Math Training Module: Using the Internet in Support of GED Math Instruction

Session One: Overview
1. What do you observe?

Time: 75 minutes

Objectives

• Participants will explore relevant websites to find definitions of “numeracy.”
• Participants will explain the relevance of the definitions of numeracy to their own practice.

Materials

• Computers
• Projector
• Screen
• Flip chart
• Flip chart markers
• Handout 1a

Procedure

To the Trainer:
Your purpose in this section is to begin the group thinking about the difference between the math we teach and the math we, and our students, use every day. This section gets people thinking about the issue, and draws on their experiences with learners to help define some of the math they use everyday. The term “numeracy” may be a new one to some people, but it is one that is named in the Workforce Investment Act and that people need to be able to define before they can begin to adjust their teaching to accommodate it.

1. Ask the group to brainstorm about the math they do everyday.

You may need to do some prompting here—adults frequently don’t recognize the math in everyday tasks.

2. Write all suggestions on the flip chart. Find some common elements, e.g., all the items relate to applying math in different situations.

3. Make the following points:

• If you had asked the group “What math do you teach?” they would have listed completely different things. That list would have included things like decimals, algebra, and geometry. As instructors, we define “math” as classroom math but we acknowledge that the math we use is defined differently. So our learners don’t see the connection between what they are learning in class and what they need in life, either. Is it any wonder that the chronic lament of the math students is, “When am I ever gonna use this?”
• This discrepancy between the math that we teach and the math that we need has led to the coining of a relatively new term that is presumed to encompass them both. The term is “numeracy” and a person who is “numerate” is able to make sense of the math of the classroom and apply it in various situations as needed.
• But there is no universal definition of the term “numeracy”. In order to inform yourself about this issue, please visit two of the following websites (see Handout 1a). As you review the contents, answer the questions that follow and be prepared to share your findings with the group.

Debrief

If possible, get a discussion going here as different individuals share what they found on the websites. This is a chance for individuals to develop and refine their opinions about numeracy and its importance in the GED or workplace math class, and to expand their ideas of what’s possible.

Ask one person to share the websites they visited and the definitions of numeracy they found there. Write the definition on the flip chart.

Ask if any other participants visited those websites. Ask if they agree with the definition. Add any items they name to the flip chart. Allow 10 minutes.

After you have covered all 4 websites and heard from people about the numeracy definition, divide the group into those who teach GED and those who do workforce. If anyone does both, they can choose which group to join. Ask the group to discuss what definition of numeracy best fits their ideas of good math instruction and why. The group should designate a reporter. Allow 10 minutes.

Ask for the reporter for the GED group to describe the important points of the group’s discussion to the larger group. Repeat with the workplace group. Allow 10 minutes.