5 Ways to Improve Mathematical Literacy

 When I was in school, they didn't worry if we were not mathematically literate.  They were more concerned with following the process to arrive at answers.  They didn't care if you understood the concepts behind solving equations.

In recent years, there has been a move towards having students read about the concepts, write about the concepts and be able to display visual representations of the concepts.

There are so many ways to have students read, write, discuss, and represent mathematical concepts so they are mathematically literate.  I include discussion because it's important for students to express their thoughts verbally.

1.  Have students work a problem from their homework or from an assignment.  Give them a chance to explain their way of solving it to others.  Many teachers will ask students to do this on the board in front of people but some students are extremely shy.  This is when something like Flipgrid comes in handy because students can record themselves explain the problem while not feeling as if they are singled out.  This can also be done via a voice over animation or other creative way.

2. Have students explain a problem they answered incorrectly.  Have them show exactly where they made the mistake, what they should have done, and rework the problem till they get the correct answer.  They can also take time to explain why they made the mistake.  This can be done via Flipgrid or via a voice over. 

3. Let students create quizzes and answer keys based on the current material using any number of quiz making software.  The teacher can arrange to administer a quiz made from student quizzes to administer to everyone, or assign students into pairs and they can take each other's quiz.

4. Have students create a video explaining the current concept as if it would be posted to Youtube so others could watch it and learn.  This type of activity requires that students plan what they will say and how they will cover the material.

5. Have student answer a question on an exit ticket using a QR code to convey the information  or provide a quick answer via email or answer on google classroom.  In the exit ticket they can explain why they need to do something, or reflect on something from the day's lesson.

These are 5 digital ways to improve mathematical literacy in the classroom.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

What is Mathematical Literacy

Have you every stopped to look up mathematical literacy? Have you determined what elements you need to cover for your students to be mathematically literate?  Well, go no further because this answers those questions.

For a student to be mathematically literate they need:

1.  To be fluent in basic facts and computation.  It is important for students to be fluent in their basic facts because higher level math is built upon those basic facts.  In addition, fluency indicates that they've stored the information in their long term memories where it is easily accessed.  This means, they have freed up space in their working memory for higher level mathematics and to increase their problem solving abilities.

When a student is not fluent with the basic facts, they often get confused when working through more complex problems and are often lost.  This may be why my students who have to use their fingers to add or multiply often are not sure what their next step is.  These students struggle working their way through the process and often give up.

Furthermore, when they are not fluent in their basic facts, they focus on the calculations and often are unable to finish the longer assignments.  This can extend to other topics such as science or geography because they are focused on completing the math rather than seeing the whole topic.  One last thing, a students fluency in the basic facts can determine how well they do later in life.

2.  To learn math concepts beyond arithmetic.  It is this that helps students learn number sense so they know if an answer they found is reasonable or off base. When a student has number sense, they are able to think more flexibly and they become more confident.  When they lack number sense, they also lack the basic foundation needed for simple arithmetic.

3. To connect math to other subjects.  Its important for students to see that math is used in other subjects such as science, geography, architecture, business, and other things.  It becomes so much more relevant when they see math outside of class.

4. To reason mathematically. This means that students can follow arguments developed by others and create their own to prove or justify their answers.  A student who can reason mathematically can also look at questions and propositions in different ways, create and test hypothesis, figure out counter examples, draw conclusions, and figure out different ways to approach problems when stuck.  In other words, it helps us make sense of the world.

One way to help develop this is to begin with an open ended problem or an exploratory exercise so students have experienced the concept before presenting the theoretical segment.

5. To communicate using graphs, models, symbols, and language.  This is a way for students to exchange ideas and knowledge using both spoken and nonverbal methods.  It is important to help students develop this ability with modeling and practice.  Its a bit different communicating mathematical ideas than it is ideas from literature.  

In addition, when students are able to communicate using graphs, models, symbols, and language, it improves their understanding of mathematical concepts by melding their ideas with others.  It expands and refines their understanding.

6. To solve problems confidently.  When a student is able to solve problems confidently, they are more sure of themselves and open to learning more.  They are not restricted by their lack of ability but able to move forward to and be willing to try problems that may be a bit more difficult.

So know you know the six parts of mathematical literacy.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.