Scottish EnergiserScottish Energiser for Tutors of Adult Numeracyfor Tutors of Adult Numeracy

AimsAims

enrich our own mathematical thinking acquire methods for helping learners

with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences of numeracy/maths to become confident and competent adult citizens

have some fun

‘‘Shifting the Focus’Shifting the Focus’

unacceptably high proportions of adults with poor numeracy skills

under-resourced provision insufficiently prioritised in planning under-researched area of learning better informed approaches to

teaching and learning needed too few staff development

opportunities

NowNow

commitment to improvement at national level

curriculum framework linking numeracy to social purposes

freedom from inappropriate models of assessment and achievement

‘freedom to roam’

orWhy are so many

of us so frightened?

lack of appropriately challenging cultural ethos

few role models poor teaching partial teaching terrifying teaching … poor motivation

What Went Wrong?What Went Wrong?

A Working DefinitionA Working Definition

  ‘To be numerate means to be competent, confident, and comfortable with one’s judgements on whether to use mathematics in a particular situation and if so, what mathematics to use, how to do it, what degree of accuracy is appropriate, and what the answer means in relation to the context.’

(Diana Coben 2000:35, emphasis in the original)

This week-end…This week-end…

it’s OK not to know we’re not here to frighten ourselves or

each other it’s OK to ask for help those who know something have an

obligation to share with those who don’t

ProgrammeProgramme

workshops organised around - thinking seeing doing applying sharing playing

Some assumptionsSome assumptions

Literacy and Numeracy are tools we can use to understand our environment, interact with it and shape it

tutors have a role in helping learners recognise the patterns in society as well as the patterns in numbers e.g. which groups earn low pay, who has poor life chances, where living conditions are poorest

More assumptionsMore assumptions

it’s important to constantly raise people’s expectations about their ability to develop numeracy skills for independence and not just compliance

assessment is not just about where people are now, but where they want to be and where they could be could be if they knew what the possibilities were

Still more assumptionsStill more assumptions

definitions of ‘community’ are changing and we need to take them into account if our teaching is to be relevant

Spheres of operationSpheres of operation

Global Community Self Family

Our jobOur job

is to breathe life into numbers enable learners to develop

confidence, curiosity, critical thinking in their use of numbers

enable them to widen their spheres of operation

Supernume - the mathematicianSupernume - the mathematician

knowledge of subject (SMK) ability to apply what s/he knows a problem-solver connected to a mathematical community

SupernumeSupernume – the teacher (1)– the teacher (1) ability to demonstrate and explain what

s/he knows - a ‘sense-maker’ a risk-taker - confident in the use of the

open-ended question challenging willingness to look for alternatives familiar with a range of useful resources able to generate interest and a sense of

purpose

SupernumeSupernume – the teacher (2)– the teacher (2) a good listener knowledge of learner – what they

struggle with, what they’re good at receptive to diversity values learners positively courageous – dares to diverge from

drilling in numerical operations and procedures to help learners explore other aspects of maths learning

Supernume – the personSupernume – the person patient positive encouraging confident with a sense of humour