DRAWING

“I think so I am! - Mathematics in Europe”

Thu, 30/07/2009 - 16:56

“I THINK SO I AM – MATHEMATICS IN EUROPE” - PUPILS SOLVE MATHEMATICAL , LOGICAL AND LANGUAGE TASKS.

1. Project summary
Summary: 

IT’S A GLOBAL PROJECT WITH THREE PARTS. . ALL OF US WORK ON THE MOODLE PLATFORM FOR GOALS OF THIS PROJECT. EACH PARTICIPANT HAS GOT HIS OR HER OWN ACCOUNT WHICH IS HIS OR HER IDENTITY CARD (PASSPORT).
FIRST PART: WHAT’S MATHS? A NEW LIFE STYLE.
SECOND PART: THE DIARY OF SYRIUS TRAVELS.
THIRD PART: THE EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT STORE.

• 1ST WHAT’S MATHS? A NEW LIFE STYLE.
WE ARE DIFFERENT BUT THE SAME AT THE SAME TIME- OUR INTERESTS HAVE JOINED US DOING MATHEMATICAL PUZZLES.
CHILDREN ARE DOING SUDOKU SHEETS AND LOGICAL PICTURES
. THE MAIN AIM OF THE PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AND INCREASE SKILLS OF LOGICAL THINKING, MAKING ANALYZES AND DRAWING CONCLUSIONS TO TREAT DIFFICULT LOGICAL TASKS AS A GOOD FUN). EVERY MONDAY NEW SUDOKU SHEET APPEARS ON THE PLATFORM. THIS SHEET IS PREPARED BY PARTNERS` SCHOOLS IN A FIXED ORDER. PUPILS TAKE THEM FROM THE PLATFORM TO THEIR OWN COMPUTERS, DO THEM ON THEIR OWN ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN AND SEND THEM BACK TO THE PLATFORM. TEACHERS CHECK THE SOLUTIONS AND GIVE POINTS FOLLOWED THE RULES OF GIVING MARKS. ACCORDING TO THE PROJECT IN EVERY SCHOOL WILL BE SELECTED:
“MASTERS OF PERSEVERANCE’ – PUPILS WHO WILL DO ALL SUDOKU SHEETS
“MASTER OF LOGICAL THINKING” – PUPIL WHO WILL RECEIVE THE BIGGEST AMOUNT OF POINTS IN THE CONTEST IN EVERY SCHOOL
“THE EUROPEAN MASTER OF LOGICAL THINKING – PUPIL WHO WILL OBTAIN THE MOST POINTS DURING THE CONTEST.
CHILDREN DO THE LOGICAL PICTURES AS WELL WHICH ARE PLACED ON THE PLATFORM. THE TOPICS OF THESE PICTURES ARE CONNECTED WITH KNOWING PARTNERS` COUNTRIES, THEIR SYMBOLS, CULTURE, HABITS,
IN THIS WAY WE MOTIVATE CHILDREN TO LEARN ENGLISH TO COMMUNICATE BY PLACING INSTRUCTIONS AND SOLUTIONS IN THIS LANGUAGE. THE TASKS OF THE PROJECT CORRELATE WITH MANY OTHER SUBJECT LIKE MATHEMATICS, BIOLOGY, SCIENCE, ENGLISH, ART, INFORMATICS TECHNOLOGY.
• 2nd THE DIARY OF SYRIUS TRAVELS
ALL OF US LIVE IN THE SAME CONTINENT BUT IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WITH SEVERAL AND PECULIAR CHARACTERISTICS. THIS PROJECT BENEFITS THE PARTNERS TO GET CLOSER.
SYRIUS IS USED AS A DEVICE TO PRESENT THE PROJECT TO THE STUDENTS. HE HAS TRAVELLED AROUND EUROPE USING THE GPS BUT AT THE END OF THE TRIP HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD ONLY GOT THE COORDINATES OF THE PLACES BUT NOT THE NAMES. HE ASKS FOR HELP TO THE STUDENTS IN ORDER TO FIND OUT THIS INFORMATION.
THE MAIN AIM OF THE PROJECT IS TO BRING OUR PUPILS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR OWN WORLD USING ACTIVE AND MENTAL INVOLVEMENT.
PUPILS WORK IN TWO ASPECTS: FIRST THEY DESIGN THE STAGE OF THE JOURNEY AND SECOND THEY SOLVE THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES MADE BY THEMSELVES OR BY THE OTHER PARTNERS.
- PUPILS RECEIVE A POSTCARD FROM SYRIUS (IT’S SENT BY THE OTHER COUNTRY).
- ON MONDAY PUPILS, AFTER READING SYRIUS’ LETTER, DESIGNED THE STAGE OF THE JOURNEY. THEY HAVE TO LOOK FOR THE COORDINATES OF IMPORTANT PLACES IN ITS COUNTRY (THEY ADD SOME INFORMATION TO MAKE IT EASIER).
- THEY ALSO MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE COUNTRY.
- THEY COMPOSE MATHS’ PROBLEMS.
- THE OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE PROJECT DO TASKS TILL THURSDAY AND ON FRIDAY APPEAR THE SOLUTION.
- PUPILS PLAY SYRIUS’ GAME AND RECORD SYRIUS’ LETTER IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
• 3rd THE EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT STORE – SHOPPING AROUND EUROPE
. THE MAIN GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS PEER NETWORKING AND TO BE AWARE OF DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES IN EUROPE. PUPILS WILL WORK IN A MEANINGFUL CONTEXT RELATED TO REAL LIFE, MATHS, LANGUAGE AND ART DESIGN.
ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PROJECT DESIGN A DEPARTMENT STORE
CHILDREN DECIDE TOGETHER THE NAME OF THE SHOP.PUPILS MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THEIR OWN BILLS AND THEY REALIZE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES,
THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES TO THE OTHER PARTNERS. PUPILS DESIGN THEIR DEPARTMENT, PRODUCTS AND INVOICES.
FOR CHRISTMAS WE WILL DO ONLINE SHOPPING IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND WE SHARE OUR ORNAMENTS TREE.

