MATH AROUND US Erasmus Project

Project Title

MATH AROUND US

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

“Mathematics is the language in which God wrote the Universe” -Galileo Galilei once said. But Mathematics is not always a popular subject. Pupils tend to dislike it, especially when they fail to obtain the desired academic results, and it can cause anxiety and even phobia to some of them. They usually perceive it as an abstract subject with little application to the real life situations. The difficulties they find are not only due to insufficient knowledge of the elements of Maths, but also to the ability to transfer knowledge in order to face different situations successfully. The aim of this project was to convince students that MATH IS ALL AROUND US and they should fall in love with it.

There were 8 partners in this project from the following countries: Romania (European Coordinator), Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Lithuania and Portugal. The age of the students involved in this project was 14-18 years old. The total number of students involved was 4000 from all partner schools.
The rationale for writing this project was simple: all partner schools wanted to increase their students’ motivation for learning Math and Sciences in general and improve the score at National exams but also at PISA evaluations. In order to achieve these aims, Math teachers combined the compulsory school curriculum with more creative ways of teaching it and especially by relating each student’s way of perceiving and learning about the surrounding world (Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory, CLIL – Content and Language Integrated Learning, Blended learning) with a hands-on approach to Math, by helping students to discover the applicability of the Math theories they learn in school for other real-life situations.

The list of themes for the teaching materials was based on the SWOT analysis and surveys, concluding the strengths and opportunities each country presented:
1- Math in the Science Lab for Romania
2- Math in Arts for Italy
3- Math in Music for Poland
4- Math in Informatics for Hungary
5- Math in Geography for Portugal
6- Math in the Environment for Denmark
7- Math in Archaeology for Greece,
8- Math in Astronomy for Lithuania
The main objective for teachers was to create new pedagogical materials written in English- including strategies, tools and teaching techniques based on Math theories – that would motivate and empower pupils’ involvement both in the every-day class and in project activities, according to each learning style, while nurturing their growing mindset, self-understanding and mutual respect. The goal was to reach all our pupils and help them to use their full potential, by adapting the activities to their own skills and strengths.
Other objectives:
1. To improve students’ skills and competences in the field of Maths
2. To improve the score at national exams
3. To increase students’ motivation for learning Maths
4. To broaden teachers’ professional skills through attending development workshops, taking part in peer learning and being introduced to new methodology
5. To sharpen students’ and teachers’ communication and interpersonal skills
6. For students and teachers involved to nurture their creativity (by designing scenarios in which Mathematics theories are applied to their environment, like architecture, music, arts, astronomy etc)
7. For teachers to create new innovative teaching materials combining Math and other subjects (using CLIL and Blended learning)
8. for students and teachers to develop and improve their ICT skills
9. for students and teachers to develop and improve their English skills
10. For all partners involved to develop their active citizenship skills, to know more about and respect the cultures of their partners
All participants received recognition with the Europass Mobility Certificates.
All partners had a few common traits that we believe made this partnership successful: scientific profile for the highschool classes (Math, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Economics); strong relations with universities in their cities, especially with Faculties in the technical and Mathematical fields; the Math teachers in each school were all part of the project team; some of the teachers had already published books in the related field; all school managers were supportive of such projects; all schools wished to improve their students results at National examinations and PISA evaluations; more than 20% of the students were daily commuters or came from disadvantaged areas and social backgrounds (minorities, single-parents families, low-income families, migrants) that the schools wished to support in order to have better access to education and European values.
The tangible results consist of: the website https://twinspace.etwinning.net/9782, where all the teaching materials, worksheet, dissemination events etc are uploaded; 8 Teaching brochures, produced by each partner; the Book (with ISBN) and the free Mobile app. They are all free of charge and downloadable from the website.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 193880 Eur

Project Coordinator

COLEGIUL TEHNIC ANA ASLAN & Country: RO

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas Anselmo de Andrade
• liceo scientifico statale “B.Rosetti”
• Geniko Lykeio Agrias
• Borupgaard Gymnasium
• Budapesti Müszaki Szakkepzesi Centrum Petrik Lajos Ket Tanítasi Nyelvü Vegyipari, Környezetvedelmi és Informatikai Szakgimnáziuma
• Utenos Dauniskio gimnazija
• Szkola Podstawowa im. Ks. Kardynala Stefana Wyszynskiego w Glogowie Malopolskim