Portugal’s 6th partner school
We are very pleased to welcome the sixth Portuguese partner school, Escola Secundária de Caldas das Taipas, to our partner school network. A report about the work with MathCityMap so far and the further plans and application possibilities of Mathtrails was written by the math teacher Arminda Machado, who initiated the application process:
“At ESCT (Secondary School of Caldas das Taipas), the MathCityMap application was used to create Mathtrails, an activity that contributed to the valorization of information and communication technologies and to the development of specific skills in mathematics among the students, namely logical thinking and problem solving.
This school year, the students at our school integrated the Erasmus+ project Maths&Art with the International Mathematics Day, which is celebrated on March 14. As part of this, a great challenge was launched for all ESCT math students, which consisted of forming teams of three members representing each class to participate in a Mathtrail with MathCityMap, put together by themselves and implemented on the school campus. The students accepted this invitation with enthusiasm and the initiative, in which the entire educational community participated, was a success.
The courses were conducted outside the classroom and in a real-world context, focusing on hands-on and experimental work, which increased the students’ motivation to learn. Students walked in small groups and in constant collaboration along trails guided by the MathCityMap application previously installed on their mobile devices, solving a series of mathematical problems related to objects or constructions present in the outdoor areas of the school. In this way, they mobilized the fundamental knowledge acquired in class. In certain situations, students used measuring tools such as the tape measure and protractor to address the practical side of the subject and the importance of its application in everyday life. The fact that students have the opportunity to develop various skills such as independence, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication while completing these tasks makes the use of this tool even more important. After completing the Mathtrails, students could analyze and discuss the solutions and results of each task in class with the math teacher. This type of activity adds a new dynamic to the classroom that is very attractive to students and promotes educational success.
For the next school year, a math trail is planned in the city of Guimarães, connected with mathematical problems related to monuments of the historical center, to be carried out by students of partner schools from Spain, Finland, Italy and Turkey during the student exchange planned in ESCT in the framework of the Erasmus+ project Maths&Art. In addition to broadening knowledge in the field of mathematics and information and communication technologies, this trail aims to develop intercultural and language skills.”
The package with the official partner school plaque and the MCM measuring tools is already on its way to Portugal and we are very much looking forward to receiving further applications from all over the world.
All further information about the partner school program and the requirements for the application can be found in the article about the first MCM partner school as well as on the homepage of our project MaSCE³.
