TUTORIAL TASK 1: (Group 1 & 2)

In groups of four, based on your readings and discussion, explain: (a) What is Numeracy? (b) As a teacher, how can you help your students to acquire this proficiency.

i.

What is numeracy?

Numeracy can be described as the knowledge, skills and appreciations needed for students to understand and utilize mathematical ideas, techniques and applications. Numeracy involves students in integrating such skills as interpreting quantitative information, performing straightforward calculations mentally, estimating values that are known and unknown, and developing an intuitive knowledge of measurement units.

Increasing students opportunities to apply their numeracy skills should result in more students integrating them into their everyday understanding. Numeracy is the ability to reason and to apply simple numerical concepts. A numerically literate person can manage and respond to the mathematical demands of life. Aspects of numeracy include number sense, operation sense, computation, measurement, geometry, probability and statistics.

The portmanteau of "numerical literacy" was coined in 1959 by the UK Committee on Education, presided over by Sir Geoffrey Crowther. Innumeracy is a lack of numeracy.

In the United States numeracy is also known as Quantitative Literacy and is familiar to math educators and intellectuals. There is also substantial overlap between conceptions of numeracy and conceptions of statistical literacy.

Numeracy is ...the combination of mathematical knowledge, problem solving and communication skills required by all persons to function successfully within our technological world. Numeracy is more than knowing about numbers and number

operations. (British Columbia Association of Mathematics Teachers, 1998) Numerate students can deal with numbers and measures confidently and competently. They can compute on paper, in their heads, and by using technology. They can estimate and solve problems in a variety of situations. They also understand how information is gathered by counting and measuring and how it is presented in graphs, diagrams, charts, and tables. Numeracy is a mastery of the basic symbols and processes of arithmetic: Numbers Addition Subtraction Simple multiplication Simple division Simple weights and measures Money counting Telling time

ii.

As a teacher, how can you help your students to acquire this proficiency.

Numeracy is the effective use of mathematics to meet the general demands of life at school and at home, in paid work, and for participation in community and civic life. From preschool to year 2, numeracy development is a central component of early childhood programs through quality differentiated play-based curriculum. From years 310, students are assisted to develop more complex lnumeracy skills and understandings through explicit instruction based on their individual needs.

Therefore, there are many ways for teacher tp make sure help their students to acquire this proficiency effectively. Numeracy is the basic ways using in our daily life. So, all teachers must take the action of every students especially in preschool students

master in this profiency. There are several ways where teachers can use to help students mastering in this proficiency effectively.

First, strengthen numeracy leadership.

This is to promote and enhance a

productive school culture that establishes high expectations for teachers and students and aligns highly effective teaching practices with resource allocation to improve literacy and numeracy. This Strategy includes actions aimed at strengthening leadership capacity in literacy and numeracy. School leaders and principals will require support to increase their understanding of effective literacy and numeracy teaching. They will also require assistance in understanding the systems available for assessing and monitoring student achievement, and assistance in interpreting the information and performance data these systems can provide.

The second is teachers must be improve in numeracy teaching. Before we are giving the lecture to the students, teachers must be matering in this course first. This is for develop all teachers professional knowledge, skills and capacity to use researchbased practices to improve their teaching of numeracy. Our challenge is to provide quality teaching at all levels. This means strengthening the capacity of all teachers, including building their knowledge of effective intervention strategies, so that every teacher can meet the learning needs of all students and assist them to develop their numeracy skills.

If teachers must be improve in numeracy teaching, you have also to improve in numeracy learning. For this way, it is to improve the literacy and numeracy learning outcomes for all students by providing a supportive learning environment and addressing their diverse needs and abilities. Early success in learning helps to build strong student engagement and a positive attitude to learning. In the early years of schooling, attention is to be given to assessment at school entry to build basic competencies to ensure a strong foundation for future learning.

Next, teachers need to help students successfully complete the entire mathematics curriculum by using a variety of methods and learning resources and by adjusting the amount of time for instruction. Todays mathematics classrooms differ from what you may have experienced. Todays classrooms tend to: use a variety of teaching and assessment strategies to respond to the learning needs of individual students promote co-operation through having students participate actively in groups encourage students to talk about mathematics with confidence support a problem-solving approach to encourage logical and creative thinking promote the appropriate use of calculators and computers as tools for learning mathematics

TASK 2: (Group 3 & 4)

In a group of four discuss the effectiveness of using other teaching aids beside the one that has been discussed in the lecture.

Present your finding to the whole class

Teaching aids are tools that classroom teachers use to help their students learn quickly and thoroughly. A teaching aid can be as simple as a chalkboard or as complex as a computer program. Because every individual learns in a different way, teachers rely on these tools to explain concepts to students with a wide variety of learning needs. Teaching aids are crucial for educators as they are key in differentiating instruction for all types of learners.

It is always best to actively involve student in the educational process, there are so many teaching techniques that can be used to facilitate learning.

Teaching consist exchange of views, expressions and overall knowledge between the learners and the teachers where a teacher is bound to act as a good communicator in the class.

He should have meaningful learning experience with which he would deliver his skills by virtue of his model of gesture which are accepted by the learners. A learner must have a feeling of inquisitiveness with which an open ended question between the teacher and the learner who can ask question relevant to the topic specified to the teaching as generalized in the class.

The teacher should be well conversant on the topics to be discussed in the class with meaningful learning experience with which a model of teaching will be developed in the class. People learn in different ways, some like to see the main points written down in order to remember then, others learn better by listening, some may like to hear

information repeated a few times in different ways, while some need to touch and feel something before they can fully learn it.

Here are some other teaching techniques that improve teaching. Techers must use different teaching materials/teaching aid: another way to effective teaching is the use of various teaching materials, pictures, brochure, video tapes can also help student learn new things. The teaching materials can be use to explain new idea. Here are some of the most common teaching materials that we have:

a. printed materials: this include brochures, pamphlet,wallet card etc when you use printed materials, make sure you do the following:

- Circle important points - Cross out unnecessary things - Give the materials to students to take home

b. Visuals: teachers should use visuals because some students learns fast with they see this includes flip chart, posters, diagram, pictures etc

c. Samples: this are the actual object that the student can see and touch, when using samples explain what they are and encourage the students to touch and hold them.

d. Audio Visuals: this includes video, sounds, film and slide shows. When using audio visuals always: - preview the audio visuals before using it. - introduce the AV by telling the students what to watch for. - hold a discussion after it is shown.

e. Technology Since the dawn of the technology age, computers have proved to be the most multifaceted teaching aid available. With technology like digital video presenters, power point presentations, and educational software, teachers are now able to quickly and

accurately enlarge any physical visual aid, create and edit informational slides, and can ultimately provide their students with information in a faster, more comprehensive way. Computers provide an interactive educational experience that engages learners and makes the task of preparing lesson materials less time-consuming for teacher

For effective teaching and learning process it is good to use different types of teaching materials.

RESOURCES :

WIKIPEDIA (2012). Numeracy. Access from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numeracy

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