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Information summary about seminaries in Slovakia

Vladimír Zahoranský

FMFI UK, Bratislava, 2004

(documentation information about correspondence seminaries and other mathematical activities for pupils or young people from Slovakia)

 

 

 

Introduction

Correspondence seminaries present most popular mathematical activities in Slovakia for pupils or young people. Correspondence seminaries, mathematical camps, solvers meetings are a great support for Mathematical Olympiad Competition, mathematics education, didactics of mathematics research, free time activity, learning by developing for pupils or young people. Many seminaries and other activities have www pages just in Slovak language. In my information summary you can find basic information about all seminaries, many links and photos. Most of people have interested on photos from several mathematical solvers meetings or camps. I have included a lot of it. Especially well known painted chronicles of Strom seminary. Here are many cases for you for cooperation with owner correspondence seminaries. Owner seminaries are very interested on experience exchange, project participation and for other forms of cooperation. I have sorted all information to sections for better reading :

 

A – Small remember to history

B – Meaning of seminaries for pupils, group leaders and teachers from standard classes

C – Basic information about seminaries, orientation in this document

D – Links, contacts to concrete seminaries, P-MAT, STROM, KMS, FKS, KSP and foundation INGENIUM or project KAFOMET

 

 

 

A – Small remember to history

In Slovakia or Czech republic mathematical or physical correspondence seminaries have more then 20 years long time tradition. Vít Hejný (father of professor Hejný) and professor Milan Hejný (soon) are founders and creators of this tradition. During the congress of Union of Czechoslovak mathematicians and physicians, during year 1975, Vít Hejný presented his vision on working with pupils or young people during mathematical camps, solvers meetings, specially, idea of correspondence seminaries. It was not easy to realise this revolution idea. Totality regime in Czechoslovakia liquidated all activities oriented on forming personal basic democratical skills, having personal opinion, law to living in freedom society, and other. Vít and Milan Hejný prepared some mathematical group meetings during year 1976 and 1977. His success was glorious. During the year 1976, one group of young students of mathematics education combination heard about this activity and inspired doing it. With Vít and Milan Hejný started first correspondence seminary named STROM (in Eng. Tree). During year 1977, in plenary assembly of Mathematical Olympiad Competition, committee accepted Vít and Milan Hejný’s ideas. Vít and Milan started preparing methodical publication for group leaders. In the end of development, two weeks before First camp of TMM (TMM – Tábor Mladých Matematikov – Camp of Young Mathematicians), Vít Hejný (1902-1977) abruptly die, in his 75 age. But this idea never die. Professor Hejný continued on this activity very intensively. Professor Hejný have published some articles about his working in seminaries. Many teachers on standard schools have interested and cooperated on this great activity. Professor Hejný’s work for seminaries is the remembrance, regard to his Father. Characterisation of professor Hejný’s work for seminaries is self-sacrifice, modesty, free-heartedness. This is the base of motivation for group leaders for today. *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B – Meaning of seminaries for pupils, group leaders and teachers

During more then 20 years, during all time, seminaries cumulated wide range of experience on working with pupils or young people, organisation of seminaries, communication and working with teachers in basic or grammar schools. Many activities are supporting for Mathematical Olympiad Competition. Many experiences are presenting many topics of didactics of mathematics. For your work, research orientation too. Here is a great space for your communication, experience exchange and other activities. Slovakia joined (1.5.2004) to European Union. Here are great chances for mobilities. For you, your students of education combination, for solvers from your region or from your country. Many group leaders from seminaries have studied education combination in university. At the present they are teaching in basic or grammar schools. Seminaries are very interested on finding new contacts in European Union or in other countries. In your region, in your country. Information about seminaries, pupils mathematical meetings, group leaders, contests, participations in research programs or other interesting contacts from your country. They are thanking you for all info, contacts, which you share with their.

 

What give seminaries, camps, solvers meetings for pupils or young people : (15 items)

  • Personal development, logical thinking development, creativity development
  • Personal presentation on the group, presentation of personal opinion, suggestion
  • Team working, team cooperation
  • Great chance to find good friends with similar orientation of interest
  • Not giving up from abortion
  • Powerful activity for spear time for pupils or young people
  • Competition with other pupils (or young people)
  • Learning by developing
  • Motivation for learning mathematical thinking and solving problems alone or in teams
  • For talented pupils interest on mathematics or physics more then in basic curriculum, in standard schools, classrooms
  • Travelling, knowing history, nature, mountains in Slovakia or Czech republic
  • Understanding thinking of other pupils, other students in standard classes
  • Learning regard, respects to teachers, to group leaders, other pupils (solvers), or in general, thinking, knowing
  • Playing games with other pupils or young people in nature
  • Time shared on camps or on meeting with other students present most wonderful and lucky time in life

