The Erasmus Plus project “Modern and activating methods in developing mathematical competences.” KA2 action is planned from 01.09.2017 till 31.08.2019. The partner schools are IV Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Generała Stanisława Maczka in Katowice, Poland, Liceo Scientifico Classico E.TORRICELLI in Somma Vesuviana in Italy, and Liceul Tehnologic Coanda in Ramnicu Valcea in Romania. Background Research The project schools face the problem of considerably low mathematical competences of some students at the start of their school career and the negative attitude towards the subject. The teaching methods used by mathematicians so far do not compensate for low competences. Objectives of the project For students: -improvement of mathematical competences (mathematical modeling, strategy formulation and strategy use, reasoning and argumentation), ICT skills (word processing, making charts and presentations, creating an e-book), language skills (maths, and ICT vocabulary, communicative functions) -adopting the positive attitude towards learning maths For teachers : -increase of knowledge and the development of abilities to use active methods, project-based teaching, ICT skills and gamification in teaching maths, the language skills, work with the multicultural students, and the development of new methods and forms of work Number and profile of the participants The project is mostly aimed at students experiencing difficulties in learning maths with the results below average The Polish participants would be the students of the humanities and foreign language courses (100), the remaining students - the students willing to take part in a photo competition or workshops (at least 20) The Italian participants would be the students of sciences (about 75) The Romanian participants would be the students of mechatronics, telecommunication, automated technology, car electronics and electricity (100) All the teachers of partner schools - 198 people (training conferences), and maths’ teachers (15), the teachers of English (4) The project activities -workshops for teachers on eTwinning and Twinspace, for students on “Computer typesetting”, “How to make an e-book”, “How to prepare a location-based game”, an English language course for teachers, making a film about Poland, Italy and Romania „Our home town, our region, our city and famous Mathematicians”, gaining students’ opinions on good practices in teaching, organizing the photo competition “Our town in the eyes of a Mathematician”, “Physical phenomena”, creating charts with the maths terminology in English language, organizing three short teacher training sessions on active methods, project-based method, the appliance of ICT and gamification in teaching maths, organizing three short-term student exchange trips (at which the students would observe the lessons of maths, take part in the maths’ competition, participate in the lecture on the European labour market, the lecture on maths with the prospect of further studies, a workshop on Origami, a workshop on Rubik’s dice, participate in classes in the Copernicus Science Centre, play the maths games with the use of mobile devices, work with the project-based method i.e. perform tasks in a location-based game in maths’ tasks, creating the project publication and the e-book) Methodology used in the project -the method based on constant observation of the students working in experimental groups -watching so called “open classes” -survey research, interviews, panel discussions -analysis of the competency tests of maths in experimental groups, the courseware such as curriculum, tests, exams, maths textbooks, maths casebooks, at a devised disposal -project-based method in teaching mathematics, description and the exchange of good practices, implementation of good practices -group work, brainstorming Results The teachers -acquire the new forms and methods of work in developing the mathematical modeling, applying and forming the strategies, reasoning and argumentation, acquire the skills of work with the project-based method -develop the skills of using ICT in maths teaching, the skills of using the active methods, the knowledge on eTwinning projects, the language skills The students - improve the above-mentioned mathematical skills, develop the language skills - form the positive attitude towards learning maths - develop the ICT skills eg drawing charts, photo processing, producing an e-book, film editing, group work Potential long-term benefits -further development of the international cooperation (partner schools and the schools in which the results of the project are disseminated) -more opportunities for students in the choice of a further degree course, growing interest in professions connected with the sciences, new perspectives connected with development of new skills -being competitive in the labour market -broadening the educational teaching offer -quality improvement in teaching maths at school
The Erasmus + project, KA2 action "Modern and activating methods of developing mathematical competences" was carried out from 01/09/2017 to 31/08/2019. The partner schools were IV LO im.gen.Stanisława Maczka in Katowice in Poland, Liceo Scientifico Classico E.Torricelli in Somma Vesuviana in Italy, Liceul Tehnologic Coanda until 31.08.2018, Colegiul Energetic from 01.09.2018. in Ramnicu Valcea in Romania. The project schools had been facing the problem of not sufficiently high mathematical competence of some of their students and a negative attitude towards this subject. The methods used by mathematicians had not raised the level of low competences diagnosed at the start. Objectives For students: -improvement of mathematical competences (mathematical modeling, strategy formulation and strategy use, reasoning and argumentation), ICT skills (word processing, making charts and presentations, creating an e-booklet), language skills (maths, and ICT vocabulary, communicative functions), adopting the positive attitude towards learning maths For teachers - the increase of knowledge about activating methods and project method and the development of skills how to use them, the development of ICT skills and gamification in teaching mathematics, language competences, the ability to work with students from a different cultural background, the development of new forms and methods of work The number and profile of participants Project participants were primarily students with learning difficulties in mathematics, with their results below average: in Poland, students of humanities and language classes (100 students), about 30 from the other classes (photo competition), in Italy about 75 from high school – science courses in Romania - majoring in mechatronics, telecommunications, automation, electronics and automotive electronics (100 students) all teachers of partner schools - 198 people (training conferences), mathematics teachers - 15 people, IT teachers – 3, science teachers - 5 (other activities), English teachers -5 people (directly helping with the project). Undertaken activities: Surveys: among students on their opinions on good teaching practices in all schools, among teachers on the use of the project-based and activating methods, gamification, language course for teachers, creating posters with mathematical terms in English, working in experimental groups, creating a film about Poland, Italy, Romania „Our country, our region, our city and famous Mathematicians”, workshops for students: “Computer typesetting”, "How to make an e-booklet", "How to prepare a city game", organizing a photo contest “Our town in the eyes of a Mathematician”," Physical phenomena ", workshops for teachers about eTwinning, organization of three short training programs for employees of C1, C2, C5 (project-based method, activating and eTwinning methods, the use of ICT, gamification, CLIL in teaching mathematics), organization of three short-term exchanges of groups of students C3, C4, C6 (lesson observations, Origami and Rubik's cube workshops, experimental lessons, mathematical competition "Maths around us", mathematical Escape Room, robotics classes, searching for mathematical dependencies in tourist attractions: Reggia di Caserta, museum of composer A. Pann, in the Ocnele salt mine, Bran and Peles castles, Krakow, lectures on the European labour market, mathematics in the perspective of studying, about the Möbius ribbon and the application of mathematics in architecture, "To see the warmth", classes at the Copernicus Science Center, Citta della Scienza, online math games, city game, project-based method work) creating a project publication and an e-booklet. Results Teachers: - acquired new methods and materials for developing mathematical modeling, strategy creation, reasoning and argumentation, project work skills - developed the skills of applying: ICT in teaching, gamification, activating methods, creating eTwinning projects, CLIL methods - developed language competences Pupils: - developed the above-mentioned mathematical skills, language competences, ICT (creating charts, presentations, photo editing, creating an e-booklet, film editing), group work - adopted a positive attitude to maths learning Long-term benefits: - further development of international cooperation -eTwinning project of the Polish and Turkish schools, Romanian school- Erasmus+ KA1 "Quality and Interactivity", 2019-1-CY01-KA229-058292_5, 2019-1-IT02-KA229-062415_3, 2019-1-FR01-KA229-062882_5, 2019-1-IT02-KA229-062188_2 - extending the range of possible future careers: interest in professions related to science, new perspectives related to new skills - film editing, text editing, article writing - increase of students' competitiveness on the labour market (mathematical and language competences, group work) - raising the school's prestige (through dissemination activities) - improving the quality of maths teaching in the schools where the project was disseminated