[AAACE-NLA] Special Topics Discussion: The Components of Numeracy

[Bickerton, Robert P]

David,
 
Thanks for the notice promoting a session that no adult educator should miss.  The adults we serve need our field to be just as committed to and expert in numeracy as we strive to be in literacy / reading and writing.  More of us need to understand that numeracy is not simply about one of many "subject areas," but a literacy in its own right -- a fundamental vehicle for making and communicating meaning.  The problem, not just for adult educators but for all educators, is that unlike "literacy" which most of our nation's adult population navigates with a relatively high degree of fluency, most studies suggest that only about 10% of adults are really "numerate."  What this refers to is not whether someone can compute at an elementary or secondary (or even beginning post secondary) level, but whether someone has a deep understanding of the meaning / "conceptual framework" that undergirds even the most basic math that we do.  For teachers, this includes being able to answer questions like "WHY" something works the way that it does, and whether a non-traditional algorithm for solving a problem can be generalized, i.e., is it actually correct for more than a single instance.  
 
The following link will bring readers to a document recently published by the Massachusetts Department of Education:  "Guidelines for the Mathematical Preparation of Elementary Teachers."  The Guidelines focus primarily on mathematics covered in elementary school with only occasional journeys into middle school level math.  I believe the Guidelines do a good job of illustrating that "basic math" is really anything but "basic" for most adults -- including teachers and other professionals.  I strongly believe the material covered is as relevant to adult educators as it is to teachers of children.  I recommend it as another good read in preparation for (or follow up to) the forum that will be hosted by the Special Topics List.  
http://www.doe.mass.edu/mtel/MathGuidance.pdf
 
Finally, those joining in on the Components of Numeracy discussion which begins on 9/17 will have the opportunity to benefit from the collective wisdom of three of the most accomplished and prominent professionals in the area of numeracy.  Don't miss it!
 
take care,
bob bickerton, MA sr associate commissioner of education (and former MA state ABE director)

-----Original Message-----
From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org [mailto:aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org]On Behalf Of David Rosen
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 1:24 PM
To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] Special Topics Discussion: The Components of Numeracy


AAACE-NLA Colleagues, 

>From September 17th - 21st, the Special Topics list will hold a discussion with Mary Jane Schmitt, Myrna Manly and Dr. Lynda Ginsburg, authors of The Components of Numeracy, an occasional paper published by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy in December 2006.

You or your colleagues who may wish to join this discussion can subscribe by going to

http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/specialtopics

After you complete the simple registration form (30 seconds) you will receive an email asking you to confirm that you wish to subscribe.  Immediately reply to the email to complete your subscription. After the discussion ends you can unsubscribe from the same Web address, or stay on for the next discussion.

There is a discussion taking place on the Special Topics list now about International Education. It will end Friday, September 14th. If you do not want to get the posts from that discussion, wait until the 15th to subscribe -- but don't wait too long.  The Components of Numeracy discussion begins on September 17th.


Authors' Biographies

Lynda Ginsburg is a senior researcher for mathematics education at Rutgers University and is currently conducting NSF-sponsored research on adult learners' work with their children on mathematics homework and on mathematics learning in out-of-school settings. Prior to this position, she worked at the National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) for 12 years where she participated in the development of a number of adult education projects including Captured Wisdom, the Professional Development Kit (PDK) and LiteracyLink. She has taught mathematics in high schools, in ABE/GED and workplace programs, and in community college developmental classes. She holds a Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Myrna Manly (B.A. Mathematics, M.A. Education, M.S. Applied Mathematics) has experience teaching mathematics at many academic levels, most recently as a Professor of Mathematics at El Camino College. In that capacity, she developed curricula designed to adapt the foundation courses for the needs of at-risk students. She also is the author of The GED Math Problem Solver, a textbook that integrates all the strands of math into a coherent approach to test preparation. In addition to instruction, she has been involved with the assessment of the mathematics proficiency of adults as the Mathematics Specialist for the 1988 version of the GED test and as a member of the numeracy team for the Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL). She also brings experience in Professional Development to the project, having worked with states and programs, facilitating staff-development and train-the-trainer workshops (e.g. Making Math Meaningful in CA and VA, GED as Project in VA, GED Math Institute in Washington, DC) that were aimed at improving mathematics instruction to adults.

Mary Jane Schmitt has been an adult educator for over 35 years. She has taught mathematics in ABE, GED, and ESL programs, has worked at the Massachusetts Department of Education, and is currently a project director at TERC in Cambridge, MA, where she directs the Adult Numeracy at TERC projects. Mary Jane is the co-author and co-principal investigator for the Extending Mathematical Power (EMPower) Project Mathematics Curriculum for Adult Learners recently published by Key Curriculum Press. She is a co-founder of the Adult Numeracy Network (ANN). Mary Jane's undergraduate degree is in mathematics and she holds an M.Ed. from Harvard University. She is the 2004 recipient of the Kenneth J. Mattran Award for exemplary work at the national and international levels given by the Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE).

Discussion Preparation Recommended Readings

The Components of Numeracy (especially the summary on page 34)

The Adult Numeracy Network's "Teaching and Learning Principles" and "Professional Development Principles."

The Inclusion of Numeracy in Adult Basic Education, Volume 3, Chapter 5, Review of Adult Learning and Literacy

To gain insight into the importance of numeracy or quantitative literacy in today's society, select a few chapters that interest you from "Mathematics and Democracy: The case for Quantitative Literacy."



David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net







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