MathCityMap: News from Slovakia

Collaboration as a means of professional growth for mathematics teachers

Recently in Slovakia Mathtrails with MathCityMap were used in a professional development event for mathematics teachers, especially as an impulse for collaboration in joint development of mathematics education within the national KEGA project “Collaboration as a means for professional development of mathematics teachers”. Janka Medová and Silvia Haringová from the Department of Mathematics at the University “Constantine the Philosopher” in Nitra and teachers from the United Catholic School in Nitra participated in the design of the mathematical trails.

During the first meeting, the teachers put themselves in the role of students. With the help of mobile devices, they tried to master the prepared mathtrail. After they had solved all the tasks, we explained to them how the MathCityMap portal works and how a mathtrail can be created. Furthermore, the teachers received a manual with detailed instructions on how to create a trail. The teachers’ task was now to come up with their own tasks and to upload them to the portal by the next meeting.

At our next meeting, the teachers discussed the tasks together and selected the best ones to create the final Mathtrail. This trail was tested out by high school students who spent two class periods walking the trail and solving tasks. Following the walk-through of the mathtrail, a joint teacher reflection took place, focusing on the importance of incorporating mathtrails into the teaching of mathematics.