[Maths-Education] Money counts..or money talks?

[Malcolm Swan]

As well as emphasising what is wrong with the way money and wealth is 
used and distributed, we should also be positive and suggest 
activities which promote the sharing of wealth. Rather than simply 
criticising 'how can you maximise profit?" questions, we should also 
promote "how can I raise/ give away money in a manner that maximises 
the benefit to others"? I find that when kids realise there are 
things wrong with the world (and its not hard to get most kids angry 
about injustice) they want to do something about it......and we can 
surely find ways of harnessing social consciences in local, positive 
ways? Many schools do such things, though perhaps not in their maths 
lessons. This sounds like a 'real problem solving' task that cuts 
across school curriculum issues and should best be tackled by several 
departments working together.







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>I have just come across two UK publications
>
>"Money counts" by BEAM and the Financial Services authority  which claims
>to be developing financial capability in the primary school linked to the
>numeracy strategy.
>
>Another is a published by the "4 learning and maths year 20002" (never
>heard of them myself). this is called "Your family counts".
>
>Both books give classroom resources purporting to develop childrens and
>families numeracy by looking at matters financial.
>
>Nothing in these books seems to be developing in children the real values
>of money - i.e. the issues of disadvantage, poverty, social injustice,
>usury, etc. etc.
>
>I am interested in thinking about whether some of us could put something
>together (e.g. "Money Talks" or "It's only being really rich that matters")
>that consists of activities, examples etc. that raise the critical aspects
>and uses of mathematics. There might of course be a wealth (ooops) of
>resources out there of which i am  unfamiliar, but it strikes me as
>potentially useful to consider giving teachers some tasks that raises real
>social questions about the way in which poverty is both unevenly
>distributed, how poverty is spread, how it costs the poor more to live than
>it costs the rich and all that stuff.
>
>Is anyone interested, or does anyone have ideas??
>
>
>Best wishes,
>Peter
>
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>Peter Gates
>Centre for the Study of Mathematics Education
>University of Nottingham
>Nottingham, NG7 2RD
>Great Britain
>
>peter.gates@nottingham.ac.uk
>
>Tel: +44 115 951 4432
>Fax: +44 115 846 6600
>
>Mobile: 0773 080 8353 (pgates@genie.co.uk)
>
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>http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/csme
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-- 
Malcolm Swan
School of Education
Jubilee Campus
Nottingham
NG8 1BB
Tel +44 (0) 115 951 4412