 

What give seminaries, camps, solvers meetings for group leaders : (15 items)

  • Preparation of interesting problems in motivation forms for solvers from basic or grammar schools
  • Experience with working with pupils or young people, understanding his behaviour
  • Organisation meetings with solvers, summer camps
  • Education skills, teaching pupils or young people
  • Valuating and controlling solvers solutions
  • Understanding solvers mathematical thinking from his problem solutions
  • Team working, team coordination, keep under critical situations
  • Knowing many interesting thinks about several topics, nature, astronomy, history, world, culture, habits, traditions …
  • Creating, Managing, Working on projects or grants
  • Publication and presentation possibilities of his work
  • Great education place for building personal career, like teacher, educator, manager, education or mathematics (physics) science
  • Finding new friends with similar directions of interest
  • Powerful activity for spear time
  • Travelling, knowing nature and mountains in Slovakia or Czech republic
  • Time shared on camps or on meetings with other students present most wonderful and luck time in life

 

 

 

 

What give seminaries, camps, solvers meetings for teachers in standard classes : (15 items)

  • A great chance to motivate high talented pupils or students for natural science, mathematics, physics or informatics
  • Excellent support for mathematical Olympiad competition in many cases
  • Wide range of interesting problems in motivation form for pupils (young people) for long time solving, for education use
  • Better understanding behaviour of high talented pupils or young people
  • Space for personal educational development, teachers can cooperate with seminaries
  • Excellent place for learning new topics of knowing in the wide range of interest
  • Interesting activities, use of ICT (Internet) in education
  • Integration of high talented pupils (young people) to standard education
  • Excellent place for practical teaching experience exchange with group leaders or other teachers
  • Excellent place for teachers personal presentation, his work, education approaches
  • Meeting with other teachers, educators, students of education combinations, solvers
  • Good topic for presentation of pupils (young people) results of his work in classroom
  • Learning by developing
  • Experience with integration In several projects, activities not localized in the place of teacher’s work
  • Experience with organization, management of mathematical contest or mathematical meetings for pupils or young people in classroom

 

 

 

C – Basic information about seminaries, orientation in this document

Many seminaries are a member of Slovak Mathematical Society (SMS is a section of JSMF) of Union of Slovak Mathematicians and Physicians (JSMF). Many seminaries are supporting, helpful in activities for national Mathematical Olympiad Competition. Today all activities in seminaries are supported by non profit organizations or University subparts (departments, institutes). In this document all information (links) are sorted by location of this organizations. Some non profit organizations are supporting many type of activities. Second criterion in sorting is the name of seminary. In this summary are included information about foundation (especially INGENIUM), which is supporting education and other activities for group leaders and other projects. Special topic, in the end of document, present KAFOMET, activity for teachers from Czech republic. Because many seminars have similar directions, structure, I present equal aspects in one place, for better reading of this document. Special aspects are presented in the concrete types of seminary or activity. Individual activities are included before contact information.

 

 

Aspects about correspondence seminaries : (10 items)

  • Divided to two parts, winter part, summer part (semester)
  • In general, one part have 3 series
  • Correspondence seminaries are personal contest, for solving at home
  • Problems are posted in paper version, email, mobil message, are published in www pages
  • Solutions are sent after series with corrected problems and actual high score summary
  • Seminaries are oriented to talented pupils (young people) in mathematics or physics
  • Problems are more difficult then in traditional books, problems need experimentation, creativity, using non traditional approaches
  • Problems are presented in the story, in the motivation form, with pictures
  • Solver must pay post rates, stumps
  • Post after deadline is penalized, one point per day (by stump day)

 

 

  

  

Aspects about MATBOJ (NABOJ, FYZBOJ) (14 items)

  • 2x per year competition
  • One day team contest (often 5 members), in one large room
  • Pupils may not be solvers of seminaries
  • Solvers meeting (at about 250 per one event, summation is per all events)
  • Solving problems are composed to concrete story, movie, cartoon.
  • Solving the problem is acting in the adventure, story. Successful solver is the hero in the story, cartoon. solution of problem mean continue in the story.
  • Solver have often crosses in the story. Solver can choice his way in the story
  • Problems are presented in non traditional motivation form
  • Problems are more difficult then in standard mathematical books
  • This contest make great motivation to solving mathematical problems, interest to mathematics
  • This contest give creativity and logical thinking development for solvers
  • Learning by developing
  • Team working and team communication, team strategies development
  • Interesting use of ICT in the contest

 

 

 

D – Links, contacts to seminaries

Allow me to present you hierarchy of links and other info for better reading. After it come information about concrete seminaries by this hierarchy.

