Category Archives: Embedded numeracy

What’s the big picture for embedding literacy and numeracy via the new NZCALNE (Voc)?

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What’s the big picture?

Here’s the big picture for embedding literacy and numeracy and an update on our work at ALEC.

This is the big picture for our revised embedding process and pipeline. And it’s the big picture for the new NZCALNE (Voc) training and qualification that we’re feverishly working on.

New content for Collections 1 to 4 are complete. We’ve also finished the Portfolio+ assessments for 5 to 7. We’re still working on the regular content for Collections 5 to 7.

What does that mean?

That means that you or your tutors should be working on the new version of this qualification now.

If you’re an experienced tutor, that means that we are now set up to work with you using a portfolio approach for the practical work. Get in touch if this is you – assess@alec.ac.nz

It also means that we’ll have this new content live on Pathways Awarua shortly. There’s a short video overview here on my blog in the meantime and all the new content is summarised here with links.

Also, stay tuned for new and revised content for Collections 5 to 7 covering diagnostic assessment, planning, facilitating, and assessing progress.

If you want to print out the new structure, just hit the link below for a PDF version:

Strategies: What are some examples of numeracy strategies?

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Here are some more examples of numeracy strategies developed by tutors for embedding numeracy into their programmes.

These are the kind of concise summaries that you’ll also need to write for your assessment.

Don’t forget, for assessment purposes for this course, you only need to write two – one for each of literacy and numeracy.

Below are some examples of numeracy strategies:

  • Teach my learners how to use number to solve problems with a focus on additive strategies and place value in the context of my Introduction to Farming course for highschool students.
  • Teach my learners how to measure with a focus on estimation and using a tape for metric measurement in my New Zealand Certificate in Building and Construction programme.
  • Teach my learners how to measure with a focus on calculating the area of rectangles from measurements of length in the module I’m planning this semester for the course I teach on Level 3 Horticulture and sustainable development.

Strategies: How to write your own strategy for embedding number skills into your programme

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Time to do some work

It’s your turn again. Design your own numeracy strategy by choosing from the options below. Download the worksheet to record your ideas. As always, you can skip ahead to the Assessment template and get started on this part right away.

For your assessment, you only need to focus on one numeracy strategy. We suggest that you use the tools below to create a broad numeracy strategy for your teaching programme for developing either number or measurement skills.

How to write your own strategy for number

  1. Choose one or two items from the box and then add your own context below.
  2. Write out a final draft summarising your strategy.
  3. If you need to, make any changes to ensure your strategy addresses the number skills you want to concentrate on.

I will: Teach my learners to use number to solve problems with a focus on…

how to use additive strategies

how to use multiplicative strategies

how to use proportional reasoning strategies

strengthening number sequence knowledge

strengthening place value knowledge

strengthening number facts knowledge

 and
in the context of… (add your own programme here)

Here’s an example. I will:

  • Teach my learners to use number to solve problems with a focus on how to use multiplicative strategies and strengthening number fact knowledge in the context of the New Zealand Certificate in Employment Skills.

There are more examples coming shortly. But we’ll have a look at how to write a strategy for measurement strategy next.

And don’t forget: for your assessment task you only need to write one strategy for literacy and one strategy for numeracy.

What’s causing the problem? Thinking deeper and taking notes

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By now you should have had some time to think about what’s causing the problem of low adult literacy and numeracy? Or at least, you’ve had some time to think about the factors that we associate with low literacy and numeracy levels.

Here’s what we’ve covered:

  • The impact of colonisation
  • Socio-economic factors
  • Cycles of poverty
  • Poor teaching
  • Technology

Let’s make some notes. As with the other sections, you might want to skip back and check on any details. But we also want you to think about your own learners. What do you see as the main factors associated with low adult literacy and numeracy?

Time to do some work

Let’s pause for a few moments. Here’s your task:

  1. Download the worksheet, or use the chart below to make notes on the different
  2. factors we’ve talked about.
  3. Can you think of specific examples for each?
  4. What’s the impact of each on your learners?
  5. What’s the wider impact of these on our country as a whole?

This task is not assessed, but it will help you with your assessment.

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What’s the problem? Technology

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The impact of technology and the accelerating technological change is one of the themes that often comes up in discussions about why we face literacy and numeracy problems in the 21st century.

The relentless march of technology and increasing technological complexity mean that the demands of work and life have changed significantly in recent years compared to previous generations.

Adult learners today face literacy and numeracy demands today that simply did not exist before. Or at least they did not exist in the same way due to the increasing integration of computers, mobile devices, and the internet in our daily lives and work.

This change is highly visible and means that we all need to develop new “literacies” including digital literacy in order to keep learning and address gaps that could emerge between the “technologically” rich and poor.

Your learners are likely to be at a disadvantage if they can’t access online resources and services for work or daily life.

Some questions to think about

Let’s pause for a few moments. The questions below are not assessed, but thinking about your answers to them will help you with the assessment task.

  1. What impact has technology had on your trade or industry?
  2. What about the impact on how you teach or assess?
  3. What can you do to help encourage digital literacy?

Low adult literacy and numeracy levels: What’s causing the problem?

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It’s difficult to say exactly what is causing the problem of low adult literacy and numeracy in Aotearoa New Zealand. What we can say though is that low adult literacy and numeracy skills are associated with certain kinds of things.

Just because two things happen together doesn’t always mean that one causes the other. This is an easy mistake to make. In technical terms, we can say this: “Correlation does not imply causation.”

So the point is to be a bit cautious when we’re talking about what we think is causing the problem.

That said, here’s a list of things that often pop up when we talk about what’s causing low skills in the adult population in literacy and numeracy:

  • The impact of colonisation.
  • Socio-economic factors.
  • Cycles of poverty.
  • Poor teaching.
  • Technology.

We’ll have a look at each of these next.

Under the hood: Taking notes on the five frameworks

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As with the definitions, it’s a good idea to pause here and think about what we’ve covered so far. You need to know about each of these frameworks and how they apply to you as a teacher or trainer:

  • Learning Progressions for Adult Literacy
  • Learning Progressions for Adult Numeracy
  • Te Whare Tapa Whā
  • Fonofale Pasifika
  • ESOL Starting Points

Let’s make some notes. You might want to skip back and check on any details. But we also want you to think about your own situation and how you would answer these questions in your own words

For each framework you should be able to say what you think for each of these questions:

  • What’s the framework for?
  • What actually is it? What’s it about?
  • How’s it relevant to your own teaching or training situation?
  • What are the implications for you? Is there something you need to do?

Time to do some work

Let’s pause for a few moments. Here’s your task:

  • Download the worksheet, or use the chart below to make notes on the five frameworks we’ve talked about.
  • Make sure you’ve got some notes on what each one is for, what it’s about, as well as the relevance to your learners, and any implications for your teaching.

This task is not assessed, but it will help you with your assessment.

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