TAC Students in the Math Village
“The important thing in maths is not to solve the problem, but to understand it; and for each mathematician, the number of problems they were able to solve is much higher than those they have been able to solve. Anyone can love math if the fear of failure is eliminated and concentration on the problem is enabled” Prof. Dr. Ali Nesin
On April 26-28, TAC organized a trip to Nesin Math Village with the goal of helping grade 10 students improve their mathematical thinking, abstraction, deduction, projection, modelling, and planning skills - an important skill set which the students will be able to use in school, in daily life, and in their professional life beyond school. There, the students were involved in academic mathematics as well as social activities which gave them a chance to improve themselves in both ways.
Some comments from students about the trip:
Is mathematics about “thinking simple”?
When we met at the airport on Wednesday, we were a bit excited. Actually, everyone was biased to some extent: it was a group of only 16 students, and we were going to the mathematics village, a unatural environment, a dormitory system, among others. However, as soon as we landed in İzmir, there was laughter. We arrived in Ali Nesin Math Village after a short trip, and we were taken aback by the beautiful nature around us. After checking in our rooms, our first lesson started. It was a non-conventional math lesson, different from the ones we were used to. It was a bit difficult to adapt at first, but we realized later how useful it was. Following the lesson, we went on a tour of Şirince, and we all fell in love with the town. The nature, agriculture, and everything about it was different. We took many photos and collected new memories there. We had ample free time when we got back to the village, which we decided to spend together, by playing games and telling each other stories. When the teachers became part of this, it was twice as much fun. The previous concerns about being a small number disappeared, and we realized that we can have a lot of fun with a smaller group. Following our lesson on the second day, we went on a tour of “Ephesus – Virgin Mary”. This was one of the places which everyone knew about but had not actually visited before. Following this enlightening tour of this world-famous historic site, we went back to the village and got ready for the evening entertainment. On our last day, we had a lesson with Ali Nesin, the message from which was the concept of “thinking simple”. We realized that the first instinct for all of us was to think about the more complicated methods of solving a problem. At the end of these three days, we had many takeaways for our personal use, had a lot of fun with friends, and collected many beautiful memories.
Beste ÖZYÜREKOĞLU / 10-A
I know about mathematics but what does its village look like?
The thought of Şirince and Maths Village founded by Aziz Nesin excited me from the first moment. Our excitement built up as the details for the upcoming trip became clearer. With the landing of the plane in İzmir, there was already a sense of peace. When we arrived in Şirince, we found ourselves communing with nature, in a cosy setting. When I saw the sign for “Nesin Mathematics Village”, I had no idea about the laughter-filled conversation up on the terrace and in a high tower overlooking the landscapes, about our coffee hours, or how mathematics and nature would be combined in this exquisite beauty, or even how 12 girls could co-habitate in dormitory rooms in peace and harmony, and about singing songs and playing funny games together. Nesin Maths Village taught me how to problem-solve collaboratively by considering more than one perspective towards a solution, and to carefully study even a seemingly simple event. Listening to lectures from Ali Nesin himself was an unforgettable experience, and I personally felt very fortunate. Aside from the lessons from the Maths Village, our visit to the Ancient City of Ephesus and Virgin Mary’s House created beautiful memories for us. I am sure that this adventure touched each of us in a different way. I hope that everyone gets this opportunity which we seized and is able to visit this inspiring village.
Başak ÖZCAN / 10-D