MATHEMATICS CHAMPIONSHIP USING TUXMATH EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL I: AN EXPERIENCE IN THE SUPERVISED INTERNSHIP

Abstract

The present study describes the implementation of a project during the supervised internship in elementary education I, at Santo Agostinho State School in Lábrea, Amazonas, with an emphasis on teaching mathematics through the educational software TuxMath. The internship aimed to cater to students classified as 'Digital Natives,' using digital communication and information technologies (DCIT). The project included the creation of the action plan, literature review, pre-assessment of students' knowledge, proposal development, methodology application, and a basic math operations championship using TuxMath. The methodology included theoretical and practical activities using a notebook and projector for an introduction to the concept of gamification. The championship, divided into training and competition phases, resulted in significant advances in students' math skills. The post-championship discussion highlighted not only the improvement of technical skills but also the development of social skills, such as effective communication and teamwork. The post-activity evaluation, conducted through a questionnaire administered to students, indicated a positive receptivity to the use of TuxMath, showing a high level of satisfaction and interest among students in the playful and interactive approach. The study emphasizes the importance of using educational technologies to enrich learning, stimulate deductive reasoning, and promote a dynamic approach to teaching mathematics. Challenges identified during the project implementation were evident, such as the diversity of student engagement levels and the need to make activities more inclusive. The gamification of classes, through a basic math operations championship using the educational software TuxMath, proved to be a successful strategy, fostering student engagement, teamwork, and the improvement of math skills.