AIS(ACT) Numeracy Coaching AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY Session 1 23/02/2017 AIS(ACT) Numeracy Coaching Session 1 (Part 1) Presented by Yvonne McGarry Session 1 – Getting started What is Numeracy? Why Numeracy? Language in Numeracy Models for Numeracy What data should I collect? How should I collect this data? Defining your goal Effective planning Sharing with your “pilot group” (and others) Session 2 – Numeracy in the classroom How do I coach others in numeracy? What should I do to achieve my goal? Modes of delivery in the classroom Creating a culture of thinking Engaging in learning Generating units of work which are inquiry-based, student-centred and realistic Yvonne McGarry 2017

AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY Session 1 23/02/2017 Numeracy versus Mathematics… What does Numeracy mean? Is Numeracy mathematics? STOP – Spoiler Alert (Don’t turn the page) What is the difference? Yvonne McGarry 2017

AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY 1(1) 23/02/2017 The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT, 1997) suggest that … “To be numerate is to use mathematics effectively to meet the general demands of life at home, in paid work, and for participation on community and civic life. It involves the disposition to use, in context, a combination of: Underpinning mathematical concepts and skills from across the discipline (numerical, spatial, graphical, statistical and algebraic); Mathematical thinking and strategies; General thinking skills; and Grounded appreciation of context.” The National Numeracy Review Report (COAG, 2008) goes further by stating that … “We should not make the mistake of confusing the acquisition of mathematical concepts and procedures with the competence and disposition to use mathematics in context, that is, numeracy.” Many academics continue to debate this point and there is no agreed definition for numeracy. Mathematics in the early schooling years is entwined with numeracy. During the middle years of schooling, around Years 5, 6, 7, the concepts in mathematics take on their own identity. By the senior years, although a student needs to be numerate to succeed in Mathematics, very few new numeracy skills are being taught. It is important to note that students who are good at Mathematics and enjoy the subject usually have good Numeracy skills; however, the reverse is not always true. Students with good numeracy skills may struggle with mathematics or not enjoy mathematics. This being said… studies show that if you improve numeracy, there is also an improvement in mathematics ability. (Cheng, Y.L. & Mix, K. S., 2012) Numeracy continues through life.. Some topics studied in mathematics maybe not. Yvonne McGarry 2017

AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY 1(1) Yvonne McGarry 23/02/2017 What are the different skills that live under the umbrella of Numeracy? STOP – Spoiler Alert (Don’t turn the page) Yvonne McGarry 2017

AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY Session 1 23/02/2017 Yvonne McGarry Estimating and calculating with whole numbers Recognising and using patterns and relationships Using fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios and rates Using spatial reasoning Interpreting statistical information Using measurement The Numeracy learning continuum is organised into six interrelated elements. Refer to “Organising Elements” handout for more in-depth information. To these six elements we can add the language we use when teaching Numeracy. Language in numeracy Yvonne McGarry 2017

AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY Session 1 23/02/2017 The importance of … Language in Numeracy The language we use in our classrooms “…can present a barrier for students in acquiring and mastering mathematical knowledge and skills.” Independent Schools Queensland (2015) We all need to swim in the same pond. Yvonne McGarry 2017

AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY 1(1) 23/02/2017 SCALE The National Numeracy Review Report (Council of Australian Governments, 2008) stated that … “What is frequently not considered is mathematical language as being distinct from mathematical literacy. For many children, mathematics is a foreign language: the symbols and expressions provide a formidable barrier to understanding of mathematical concepts.” Furthermore, many words and symbols used in the teaching of mathematical language are also used in learning areas other than mathematics or in other contexts outside of the classroom. “This combination may be an obstacle to the learning of numeracy concepts.” We need to help our students make connection to language they already have. For learning to occur, the learner needs to make connections to what they already know. Yvonne McGarry Yvonne McGarry 2017

AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY Session 1 Yvonne McGarry 23/02/2017 ACARA states… students become numerate as they develop the knowledge and skills to use mathematics confidently across other learning areas at school and in their lives more broadly. Numeracy encompasses the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that students need to use mathematics in a wide range of situations. It involves students recognising and understanding the role of mathematics in the world and having the dispositions and capacities to use mathematical knowledge and skills purposefully. When teachers identify numeracy demands across the curriculum, students have opportunities to transfer their mathematical knowledge and skills to contexts outside the mathematics classroom. These opportunities help students recognise the interconnected nature of mathematical knowledge, other learning areas and the wider world, and encourage them to use their mathematical skills broadly. Teachers should be aware of the correct use of mathematical language in their own learning areas. See ACARA site for links for numeracy in each subject area. Numeracy has its roots in Mathematics but is not exclusive to Mathematics. Yvonne McGarry 2017

AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY Session 1 23/02/2017 A model for numeracy in the 21st century See article “numeracy across the curriculum” uploaded to AIS(ACT) site. Goos, M., Dole, S. & Geiger, V. (2012) Yvonne McGarry 2017

AIS(ACT) LNCA NUMERACY Session 1 23/02/2017 A NUMERACY FRAMEWORK (Willis, S & Hogan, J., 2000) Being numerate within a context involves a blend of three types of knowledge… Mathematical Strategic Contextual and three roles… The fluent operator The learner The critical mathematician A NUMERACY FRAMEWORK (Willis, S. & Hogan, J., 2000) “Being, or becoming, numerate involves a blend of three knowledges: • Mathematical knowledge – having (learning) the skills, techniques and concepts necessary to solve quantitative problems encountered in a real context; • Contextual knowledge – having (developing) an awareness and knowledge of how the context impacted on the mathematics being used; and • Strategic knowledge – having (developing) the confidence, disposition and skills to find out what needs to be known in order to act numerately. Being, or becoming, numerate involves being able to, or learning to, take on three roles: • The fluent operator - being (becoming) a fluent user of mathematics in familiar settings; • The learner - having (developing) a capacity for the deliberate use of mathematics to learn; and • The critical mathematician - having (developing) a capacity to be critical of the mathematics chosen and used. “ Yvonne McGarry 2017