We are happy to welcome Základná škola Rudolfa Jašíka as our new MathCityMap partner school! The teacher Petra Hačková reached out to us with a report on the school’s activities with MCM:
« Implementing math trails represented a significant challenge for us. From the initial idea and planning to task creation and execution with the students, we had the opportunity to observe how this activity can revitalize a « boring » math lesson, as students often call it. Through math trails, we were able to demonstrate the practical significance of mathematics to our students.
The students’ evaluations of these activities were mostly positive. They especially appreciated the physical movement, the opportunity to learn outside the classroom, and the group work. It was particularly interesting to observe a change in attitude toward mathematics among some of the weaker students, or those who previously found math dull and disliked the subject.
From the perspective of the supervising teacher, we confirmed that math trails can be an effective tool for reinforcing curriculum material. Furthermore, they play a crucial role in developing key competencies such as: collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking and observation, independence and autonomy, practical application of acquired knowledge.
Preparing math trails requires time and careful planning, but the feedback from students confirms that it was time well spent. We believe that math trails have the potential to become an integral part of teaching at our primary school, and we hope to inspire other colleagues and teachers to join this emerging trend. »
Student feedback following the math trails activities: « I enjoyed it because it was something completely different from a regular math lesson. The tasks weren’t too difficult, and overall, it was fun solving problems with my friends. It might have improved my view of math a little. I would definitely want more activities like this because we learn more during them. I’d describe the trail as a showcase of math in everyday life. »
Their trails can be found via the following trail codes:
We are excited to have Základná škola Rudolfa Jašíka on board and look forward to their continued contributions to making mathematics visible and engaging beyond the classroom.
The package with the official partner school badge and the MCM measuring instruments are on their way and we are looking forward to receiving more applications from all over the world.
All further information on the partner school programme and the requirements for application can be found both in the article on the first MCM partner school and on the homepage of our MaSCE³ project.