WHANAU ORA KI TUWHARETOA NUMERACY AND LITERACY PRESENTATION BY DOUG WALL

WHAT HAVE I LEARNT FROM THESE SESSIONS OF ‘NAVIGATING THE WAY WITH NUMERACY AND LITERACY’.

MY THOUGHTS The words “Numeracy and Literacy” to me, as I saw it was about Numbers and Letters. Numeracy and Literacy is more than just about Numbers and Letters. When we look deeper into the meaning of these words, you find a whole new world and realise it’s not just about Numbers and Letters. We are constantly surrounded with “Numeracy and Literacy” everyday and yet we do not realise how it effects us or even others in our everyday lives.

NUMARECY: The Following are Definitions Taken from Tertiary Education Commission Learning Progressions for Adult Literacy and Numeracy: Background information page 34 To be numerate is to have the ability and inclination to use mathematics effectively in our lives- at home, at work and in the community. Ministry of Education, 2001, page 1 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. Coben, 2000, cited in Coben, 2003, page 10 We believe that numeracy is about making meaning in mathematics and being critical about maths. This view of numeracy is very different from numeracy just being about numbers and it is a big step from numeracy or everyday maths that meant doing some functional maths. It is about using mathematics in all its guises- space and shape, measurement, data and statistics, algebra and of course, number- to make sense of the real world and using maths critically and being critical of maths itself. It acknowledges that numeracy is a social activity. Tout, 1997, cited in Coben, 2003, page11

LITERACY: Definition for Literacy Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons and Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © Harper Collins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 The ability to read and write The ability to use language proficiently

I was shocked to learn that, from surveys completed in 1996 (The 1996 International Adult Literacy Surveyˡ) and in 2006 (The 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey²) nothing much had changed. There was still 50 percent of the adult population of New Zealand that have low numeracy and (document) literacy scores. Maori and Pacific populations are at the lowest numeracy performance (results were not yet available for document literacy). 1 Refer to walker, Udy and Pole, The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey; Headline Results and Background, Ministry of Education, December 2007.

My Understanding of Numeracy and Literacy Now It is a lot more than just listening, speaking, reading, writing and numeracy. It is to: Listen with understanding Speak to Communicate Read with Understanding Write to Communicate Make Sense of Number to Solve Problems Reason Statistically, and Measure and Interpret Shape and Space.

This has opened my eyes to what is out there to learn in the world of “Numeracy and Literacy”. It was like a moment for me where I finally “got it” I always enjoyed Maths, so the numeracy part I found stimulating and was keen to participate in, I also enjoyed the learning and surveys for the literacy side as well. I now have a keen interest in learning more about Numeracy and Literacy.

Numeracy and Literacy is more than just words and numbers, it’s a whole world of learning and upskilling that will only benefit those whom take up the challenge of learning. The majority of us would like to think that we are very adequate with our Numeracy and Literacy skills, the reality is that 50 percent of New Zealanders are in need of upskilling in this area. So the “WERO” is within all us to turn this around. My final words are Mā te mōhio ka ora: mā te ora ka mōhio Through learning there is life: Through life there is learning! MAURIORA