regarded Phillips Exeter Academy Mathematics and Technology Conference for the past 25 years; 51 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Annual and Regional Conferences; 33 consecutive Ontario Association for Mathematics Education Annual Conferences; 6 East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools Conferences and 3 National Conferences on Graphing Calculators in Malaysia.

Ron has been a National Instructor for Texas Instruments since 1994 and has conducted dozens of week-long and day-long workshops in the US and Canada on graphing calculators, motion detectors and scientific probes.

Ron created two columns (Media Clips and the Mathematical Lens) for the Mathematics Teacher published by the NCTM.  Ron edited Media Clips for three years and continues to edit the Mathematical Lens.  Both columns have a huge following with readers.

Ron sees mathematics everywhere and never leaves home without his pair of math glasses and camera so that he is always ready to snap photos of numbers, patterns, shapes, solids, curves and shadows.  Throughout his career Ron has made connections between the mathematics curriculum and daily life in an effort to help students appreciate and enjoy mathematics.

Ron is well known for his expertise in designing Math Trails.  Ron has created math paths in Singapore where over 7000 students and hundreds of teachers have enjoyed his walks in Suntec City, Fort Canning Park and the NUS Art Museum.  Ron has developed Math Trails for Math for America, The Avenues School and the Museum of Mathematics in Manhattan at MoMA, Museum of Natural History, Ellis Island, Bronx Zoo, Madison Square Park, NYU and Columbia University.