1. Scottish Energiser for Tutors of Adult Numeracy

2. Aims  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

3. ‘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

4. Now  commitment to improvement at national level  curriculum framework linking numeracy to social purposes  freedom from inappropriate models of assessment and achievement  ‘freedom to roam’

6. or Why are so many of us so frightened?

7.  lack of appropriately challenging cultural ethos  few role models  poor teaching  partial teaching  terrifying teaching …  poor motivation What Went Wrong?

8. A 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)

9. 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

10. Programme workshops organised around -  thinking  seeing  doing  applying  sharing  playing

11. Some 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

12. More 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

13. Still more assumptions  definitions of ‘community’ are changing and we need to take them into account if our teaching is to be relevant

14. Spheres of operation  Global Community Self Family

15. Our 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

16. Supernume - the mathematician  knowledge of subject (SMK)  ability to apply what s/he knows  a problem-solver  connected to a mathematical community

17. Supernume – 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

18. Supernume – 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

19. Supernume – the person  patient  positive  encouraging  confident  with a sense of humour