Mar 17 2009
Critical Numeracy in the classroom
From being introduced to this topic of critical numeracy, it has occured to me that it maybe even more important to teach students to have a healthy distrust of numbers and the way some numbers are represented in the media as well.
To be honest, I had never really thought about it much before. I have what some might call a healthy distrust for every thing! Some might say alittle to healthy. I just question everything naturally so until doing this topic I never thought that I would have to teach students to question numbers, because of the way they are used in society. Because while we are doing and learning maths in class, it is either right or wrong! There is no question, it either is or it isn’t and we as teachers , teach children that! Therefore they naturally learn to never question numbers.
So it makes sense that we need to teach students to guide against the different forms society use numbers to sway the general publics thinking because of that fact! “Sneeky Sneeky”, and unless you are aware of the differnt forms that numbers can take on and can be used to do that, then you are liable to be taken advantage of.
Now I dont know about you but, I am intrested in helping create a smart, intelligent, multi literate band of childern who will go on and take the future by the balls and give them a little bit of squeeze. So they have the knowledge to guard against the sneeky tactics that governments, companies, the media use numbers to trick us.
We can do this by first looking at how companies use the $1999, because it seems cheaper, then get the students go out into the community, to see if they can find more ways that compaines try and trick us using numbers. Also get them to look at shows like Acurrent Affair and Today Tonight, as they are very good at perverting numbers and graphs to adhere and push their particular agendas.
So long as we do this kind of work with a our students in the class, Give examples show graphs and get them to look for inconsistancies etc, then I think we will be on the right track to helping the students to become proactive agents in the community, and so they can guide against the power of perverted numbers!! (”,)
Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
I made a similar comment on another blog, that the use of current affairs programs could be useful for the teaching of critical numeracy and some fun homework for students. Who said that Today Tonight wasn’t educational!
I enjoy your candid manner of speaking about this topic! Especially the part about teaching your students to take the future by the balls etc! Your blog shows good honest reflection about the subject and has inspired me to thik about critical numeracy on a bit more of a personal level rather that generating a typical academic response. Thanks for your help!