[Maths-Education] Curriculum materials for Mathematical Literacy

Jeanne Albert maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk
Mon, 18 Oct 2004 06:47:07 +0200


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Curriculum materials for Mathematical LiteracyIf you would like to be kept in touch with the results of this search, let me know
I would like to.   Thanks, Jeanne Albert
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Hugh.Burkhardt@nottingham.ac.uk 
  To: maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk 
  Sent: Sunday, October 17, 2004 10:50 PM
  Subject: [Maths-Education] Curriculum materials for Mathematical Literacy


  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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<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=3>If you would like to be kept in touch with the 
results of this search, let me know</FONT><BR>I would like to.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Thanks, Jeanne Albert</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr 
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV 
  style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> 
  <A title=Hugh.Burkhardt@nottingham.ac.uk 
  href="mailto:Hugh.Burkhardt@nottingham.ac.uk">Hugh.Burkhardt@nottingham.ac.uk</A> 
  </DIV>
  <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A 
  title=maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk 
  href="mailto:maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk">maths-education@nottingham.ac.uk</A> 
  </DIV>
  <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, October 17, 2004 10:50 
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Maths-Education] Curriculum 
  materials for Mathematical Literacy</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=Palatino color=#000000>Folks</FONT><BR><FONT face=Palatino 
  color=#000000 size=-1></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=Palatino color=#000000>There is currently a lot of interest in 
  developing<I> mathematical literacy</I>.&nbsp; 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&nbsp; 
  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.&nbsp; (So much discussion is on the 'what', usually implying the 
  'how' will somehow happen)&nbsp; 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?&nbsp;&nbsp; In analogy with literacy, we suggest the following 
  test:<BR><X-TAB>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </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>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
  </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>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </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**.&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=Palatino color=#000000><BR>Names, publishers, URLs etc will be 
  sufficient, though copies (hard or electronic) will be appreciated.&nbsp; 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>**&nbsp; We developed five<I> Numeracy 
  through Problem Solving</I> modules in the 1980s that were designed to do 
  so.&nbsp; Numeracy was used in the original, Crowther Report, sense of "the 
  mathematical equivalent of literacy" .&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</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></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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