 

Sequence of links :

P-MAT

  • Basic information about P-MAT non profit organization
  • PIKOMAT and PIKOFYZ seminary
  • FYZIQ seminaries
  • CUBE weekends
  • Summer camps, solvers meetings
  • ILand, e-learning activities
  • Contact

 

STROM

  • basic information about STROM association
  • STROM seminary for grammar schools
  • Matik Seminary for basic school (years 7-9 classes)
  • Malynar Seminary for basic school (years 4-6 classes)
  • TMM and solvers meetings
  • Contact

 

KMS, FKS, KSP

  • basic information about seminry
  • MATBOJ (NABOJ)
  • Solvers meeting
  • Contact

 

INGENIUM

KAFOMET

  • information about KAFOMET project
  • information about VIDACT project
  • Contact

 

Mathematical Olympiad Competition

http://matematika.webpark.sk/ - Mathematical Olympiad Competition, official web page, with contacts and regional groups and committee, SK

 

 

 

P-MAT, no profit organization : http://www.p-mat.sk

P-MAT organize correspondence seminaries PIKOMAT, PIKOFYZ, FYZIQ, camps, cube meetings, Best solvers mathematical meetings, journal, interesting education methods, Investland.

  • P-MAT main page http://www.p-mat.sk, SK
  • Office site is Bratislava
  • Most successive continuation of professor Hejný’s work
  • Members of P-MAT are in general university students
  • Huge types of activities, very interesting for you
  • Logo of P-MAT http://www.p-mat.sk/index.php
  • All pages are in Slovak language, English version not exist
  • PIKO is subpart name for names of other activities

 

 

PIKOMAT (PIjonierský KOrešpondenčný MATematický seminár, Pioneer Correspondence Mathematical Seminary - PCMS)

  • Seminary with more then 20 years successful tradition
  • Oriented for pupils from basic schools (classes 5-9, age 11-15)
  • All series have 5 problems
  • Best 4 results come to high score summary
  • Criterion for solvers meeting – More then 50% of points from some two series from last part
  • PIKO is subpart name for names of other activities
  • Pioneer “name” is a tradition, regard, to all who stayed in the beginning, good thinks are always good …

 

www.p-mat.sk/pikomat/main.php - main page of PIKOMAT seminary, actual information, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikomat/archiv.php - Archive of problems, from last several years, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikomat/letak.php - Motivation broadsheet, detailed information about seminary, directions, motivation, rules …, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikomat/poriadok.php - Organization rules of PIKOMAT seminary, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikomat/historia.php - History of PIKOMAT, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikomat/veduci.php - Page of actual group leaders of PIKOMAT seminary, SK

 

 

MATBOJ (NABOJ)

  • Oriented just for pupils from basic schools from Bratislava region, where is organization site
  • Divided to two times, for basic school (class years 5-9), for first part of 8-year grammar school (prima – kvarta)
  • Results are summarised per each class year

 

http://www.p-mat.sk/matboj/main.php - Basic page of MATBOJ

http://www.p-mat.sk/matboj/2001.php - Photos from year 2001

http://www.p-mat.sk/matboj/2004.php - Actual information about MATBOJ, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/matboj/2004vyszs.php - high score result summary of fifth year of MATBOJ, SK

 

 

PIKOPretek (PIKOContest)

  • One day contest in the nature
  • Mathematical sporting contest
  • In the nature solvers are heroes, actors in the story, movie …
  • Contest is oriented to students from Bratislava city (Bratislava region)

 

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikopretek/main.php - Basic page (SK)

http://www.p-mat.sk/fotky/photo.php?album=pikopretek2004 - Photos from this year, down are buttons for next collections of photos from this action

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikopretek/pribeh2000.php - Year 2000 – Greek mythology stories (SK)

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikopretek/pribeh2002.php - Other story from year 2002 (SK)

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikopretek/vysledky2004.php - high score result summary of fifth year of PIKOPretek, SK

 

 

PIKOSobota (PIKOSaturday)

  • Meeting of solvers, organisers, from Bratislava region
  • Periodicity is one per mount during school year
  • This meetings are not oriented to mathematics
  • This is friends personal meeting
  • Playing games, in nature, visitation of castles, museums …
  • Funny activity
  • Participants are preparing report from this action

