The importance of mathematical thinking and hence achieved mathematical understanding lies not only in success in school and professional training. They are rather especially important for daily dealings with mathematical tasks like the seemingly trivial question, in how many minutes the next bus leaves. Therefrom we aim to support the development of mathematical thinking and mathematical understanding, and this early in childhood development, since it is very difficult to correct mathematical internal representations which are built inadequately. In order to meet these high requirements we conduct varied projects and activities.
The Osnabrücker Treffpunkt "Mathematische Frühförderung" (Osnabrück's meeting place for people interested in the theme of "early mathematical education") conceives and realizes a variability of activities in a close dovetail connection of theory and practice. It is a cooperation between the University of Osnabrück, primary and nursery schools in the town and in the administrative district of Osnabrück, the Forschungsinstitut für Mathematikdidaktik e. V. (Research Institute for Mathematics Education), and the training course of Osnabrück for teaching in the following German types of school: Grund-, Haupt- und Realschule (school grades 1 to 10).
- Zwergen-Mathe-Olympiade (ZMO) (Math Olympics for Infants)
A contest in mathematics for children of the third school grade in the town and the administrative district of Osnabrück. The contest challenges children through two “disciplines” in mathematical thinking. It gives children pleasure in doing mathematics. - ma.THEMA.tik (ma.THEM(E).tics)
Osnabrücker mathematics event for primary schools with talks and workshops not only for elementary school teachers but also for nursery school teachers around the theme of early mathematical education. Please see the website of the Osnabrücker Treffpunkts "Mathematische Frühförderung" [website in German] for more information. - KogMaL-KG
KogMaL-KG is one of two mainstays of “Kognitionsorientiertes Mathematik-Lehren" (KogMaL) (teaching mathematics, cognition-oriented) and includes advanced training courses for primary school and nursery school teachers of Georgsmarienhütte and in the vicinity of Georgsmarienhütte. Please click here [website in German] for more information about the overall project KogMaL. - Vorschul-Mathematik (VorMath) (Preschool-Mathematics)
Conception and realization of mathematical playful sessions for preschool children to get into mathematics in general and into arithmetic in particular in the first class of school. - Dovetail connection of "theory and practice"
University students have the opportunity to join activities in schools and nursery schools within projects, practical courses, and seminars. For instance, students took part in the activities MiM and VorMath in the context of seminars, and accomplished and organized the ZMO in part, in the past years. - Meisterhaft in Mathe (MiM) (Masterly in Math)
Special action math months in the year of mathematics for mathematically gifted students of school grades 4 to 7 in the Osnabrück area.
Children in the digital world: The project "Web-Magazin MARS" [website partly in German, Greek and Chinese] is a cooperation with the following primary schools: Elisabethschule in Osnabrück, Primary School Megaplatanos in Greece and primary school Shi Da Fu Xiao in Shanghai. This project was supported by "Schulen ans Netz" and STERN, and has been completed meanwhile.
The completed project "Kontakt in die Welt als Patenkind im Internet" (“Contact into the world as a godchild in the internet”) [website in German] addressed the learning of basic techniques in dealing with personal computers and was supported by "Schulen ans Netz".