I've been making 3D felt pieces for my City & Guilds Diploma in Stitched Textiles and yesterday set myself the task of making a felt hat that fitted me. My numeracy skills were put to the test!
Measuring around my head was straight forward enough. Then I had to measure over the top of my head from the same points, divide the head circumference in two, half the measurement of over the top of the head, allowing for shrinkage add 50% ....... and so on! (This isn't intended to be instructions on how to make a felt hat!)
(My hand writing will be a lot neater when this is a teaching resource!)
I reflected on the numeracy skills I was using and how I would input these skills when teaching. I tend to use metric rather than imperial measurements, I'd need to know which measurements each learner was most comfortable with. I'd need to have an idea of their numeracy skills. During initial assessment I'd need to ascertain their numeracy skills. Do other tutors have ideas to share on how to find out what numeracy skills learners have, in an interesting and fairly brief way?
I'd really enjoy a discussion on this.
My own numeracy skills have been put to the test and I'm pleased to say my hat fits very well!
7 comments:
Lizzie,
This is a great example of how important it is to know about learners' numeracy skills before undertaking a task. I know that Julie Bird is working with providers on supplying a simple tool which will help tutors identify these skills, as well as the skills learners already have in the given subject. I am going to forward your post to her and ask her to get in touch with you. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks Jane. I'd always be keen to keep this part of initial asessment as brief and friendly as possible.
Thanks Jane. I'd always be keen to keep this part of initial asessment as brief and friendly as possible.
I will also be interested to see the work Julie is doing. My ceramics course next term will include learners who are partially sighted and so although the Forge Centre have been very helpful with the promise of 'speaking' scales etc. I would like to hear from other tutors with their experience of how they ensure inclusive learning, especially with regard to embedding basic skills. Jane CD has set me up with a voice recorder so that I can create audio handouts. Thanks Lizzie for opening up such an interesting debate. I wonder how the 'tool' Julie is working on will be used. I know I have such a wide range of numeracy abilities in each class.
sara
Yes I'm keen to see the tool - my mentor described it and it seems it'll be very user friendly - v adaptable to each class.
It's great having a mentor Sara!
Thanks Lizzie, lightbulb thinking in practice! I would love you to share this exercise in the lightbulb follow up session.Could you send me the instructions you recieved?
Yes, a great example of having to have the necessary numeracy skills to perform a task.However, one would also require the appropriate literacy skills in order to follow what I would assume to be rather sophisticated instructions.
Best posting I've seen on here, but then I'm biased!
Thank you Rob!
Unfortunately I can't make it to the Follow-Up Light Bulb training due to a change in teaching time table.
The instructions I followed were from a felt making book - I'll bring it into Llantony tomorrow so you can use it next week if you'd like to.
I haven't taught this yet, the hat was my own piece of work, but I made it when my colleague Sara was there and we discussed the numeracy skills necessary, how we'd initially assess these skills, how we'd teach the hat making if people had low numeracy skills, and I decided to blog it!
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