 

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikosoboty/main.php - main page

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikosoboty/nitra.php - Photos from PIKOSobota from Martin

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikosoboty/soboty_2003.php - Report examples, written funny

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikosoboty/PB070929a.jpg - solvers report example, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikosoboty/soboty.php - old reports, years 1997 – 1999, SK

 

 

PIKOKružky (PIKOMeetings), Krúžky (Meetings)

  • Organised in standard schools, standard classrooms, standard teachers
  • PIKOMeetings are day activity, in general in all weeks during school year
  • Meetings are organised after education, students are in general from concrete school
  • Teachers are in general last group leaders from P-MAT, but some actual group leaders are doing it too
  • Students in education combination have accepted this in the criterion of education experience in practice in his study (if student do it during whole one year)
  • Direction is different then in other activities – lectures, mathematical historical stories, funny stories about mathematicians, individual activities
  • Oriented to all students, solving seminary is not condition
  • Good propagation of mathematics between pupils or young people
  • Playing similar games like carts, chess, puzzles …
  • Teachers like this activity and they are interested and working on it

 

http://www.p-mat.sk/kruzky/main.php - Mathematical Meetings main page

http://www.p-mat.sk/kruzky/kruzok1.php - Page of one meeting, motivation page

 

 

 

     

PIKOFYZ (PIKO Physic, Pioneer Correspondence Physical Seminary PCPS)

  • Similar like PIKOMAT directed to physics
  • Seminary with 6 year tradition

 

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikofyz/main.php - PIKOFYZ - Main page, Sk

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikofyz/archiv.php - Pikofyz, problems archive

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikofyz/letak.php - Motivation broadsheet, detailed information about seminary, directions, motivation, rules …, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikofyz/veduci.php - leaders of PIKOFYZ seminary, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikofyz/poriadok.php - organization rules of PIKOFYZ seminary, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikofyz/historia.php - history of PIKOFYZ, SK

 

 

FYZIQ (Physical IQ Contest)

  • Oriented to all students, NOT specially for talented student
  • Contest with many solvers (more then thousand)
  • Oriented to 7-9 classes (13-15 years pupils, young people)
  • Problems are solving able for all who have basic knowledge presented in standard classrooms
  • Problems are oriented to be “intelligent”
  • During this year is FYZIQ organized in Czech republic too

 

http://www.p-mat.sk/fyziq/main.php - Main page of FYZIQ, archive of problems

http://www.p-mat.sk/fyziq/Pokynyzima2004.pdf - Information for solvers, rules, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/cr/main.php - Main page of FYZIQ in Czech republic, CZ

http://www.p-mat.sk/cr/osnovaCR04.pdf - charts of needed knowledge’s, CZ

 

 

PIKOInvest

  • Electronic Stock market contest for pupils to learn principles of economy
  • Oriented for pupils from basic schools (classes 5-9, age 11-15), or first degree of grammar schools (prima – kvarta)
  • All pupils have chance to join to this contest
  • This contest have four kategories
  • Best solvers are invited to solvers meeting where will hear interesting lectures of people from this practice field too

 

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikoinvest/main.php - Main page of PIKOInvest, SK

http://www.p-mat.sk/pikoinvest/p2004-05.doc - Rules of PIKOInvest, SK

 

 

ILand (Investland)

  • Electronic virtual stock market, business managers game
  • For all pupils or young people from basic or grammar schools
  • Directed to learn pupils principles of economy, management of companies, business
  • Very attractive and popular game between pupils

 

http://www.investland.sk - Investland main page, SK

http://www.investland.sk/index.php?fetch=71&full=1&timeall=1097869145&lang=1&ident=0 - Information and rules about investland

http://www.investland.sk/index.php?fetch=1&full=1&timeall=1097869520&lang=1&ident=0 - Investland news journal, journal for players, SK

http://www.investland.sk/index.php?fetch=9&full=1&timeall=1097869567&lang=1&ident=0 - Investland supermarket, where player can buy something

http://www.iland.sk - Main page of Investland moved to ILand

 

 

Activities or interesting topics on www pages of P-MAT:

http://www.p-mat.sk/casopis/main.php - Journal “Tree point fourteen”

http://www.p-mat.sk/hernik/main.php - Games with child’s, more then 100 games, many types, for many situations

http://www.p-mat.sk/fanatik/main.php - Recreational mathematics, more then 30 problems, puzzles, interesting problems for mathematical groups

http://www.p-mat.sk/fotky/main.php - Photos from several actions, click to other collection

