[NLA] A Call for Help!

[Linda Shohet]

Terry and colleagues

I am not certain that I can answer your query at this time concerning 
Canada, but I wanted to tell you that we are running a three-day 
institute on adult numeracy in June at The Centre for Literacy in 
Montreal in partnership with NIFL. One of our goals is certainly to 
gain an international overview. We have registrants from several 
countries who are involved with adult numeracy in all the aspects you 
are investigating.  Unfortunately, your deadline may not mesh with this 
event. However, if you look at our web site (www.nald.ca/litcent.htm) 
under Summer Institute, you will find a fuller description.  We would 
certainly welcome your registering and sharing the findings of your 
research.

I am assuming that with the background of the institutions where you 
are based that you are already familiar with the initiatives of ANN and 
ALM and the group working on numeracy with the proposed new 
International Survey (former IALS, now ALLS).  

Linda Shohet

>

> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Subject: Significant Initiatives In Adult Numeracy.?
> 
>  Help! 
> 
> Are you involved in adult numeracy in your country. as a teacher, 
manager, researcher or policy maker? Could you help us identify 
interesting things that are happening in the field? 
> 
> We -Terry Maguire from Ireland, and Keiko Yasukawa and Betty Johnston 
from Australia - are working on a joint research project (*see overview 
below) to put together the beginnings of an international picture of 
what is happening in the adult numeracy field worldwide. We would very 
much welcome and value your help. 
> 
>  One section of the research (the second strand*see overview of 
project below) requires us to 
> 
> identify any particularly interesting or significant initiatives 
relating to adult numeracy in a variety of countries
> 
>  These might be to do with
> -       provision and policy for indigenous groups
> -       numeracy and other social justice issues
> -       explicitly integrated literacy and numeracy initiatives
> -       initiatives involving second-language and numeracy learning
> -       cross-cultural issues
> -       numeracy and community development or capacity-building in 
urban, or rural, or isolated areas e.g. in the environmental or women's 
movements
> -       family, community, school partnerships
> -       etc etc
>  
> We would be very grateful if you could briefly describe the 
initiative, indicating why you think it is interesting or significant 
and giving us some way of contacting those involved (email would be 
best, if possible). If you could also add any references of related 
published material that would be very helpful.
>  
>  We would welcome also more general references that would give us 
useful data about adult numeracy and its development in your country.
>  
>  Please send responses by email to Terry Maguire <terrymag at iol.ie> by 
14th February 2002 if possible
>  Thanks for your time!
> 
> Terry, Keiko & Betty
> 
> *More about the project
> 
>  Project Information Sheet
>  
> What is the project?
>  
> Polices and Pedagogies for Lifelong Numeracy (PPLN): an international 
snapshot of adult numeracy (including adults learning maths)
>  
> What is its purpose?
>  
> The overall purpose of this international collaborative research is 
to provide a brief account of international adult numeracy policy, 
pedagogy and provision over the last 20 years and case studies of 
initiatives in a number of countries.   
>  
> Who is Funding the Project?
>  
> The Australian team is funded through the Adult Literacy and Numeracy 
Australian Research Consortium (NSW).  The Irish team is supported by 
the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
>  
> What is the methodology?
>  
> The research has three identifiable strands.
> -         The first strand of the research will be a detailed 
comparative investigation of adult numeracy - pedagogy, practice, 
policy etc - in at least two countries, including Australia and 
Ireland, and covering the last ten to twenty years.
> -         The second strand of the research will involve brief 
accounts of adult numeracy in a number of other countries, from the 
perspective of several of those involved in adult numeracy in each of 
those countries. These accounts are designed to generate general 
information about policy, funding, provision, and research in adult 
numeracy, and to identify any interesting or significant initiatives.
> -         The third strand of the research will involve more detailed 
case-studies of interesting or significant initiatives that have 
emerged from the second strand or from the concurrent literature 
review, in an attempt to identify factors that might inform future 
directions for adult numeracy in Ireland and Australia.
>  
> Who are we?
>  
> Dr Betty Johnston (Director, Adult Literacy and Numeracy Australian 
Research Consortium, NSW, Sydney)  E-mail: betty.johnston at uts.edu.au
>  
> Terry Maguire MSc (Centre for Advancement of Mathematics Education in 
Technology CAMET Ireland, University of Limerick, Ireland) E-mail: 
terrymag at iol.ie
>  
> Dr Keiko Yasukawa (Lecturer in Adult Education, University of 
Technology, Sydney)
> E-mail: keiko.yasukawa at uts.edu.au
> The timeline
>  
> We plan to have a draft report of the project completed by June 2002. 
An executive summary of the research report produced will be made, 
through this site once available
>  
> Note to participants:
>  
> Your involvement in this project is voluntary; your reply to this 
request for information signifies your consent to participate. You may 
withdraw your participation at any time before publication of the 
report. . There will be more than one respondent from each country 
wherever possible, and all respondents will have a chance to correct 
errors and give feedback on a draft of the report. The source of the 
information that is supplied will be acknowledged in the report.   
>  
> Many thanks for your time and thought.
>  
>  
> Betty, Keiko and Terry
> 
>  
> 
> 

-- Linda Shohet, Director
The Centre for Literacy of Quebec
Tel.: (514) 931-8731, ext. 1411
Fax: (514) 931-5181
E-mail: lshohet at dawsoncollege.qc.ca

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