Mathina is an Erasmus+ project, launched by German, Finnish, Italian, Portuguese, and Slovenian organizations in 2018 for the playful and creative development of mathematical skills and competences. Each story in Mathina’s world includes puzzles, which develop problem-solving strategies in various mathematical topics.
Stories and puzzles in Mathina’s world focus on four thematic areas:
• Logical thinking
• Spatial visualization
• Cryptography
• Symmetry
Each topic offers exciting math&fun activities for different age groups:
• 4-6
• 7-10
• 11-14
• 15-19+
Erasmus+ 2018-1-DE03-KA201-047397
Read or download the introductory booklet from here (.pdf) https://www.experienceworkshop.org/wp-content/uploads/IO1_Booklet_V2.pdf
One of the main purposes of mathematics learning is to let everyone experience the joy of thinking. Children’s joy grows with each discovery, and mathematics indeed consists of interesting problems to think about. “It’s an enormous experience to understand how the world works,” says Kyoto-prize awarded mathematician, László Lovász. Solving a difficult problem might require thinking and testing various solutions for hours, days, weeks, months, years, and even a whole lifespan. It requires persistence and willpower. It requires also leaving the comfort zone, turning into possible what seemed impossible, thinking outside of the box. Therefore, mathematical problem solving is not simply a pragmatic process, but it expands the imagination, develops creativity, and can also improve your character. One can practice how to face the unexpected and not give up even in seemingly hopeless situations.
When we encounter a problem or an idea, we think. It would be useful to better understand the nature of thinking, including our own thinking. George Pólya, who was a founder of the modern methodology of mathematical problem-solving, in his famous work, How to Solve It, argues that learning to think can be efficiently practiced and developed through mathematical models.
Raising attention to mathematical models requires interesting problems. Mathematical thinking always has a purpose. Curiosity can be awakened by full emotional involvement in the thinking and learning process. Problem-solving can be engaging, motivating and a lot of fun when it is part of an exciting story or an amusing game. The MATHINA project offers a combination of all of these.
Introducing LOGICAL THINKING, SPATIAL VISUALIZATION, CRYPTOGRAPHY, and the overarching topic of SYMMETRY in the form of exciting stories and fun games, takes us beyond the walls of a traditional classroom. Let’s leave the limits of subject-based mathematics learning behind!
We hope that the journey into Mathina’s story-world will boost creativity and innovative thinking, develop curiosity, imagination, problem-solving, critical perspectives and positive risk-taking.
