By Dr. Lesley Farmer, CSI Committee Chair
• As
you know the library standards state that students should be able to access,
evaluate and use information, ans well as integrate information literacy skills
into all areas of learning. Numeracy is part of information literacy so
libraries do need to offer a range of materials in different formats that can
inform students about math: from math-oriented picture books (e.g., concept
books, visuals,biographies, embedded math in stories) to online math tutorials
(e.g., www.math.com, www.khanacademy.org, www.mathplanet.com). Titles can vary from
Jon Scieszka’s Math Curse to Danica
McKellar’s Math Doesn’t Suck, and
Edwin Abbott’s Flatland. Recreational
math books can pique student interest in
math, such as The Mathematics of Oz,
Golden Meaning, The Grapes of Math. But, wait, there’s more. Librarians can
also provide links to repositories of resources that include math (e.g., http://www.merlot.org
, http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Content_Directories,
https://nsdl.oercommons.org/).
The new
math standards differ from proscriptive specific objectives such as “Solve
quadratic equations” in that they focus on mathematical reasoning more than
rote skills. When teachers ask a student to express as a function, they also
want students to explain their problem-solving process and thinking. Let’s take
a look at each math practice, and how they align with ICT literacy and library
standards.
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Extracting meaning is a core information literacy skills, and perseverence is critical for inquiry.
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Research skills involve inferential thinking. Being able to represent information numerically is an important literacy skill as well.
- Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Critical thinking and comparing conflicting information are key skills for both research processing and communication. Critiquing can lead to the deepr concept of peer review.
- Model with mathematics. As with #2, understanding and being able to represent information in different ways helps extract key features.
- Use appropriate tools strategically. Matching the resource to the task, and using that tool effectively, are core literacy practices.
- Attend to precision. Anyone who knows what happens if cataloging or shelving is incorrect appreciates this practice.
- Look for and make use of structure. Information structure, such as the DDC and databases, are central functions of information organizatoin and retrieval.
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Building on prior knowledge, such as citation styles and searching strategies, accelerates learning.
Furthermore, math includes several
aspects of reading literacy:
• Focusing
on discipline-specific vocabulary
• Noting
unique text structures found in informational text
• Developing
informational and technical writing skills
• Focusing
on critical analysis and evidence.
Here are some of the associated
specific math standard indicators:
• Determine
the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases
as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to
grade-level texts and topics. (6-12.RST.4)
• Cite
specific textual evidence to support analysis of math and other technical
texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
(6-8.ST.1)
• Translate
quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual
form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or
mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words. (9-10.ST.7)
• Write
arguments focused on discipline-specific content (6-12.WHST.1)
• Write
informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of math/technical
processes (6-12.WHST.2)
• Develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been
addressed. (6-8.WHST.5)
Digital literacy is also found in
the math standards, as follows:
• Practice
reading screen-based texts
• Practice
in digital writing (including math symbols)
• Practice
in collaborative writing
• Practice
in working with informational texts (e.g., links)
• Practice
in using math-based simulations.
So how do TLs get started in
collaborating with math teachers? The most obvious first step is to jointly look
at the math standards and the state
math framework and align them with
the model school library standards. Together identify the prerequisite
information and digital literacy skills needed for students to be successful
mathematically. Librarians should give a tour of the library’s resources that
support math (don’t forget math-related materials such as almanacs and
spreadsheet applications); library collections, especially in primary grades,
should also include math manipulatives. Together, TLs and math techers can
develop information-rich learning activities that meld math and ICT
literacy. Here are some math-related learning
activity idea starters:
• Compare
numerical systems around the world
• Locate
newspaper stories that involve math
• Research
how sports uses math
• Research
the impact of technology on math – and impact of math on technology
• Locate
and conduct statistics on data sets
• Capture
photos of geometry in nature
• Create
a math-based infographic
• Create
a graphic novel about a math concept
• Use
drawing software to make tessellations
• Explore
math-related careers.
More Resources:
- Sacramento County Office of Education
- Illustrative Mathematics
- Council of Chief State School Officers
- Harvard Education Letter: Nine ways CCSS will change classroom practice
- Smarter Balanced Consortium
- EduCore