253 PUPILS FROM 11 SCHOOLS ARE WORKING ON THE TASKS OF THE PROJECT. THE SCHOOLS ARE FROM 9 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: POLAND, ESTONIA, HUNGARY, ITALY, NORWAY, PORTUGAL, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, AND SPAIN.

2. Country (City / Region)
State: 
Poland
City: 
Choszczno / zachodniopomorskie
3. Company/organization/institute presenting the project
Organization: 
Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 1
4. Type of organization
Select type: 
School
5. Project coordinator
Name and Surname: 
Bożena Koronowicz
E-Mail: 
bozena.koronowicz@wp.pl
6. Website
The website of the project: 
http://my.twinspace.etwinning.net/whatsmaths?l=en
7. Please select the category in which you candidate your project
Youth Education Project. Select Project Users by age: 
Up to 10 years
Helping youth step in the job market: 
NOT Helping youth step in the job market
Creativity and Social Innovation: 
NOT in Creativity and Social Innovation
8. How long has your project been running?
From: 
31/12/2007
9. Targets and Elements of Innovation
Please explain the targets and the background of your project: 

WORKING ON THE MOODLE PLATFORM ALLOW US TO OVERCOME THE DISTANCE BARRIER. WE CAN DO TOGETHER – IN A SUCH LARGE GROUP – LOGICAL TASKS, PLAY, PREPARE PUZZLES AND SURPRISES. WE CAN ALSO MOTIVATE EACH OTHER AND STAY IN AN IDEA THAT ALL PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME NEED OF ACCEPTATION, TOLERANCE AND GOOD RIVALRY. WHILE WORKING ON THE PROJECT PUPILS REALIZE THE NECESSITY OF DEVELOPING LANGUAGE SKILLS SUCH AS VOCABULARY, REMEMBERING AND USING GRAMMAR CONSTRUCTIONS. TEACHERS FROM THE PARTNERS` COUNTRIES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR OWN EXPERIANCES OF PEDAGOGICAL WORK. THE KNOWLEDGE WE GIVE EACH OTHER IN A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR US.

What does it try to achieve and how: 

In contrast with other puzzles, Sudoku does not require any mathematical calculations. Thanks to it, it is fun for a child and at the same time it helps to develop logical thinking, patience and perseverance. The same is with logical pictures. Choosing such tasks in the project we want to arouse students’ interest in maths and widen their mathematical and language competences. If a student understands it, he/she will stop to perceive maths as a difficult, incomprehensible subject, but rather as a beautiful, lucid science in which one thing results from the other. The goal of the project is developing and perfecting logical thinking, ability to analyze and draw conclusions in order to learn to treat logical tasks in terms of entertainment. Children highly love to solve interactive tasks touch Syrius’ travels on the Moodle platform.

