World-Renowned Mathematician Maarit Rossi Gives a Lecture at BAU

Maarit Rossi, one of the 10 finalists nominated for the 'Global Teacher Prize' by the UK-based Varkey Foundation in 2016, met teachers and students at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul.

Stating that models from 100 years ago are still used in mathematics teaching, Rossi said that memorization should be set aside and students should use mathematics to find solutions to everyday problems. The Finnish mathematician continued:

"Models from 100 years ago are still used in mathematics in many countries. Society is changing, and life outside schools is becoming different. But we still use the same models in mathematics. What is the result? Students either get bored with mathematics or start to fear it. In mathematics teaching, students should learn the language and concepts of this field and develop their skills. For this, we should use theory and active learning in equal measure. At times one of the two comes to the fore, but they must progress together. Instead of memorization, we should give our students a mathematics education based on understanding and application."

EVERY STUDENT SHOULD ACQUIRE THESE SKILLS

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sencer Çorlu, Director of the BAUSTEM Center and faculty member at Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Educational Sciences, also pointed out that every student has the right to learn mathematics. Saying that for some young people mathematics is equivalent to art, he said: "In Türkiye only a minority can acquire mathematical skills. But this is everyone's right. Every student should acquire these skills and be able to use them."

THREE KEYS TO SUCCESS

Speaking about the Nakkaştepe 50th Year Campus, which will start education in the 2018-2019 academic year in Nakkaştepe, Istanbul, with the 'FutureCampus' theme, Enver Yücel, Chairman of Bahçeşehir Uğur Educational Institutions (BUEK), said they aim for the Nakkaştepe 50th Year Campus to be one of the best schools in the world. Yücel said: "I have personally visited and examined almost all of the world's best schools. The keys to success are physical conditions, the curriculum implemented and teachers who deliver this curriculum to students with the best methods. The synthesis of these brings success at world standards. We aim for this campus, which we will open with the FutureCampus theme, to be one of the best campuses in the world."

World-renowned Finnish mathematician and educator Maarit Rossi will collaborate with Bahçeşehir College. One of the chief architects of the Finnish curriculum, described as the world's dream education system thanks to its success in PISA exams, Maarit Rossi will bring her experience to Türkiye through Bahçeşehir College, with which she will collaborate.