Beverly and others,

On Jun 22, 2006, at 4:14 PM, Beverly Davis wrote:


> Mae, I went to the website you listed and couldn't get to any math

> problems.  Could you tell me what I am doing wrong.  Thank you!



1. Go to http://www.literacy.cuny.edu/
2. Select "Resources"
3. At the prompt, type in the user name literacy and the password   
resources06

David Rosen
djrosen at comcast.ne



>

>

> Mae Dick wrote:

>

>

>> Hi there. I thought you might be interested in a math resource  

>> that was

> developed by Steve Hinds, a staff developer for adult literacy  

> programs

> in the City University of New York.  Here's a quote from a workshop

> Steve recently offered at the Literacy Assistance Center in NYC.  He

> says " Adult Literacy programs traditionally limit students in

> low-level classes to computation practice out of workbooks. Algebra,

> data and geometry topics are considered too difficult for these

> students until they have 'mastered the basics.'  Steve believes that

> students can increase their mathematical reasoning, number sense and

> enjoyment of math through the kinds of exercises he presents on the

> CUNY web site. Check it out. Go to <www.literacy.cuny.edu>.  The user

> name is literacy and the password is resources06.

>>

>>>>> "Myrna Manly" <mmanly at earthlink.net> 06/20/06 5:03 PM >>>

>> Hi Lisa,

>> I'm happy to hear that you and your students are enjoying the book.

>> Introducing algebraic thinking early in student's math study has now

> become

>> widespread in the reform math efforts in K-12. (It is also a hallmark

> of the

>> new EMPower series for adults.) In 1992, when I wrote the first  

>> edition

> of

>> the book, I based my early-algebra-integration decision on my own

> experience

>> as one who had taught algebra to students at many levels and as an

> 'insider'

>> with respect to the GED Math test. (I had just left my job at GEDTS.)

>>

>> The overarching principle when formulating items for the GED math  

>> test

> is to

>> assess the "major and lasting outcomes and skills of a high school

>> education." For the most part, this means that the skills and  

>> concepts

> that

>> are tested are ones that have some practical value. With respect to

> algebra,

>> I felt that using the concept of a variable, solving simple  

>> equations,

> and

>> graphing linear functions were the most obvious topics to be

> represented.

>>

>> As an algebra teacher, I had seen the difficulty that students had in

> making

>> the transition to using variables and had added extra lessons to the

>> textbooks that reviewed arithmetic principles by using variables in

> place of

>> specific numbers - that is, I used algebra to generalize arithmetic.

>> So, it was an easy decision for me to integrate algebra early - both

> from a

>> mathematics pedagogy standpoint and from an adult student attitude

>> perspective (knowing that many feel insulted by a review of  

>> arithmetic

> even

>> if their entrance scores indicate that need).

>>

>> As to your question about the results obtained when students are

> introduced

>> to algebraic ideas early in their mathematics study, I'm afraid  

>> that I

> have

>> no data to substantiate better scores sooner.  (That topic may be one

> that a

>> practitioner would like to investigate as a project for the ANN

> practitioner

>> research grants.)

>>

>> Thanks for the question,

>> Myrna

>>

>>

>>

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment- 

>> bounces at nifl.gov]

> On

>> Behalf Of Lisa Mullins

>> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 7:02 AM

>> To: The Assessment Discussion List

>> Subject: [Assessment 368] Re: Math anxiety and assessment

>>

>> Myrna,

>> In your book The Problem Solver you tackle algebraic

>> concepts in the very beginning of the book.  This is

>> in contrast to many books on the market.  I use this

>> technique as well.  My students are caught by the fact

>> that algebra (a scary term for some) is so simple and

>> can be used for many reasons. However, some people are

>> skeptical that this will result in better scores or

>> better understanding.

>>

>> Can you discuss the contrasts of learning math

>> beginning with whole numbers and working up to

>> algrebra versus using algebra as a problem solving

>> method with all number systems throughout the math

>> learning process.  Are the results better scores

>> sooner?

>>

>> Thanks,

>> Lisa Mullins

>> Hawkins County Adult Ed

>> Rogersville, Tennessee

>>

>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/assessment

>>

>>

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>>

>

> ---------------------------------------

> It is not the load that breaks you, it

> is the way you carry it.

>

> Beverly Davis

> ABE/GEDButler Community College

> Instructional Coordinator

> (316) 321-4030, ext. 113

> -------------------------------

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