 

Contact :

P-MAT non profit organization

Office : Kalinčiakova 27, 831 04 Bratislava 3, Slovakia, European Union

Post Communication : P-MAT, n.o. , P.O. BOX 2 , 814 99

Bratislava 1, Slovakia, European Union (for solvers)

Phone/Fax : +421-2-444 55 828

p-mat@p-mat.sk, vagasky@p-mat.sk (director – Mgr. Martin Vagasky)

http://www.p-mat.sk

 

 

 

INGENIUM Foundation (http://www.ingenium.sk)

Foundation for support activities for correspondence seminaries

  • Founded during the year 2001
  • Supports summer schools of Ingenium foundation
  • Supports programme Science for young people
  • Supports several activities in natural science for young people
  • E-publication of materials, documents, articles about correspondence seminaries, camps

 

 

Veda pre mládež (Science for young people)

  • This is programme for free time activities for young people
  • Non traditional interesting activities (sciences) for young people
  • Building cube from standard matches
  • Philantropy and science
  • Propagation of science for young people
  • Foundation support projects, grants in this topic, participation is welcome
  • Foundation support public collections for this programme
  • If you are interested to cooperate, contact foundation for detailed information

 

http://www.ingenium.sk/veda?PHPSESSID=dfa8b76b22542ec63f2f5f30650a7ebd - Science for young people, SK

http://www.ingenium.sk/filantropia?PHPSESSID=dfa8b76b22542ec63f2f5f30650a7ebd - philanthropy main page

http://www.ingenium.sk/veda/grant/?PHPSESSID=f7949f330e31d84c9fc5fcb74c269e03 - Grant rules, in Slovak, for communication contact foundation

 

Školy nadácie Ingenium (Schools of foundation Ingenium)

·         Exist tree types of schools of Ingenium

·         Winter school of Ingenium foundation (ZSNI)

·         Summer school of Ingenium foundation (LSNI)

·         Weeks school of Ingenium foundation (VSNI)

·         Schools are oriented for beginner group leaders, how prepare solver meetings, seminary, problems, organization of seminaries, cooperation in projects

·         Schools are interesting for ambitious teachers from basic or grammar school

·         Schools are oriented to exchange experience from several seminaries in Slovakia and abroad

  • Support education lectures for group leaders or teachers in owner faculty (FMFI UK)

 

 

http://www.ingenium.sk/koresp/vsni/?PHPSESSID=f7949f330e31d84c9fc5fcb74c269e03 - main page of schools of Ingenium Foundation

http://www.ingenium.sk/koresp/vsni/vsni.php?id_article=10&PHPSESSID=f7949f330e31d84c9fc5fcb74c269e03 - Photos from first Weekend School of Ingenium Foundation, photos are unsorted

http://www.ingenium.sk/koresp/vsni/vsni.php?id_article=16&PHPSESSID=f7949f330e31d84c9fc5fcb74c269e03 - Second WSIF, presentation of understanding solvers thinking, preparation of problems, SK

http://www.ingenium.sk/koresp/vsni/vsni.php?id_article=17&PHPSESSID=f7949f330e31d84c9fc5fcb74c269e03 - Fourth WSIF, you can see query sheets, preparation of MATBOJ, problems, solutions, SK

http://www.ingenium.sk/koresp/vsni/vsni.php?id_article=19&PHPSESSID=f7949f330e31d84c9fc5fcb74c269e03 - Fifth WSIF, you can see some photos, unsorted, SK

http://www.ingenium.sk/koresp/korespondencneseminare?PHPSESSID=f7949f330e31d84c9fc5fcb74c269e03 - Actual correspondence seminaries in Slovakia, SK

 

 

Correspondence seminaries web pages :

  • Support Mathematical meetings (groups) in Slovakia
  • Publication many interesting materials oriented to correspondence seminaries
  • Date summary of all solver meetings, activities in several seminaries in Slovakia

 

http://www.ingenium.sk/koresp/korespondencneseminare?PHPSESSID=f7949f330e31d84c9fc5fcb74c269e03 - main page, summary of all seminaries in Slovakia, active and passive, www links

 

 

Publications for seminaries

·         Foundation Ingenium support free on-line archive of materials (articles, books) oriented to seminaries, contents

  • You can find legendary publication - Vit Hejny and Milan Hejny – Pracovne materially skoliaceho strediska TMM (Working materials for support organisations of TMM , TMM – Cumps of Young Mathematicians)
  • Public discussion about seminaries organization

·         On-lin