teacher training – Page 2

On 14.11.17, Iwan Gurjanow and Simone Jablonski presented MathCityMap as part of an internal teacher training at the Werner-von-Siemens school in Wetzlar. First, the theoretical basis for Math Trails as well as the MCM concept were presented to the participants. With the help of the criteria for good MCM tasks, the participants were then themselves active and searched for possible tasks at the schoolyard. After a change of perspective, the participants learned about the app by means of a trail in the schoolyard, consisting of different geometrical problems. As final product, the participants created their own tasks in the portal and merged them into a trail for the school.

We would like to thank the participants for their cooperation and feedback and look forward to numerous MCM tasks in and around Wetzlar.

Are you interested in teacher training on MCM? Feel free to contact us!

On 28.09.17, Daniel Birnbaum, Martin Lipinski and Simone Jablonski presented MathCityMap as part of an internal teacher training at the Johanneum Gymnasium in Herborn. First, the theoretical basis for Math Trails as well as the MCM concept were presented to the participants. With the help of the criteria for good MCM tasks, the participants were then themselves active and searched for possible tasks at the schoolyard. After a change of perspective, the participants learned about the app by means of a trail in the schoolyard, consisting of combinatorial and geometrical problems.

We would like to thank the participants for their cooperation and feedback and look forward to numerous MCM tasks in and around Herborn. Are you interested in teacher training on MCM? Feel free to contact us!

After all teachers had learned about the system, and the registration problems had been solved, the participants were able to create tasks by themselves. They found good objects to experience mathematics.

The problems came later back in the classroom. Again, it was experienced that a precise formulation, the creation of hints and sample solutions are not formulated easily. Of course, there were also technical problems since not all teachers had the appropriate IT knowledge to exchange images between two devices or to edit them (for example a 90° rotation). Nevertheless, each group was able to integrate a task into the system.

We, the MCM project team, are a little proud that our idea and system also works in South Africa! But the participants enjoyed it as well as the final photo shows. MCM says thanks to RUMEP (Rhodes University Math Education Project).

On Monday, 10.07.2017, Martin Lipinski and Iwan Gurjanow of the MathCityMap project held a training course on the subject of mathtrails and the use of technology for teachers in teaching practice in Cologne. The day already started at 7 o’clock to finish the tasks. From 15 o’clock, approximately 25 participants had the opportunity to test the MathCityMap app, develop their own tasks around the campus of the TH Köln and the Rhine and create them in the portal. It was measured, calculated, laughed and emotionally discussed as well as new ideas collected for the teaching use. The leaderboard gamification created a small competition among the math trailers.

In the end everyone agreed: The MCM project is very suitable for contributing to the development of competencies in mathematics teaching. In particular, they emphasized the promotion of numerical and geometrical competencies.

This week, we had the opportunity to present MathCityMap at a teacher training at Rhodes University in Grahamstown in South Africa.

Matthias Ludwig followed the invitation of Prof. Dr. Marc Schäfer (chair of mathematics education, Rhodes University) and accepted the challenge to present and test MCM in South Africa.

The area of Rhodes University offers a variety of objects which are suitable for good MCM tasks. Three routes with 6-7 tasks could be created. On Monday, the theory of outdoor mathematics and the basic idea of MCM were introduced. On Tuesday, almost all of the 50 teachers were able to install the MCM app on their Android smartphones. Some tried it with their Windows phones, but of course it did not work. None of the teachers owned an iPhone! Afterwards, it was time to solve the tasks, but it turned out that many participants were not able to navigate on a map at all. Some had not activated the GPS localization and searched the right direction. Thanks to the support of Clemens and Percy, we found the reason quickly.

It was a pleasure to observe the teachers during solving the tasks, and to see the joy when the MCM app rewarded a 100-point response and a green check. Overall, the concept of “doing mathematics outside” was completely new to the South Africans.

There was also a discussion about units, conversions and modeling. Especially the modeling process is relevant for MCM since one has to translate reality into a mathematical model to solve the tasks numerically.

On Tuesday, 23.05.2017, members of the MCM team were invited by the research team of the University of Münster to create a Math Trail in the north of the Aasee. They also informed interested teachers about the basic didactic theories as well as the technical possibilities of the MCM project. 28 teachers and interested people followed the invitation and, according to the theory, tested the app and the tasks of the route Aasee Nord.

Tag: teacher training

MCM in Wetzlar

MCM in Herborn

MathCityMap thanks RUMEP

MathCityMap in Cologne

MathCityMap goes to South Africa

MCM in Münster at the Aasee