[Maths-Education] Curriculum materials for Mathematical Literacy
maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk
maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk
Sun, 17 Oct 2004 21:50:36 +0100
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Folks
There is currently a lot of interest in developing mathematical
literacy. Whatever meaning you choose for the phrase, helping
mathematics teachers to develop it in their students (and themselves)
presents a non-trivial challenge.
We at the Shell Centre are looking for examples of good curriculum
materials that may reasonably be said to focus on mathematical
literacy, in terms both of mathematical content and of the process of
applying it to everyday problems that the student has not previously
analysed with mathematics.
As you may know, we have long been concerned with the 'how' of
supporting changes in mathematical education. (So much discussion is
on the 'what', usually implying the 'how' will somehow happen) We
have found that most teachers, when faced with new classroom learning
goals, value well-engineered tools that have helped others like them
tackle the specific challenge effectively.
What is mathematical literacy? In analogy with literacy, we suggest
the following test:
Will a well-educated adult find this element of their
mathematical education has
helped them understand better, and solve non-specialist
problems in, the world
of things, people and the relationships amongst them?
We are looking for materials that pass this test**.
Names, publishers, URLs etc will be sufficient, though copies (hard
or electronic) will be appreciated. If you know of such materials
(particularly those you admire, even if you developed them!), please
email me at Hugh.Burkhardt@nottingham.ac.uk.
If you would like to be kept in touch with the results of this
search, let me know
Many thanks
Hugh Burkhardt
** We developed five Numeracy through Problem Solving modules in the
1980s that were designed to do so. Numeracy was used in the
original, Crowther Report, sense of "the mathematical equivalent of
literacy" .
The goal of literacy is not the study of language -- grammar, syntax,
and linguistics -- so please do not suggest units, however excellent,
that are just about mathematics, with potential for application; we
have plenty of those.
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--></style><title>Curriculum materials for Mathematical
Literacy</title></head><body>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000">Folks</font><br>
<font face="Palatino" size="-1" color="#000000"></font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000">There is currently a lot of
interest in developing<i> mathematical literacy</i>. Whatever
meaning you choose for the phrase, helping mathematics teachers to
develop it in their students (and themselves) presents a non-trivial
challenge.</font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000">We at the Shell Centre are
looking for<b> examples of good curriculum materials</b> that may
reasonably be said to focus<b> on mathematical literacy</b>, in terms
both of mathematical content and of the process of applying it to
everyday problems that the student has not previously analysed with
mathematics.</font><br>
<font face="Palatino" color="#000000"></font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000">As you may know, we have
long been concerned with the 'how' of supporting changes in
mathematical education. (So much discussion is on the 'what',
usually implying the 'how' will somehow happen) We have found
that most teachers, when faced with new classroom learning goals,
value well-engineered tools that have helped others like them tackle
the specific challenge effectively.</font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000">What is mathematical
literacy? In analogy with literacy, we suggest the
following test:<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab><i>Will a
well-educated adult find this element of their mathematical education
has</i></font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino"
color="#000000"><i><x-tab>
</x-tab>helped them understand better, and solve<b> non-specialis</b>t
problems in, the world</i></font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino"
color="#000000"><i><x-tab>
</x-tab>of things, people and the relationships amongst
them?</i></font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000">We are looking for
materials that pass this test**. </font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000"><br>
Names, publishers, URLs etc will be sufficient, though copies (hard or
electronic) will be appreciated. If you know of such materials
(particularly those you admire, even if you developed them!), please
email me at Hugh.Burkhardt@nottingham.ac.uk.<br>
<br>
If you would like to be kept in touch with the results of this search,
let me know<br>
<br>
Many thanks<br>
<br>
Hugh Burkhardt<br>
</font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000">** We developed
five<i> Numeracy through Problem Solving</i> modules in the 1980s that
were designed to do so. Numeracy was used in the original,
Crowther Report, sense of "the mathematical equivalent of
literacy" . </font></div>
<div><font face="Palatino" color="#000000"><br>
The goal of literacy is not the study of language -- grammar, syntax,
and linguistics -- so please do not suggest units, however excellent,
that are just about mathematics, with<i> potential</i> for
application; we have plenty of those.</font></div>
</body>
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