Please explain what is unique or special in your project: 

Apart from presenting maths as a great intellectual entertainment, an innovative action is work’s organization on the Moodle platform. This platform has facilitated efficient activities and communication with the partners. Children love to work on it. After being logged in, they are able to get Sudoku charts, logical pictures and mathematical tasks, solve them and send the solutions onto the platform. They do it both at school outside their lessons and at home. Working without time limit allows them a great deal of freedom and teaches them how to efficiently use their time. Every student can systematically track his/her work’s results because there is an assessing module on the platform. Teachers give points for the solved Sudoku charts, logical pictures, mathematical tasks. Kids can communicate with each other using “Forum for the children” that is on the platform or sending a message directly from the platform. In the first phase of the project charts were taken from the TwinSpace platform and printed for every participant. Now, the Moodle platform is available, so printing is not necessary and that is important when we take ecological effects into consideration. Students do all tasks on the computers. They learn how to use the Internet, electronic mail and many different computer programs: Word, PowerPoint, Movie Maker, Publisher, Gimp, Point, Tux Paint, Excel, CamStudio, Audacity, YouTube.

10. Results
Describe the results of your project as per today: 

THIS PROJECT FACE THE HUGE INTEREST FROM THE PARENTS OF THE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN IT. IN DOING PUZZLES ARE INVOLVED ALL FAMILIES. PARENTS SHOWING THEIR INTEREST MOTIVATE THEIR CHILDREN TO MAKE A BIGGER MENTAL EFFORT WHICH IN FUTURE WILL BRINGS PROFITS IN CHILDREN`S FURTHER EDUCATION. THE SKILL OF WORKING ON THE MOODLE PLATFORM INITIATES PUPILS TO USE COMPUTERS, THE INTERNET IN A SAFE WAY AND ALSO TO THE E-LEARNING – THE LEARNING IN A LONG DISTANCE

How many users interact with your project per month and what are the preferred forms of interaction: 

Anyone can browse the contents of our project on the Moodle platform as a guest. The content of the project on the platform used by teachers during lessons as well as students and parents at home. On average, a month logs or the review of our project 260 persons.

How does it promote the use of ICT for the educational and cultural development by professionals, children and youth: 

WORKING ON THE MOODLE PLATFORM ALLOWS OVERCOMING A DISTANCE BARRIER. WE CAN SOLVE AND PREPARE THE STAGES AND OTHER SURPRISES, HAVE FUN, MOTIVATE AND CONFIRM OUR BELIEF THAT ALL PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME NEEDS, ESPECIALLY THE NEED OF ACCEPTANCE, TOLERANCE AND HEALTHY COMPETITION. STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT BECOME AWARE OF NECESSITY FOR DEVELOPING THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS, I.E. ENRICHING VOCABULARY, REMEMBERING AND USING GRAMMAR STRUCTURES. TEACHERS FROM PARTNER COUNTRIES CAN SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE IN THE PEDAGOGIC WORK. THE KNOWLEDGE WE SHARE CAN BE A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. THIS PROJECT HAS MET WITH STUDENTS’ PARENTS’ APPROVAL. ALL FAMILIES ARE ENGAGED IN SOLVING THE TASKS. PARENTS MOTIVATE CHILDREN TO GREATER MENTAL EFFORT WHICH CAN BE BENEFICIAL IN THEIR FUTURE EDUCATION. THE ABILITY TO WORK ON THE MOODLE PLATFORM TRAINS THE STUDENTS TO WISELY AND SAFELY USE THE COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET AND LEARN OVER A DISTANCE IN THE FUTURE.

11. Sustainability
What is the full duration of your project: 
From 3 to 6 years
12. Transferability
Has your project been replicated/adapted elsewhere: 
No
What lessons can others learn from your project: 

We are glad that we can work in such a large group. This cooperation bring lasting effects. First of all, students learn to take responsibility for accomplishing the planned actions. They also learn tolerance and acceptance. Our ideas that are realized on the Moodle platform can be transferred to the other subjects. The project’s actions can be continued and expanded. New partners can join us at any time.

We are available to help others starting or working on similar projects: 
We are not available to help others starting or working on similar projects.
13. Background information
Background: 

The project brings together a team of permanent: Spain, Italy, Hungary and Poland as a co-ordinator. We engage partners from other countries: Germany, United Kingdom, Romania, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, Turkey, Portugal, Iceland, France.

Future plans and wish list: 

We start in September 2009 the third phase of project implementation. We have prepared a new Moodle platform. To cooperate involved 21 schools from 16 countries of Europe.

In 2010 we want to start Mathematical Comenius project with our partners from Spain, Italy, Hungary, United Kingdom, Iceland, Germany and Finland on the Moodle platform too.

Privacy Law
Do you authorize the FMD to the treatment of your personal data?: 
I do authorize the FMD to the treatment of my personal data
Syndicate content