Weaving the Arts Into Math Curriculum

Are Computer Skills the New Basic Skills? The Returns to Computer, Writing and Math Skills in Britain

Suppose a teacher in an urban high school wanted to do more than survive. Suppose he wanted to do the job right. Sharpening his pencil and firing up his calculator, Mr. Gleibermann decided to find out just how long that would take. ********** TWO WEEKS after a year of urban high school teaching, I sat down to calculate how many hours a week it would take to leave no child behind. That's no child out of 150, since last year I taught five classes a day, averaging 30 students a class, in a San Francisco public school. I added methodically: teaching five sections of two separate courses every day, tutoring all the students who needed extra help to pass, evaluating papers and projects, and collaborating with other teachers to shape the school's academic program. The total was 140 hours per week. Discovering this mathematical absurdity softened my long-standing despair. Throughout my teaching career, I worked inhuman hours and yet wondered if I was giving enough. Only by putting the raw statistics on paper did I find an antidote to self-blame. I finally discerned that when a great many of my students fall by the academic wayside, the blame belongs not to me, but to a system that would require a teacher to work 140 hours a week to support all his students. How did I arrive at such a frightening figure as 140? The deciding variable is the time required to respond to the academic needs of each individual student. Consider writing as a test case. In a couple of hours I can craft and deliver a focused and engaging writing lesson on thesis design, embedding quotations, or parallel construction and have students edit one another's essays and take notes from a PowerPoint display. But if the goal is to ensure that each of my 150 students can apply the lesson to essay writing and take a step toward passing the writing portion of the state exit exam, no elegant lesson with any group of 30 students will ever succeed. Having high school sophomores learn to write by observing me construct a coherent paragraph on an overhead screen is the instructional equivalent of teaching them to ride a bicycle by showing videotapes. Writing is a complex mental journey. Children need a mentor to navigate the way. If they are going to succeed, I will need to coach many of them individually outside the regular school day. Conscientious teachers who are determined to open academic doorways for all students have been aware for decades that they lack the resources to meet the needs of well over 100 students. But recent state and federal education policy has brought this condition to public awareness. The goal of No Child Left Behind appears admirable: by the year 2014 every child in the nation will test to proficiency in core math and literacy skills. In addition, most states now require seniors to pass an exit exam to receive a diploma. California's high school class of 2006 was the first to fall under this requirement, following a delay four years ago when more than half of the first cohort failed. However, as we investigate what schools need to reach these ambitious goals, we publicly expose a difficult truth that teachers have long experienced one arduous day at a time. Our school system is based on a 19th-century factory model that cycles 150 students a day through a teacher's classroom, a process that was never intended to ensure that all students achieve high-level skills. But we have yet to promote alternative models that might point us toward universal success or to provide resources for public education that would appreciably reduce teacher workload. The current testing regimen and stricter teacher credentialing requirements of recent education policy do not even touch the deeper structural problem. Until we begin to provide resources that, at a minimum, allow teachers to work with far fewer students, any teacher who aims for universal success prescribes for himself eventual mental exhaustion. …

Talent & Technology The oil and gas industry is facing a progressively more complex work environment that is ever-shifting, less predictable, challenging, multidisciplinary, and increasingly global, with more complicated technical problems to be solved. There is also more public awareness and interest in what we do, how we do what we do, and who we are. Combined with our industry’s rapidly changing demographics, these developments stress the need for development of competencies within a spectrum ranging from emotional intelligence/soft skills to technical skills. In the new work environment, new attributes are rewarded and, although developing technical literacy is highly regarded, the necessity of acquiring soft skills is gaining recognition and is considered equally critical for success. In an article published in the August 2012 issue of JPT, the SPE Soft Skills Council discussed the critical need for technical professionals in the future to learn and refine a number of important nontechnical (soft) competencies that have a great impact on the bottom line. With the increasing role of technology and the mixture of social, environmental, political, and economic construct across our industry, the essence of the council’s message was that there is a requirement for finer attunement and shedding of parochial paradigms. This follow-up article introduces a proposed competency matrix as a tool to identify soft skills gaps at various stages of one’s career. Gaining Importance Soft skills are about broadening our views and perspectives to enable us to perceive the interdependent nature of our work within our respective organizations and, even more importantly, within a larger social, political, ecological context. By remembering our humanity, we are provided with the possibility to develop sustainable technical and business strategies that consider both the intended and unintended consequences of our solutions. Recognizing the critical importance of soft competencies, Albert Einstein said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” A century later, the dominant paradigm about what may be the key for technical professionals’ career success is shifting from technical know-how to an equally or more important soft competencies. Obviously, technical attributes are core to our industry. However, for some years, the quality and strength of human interactions have been increasingly presented as at least equally important in sustaining business success for individuals and their organizations. J.W. Marriott, chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, said, “To succeed in today’s workplace, young people need more than basic reading and math skills. They need math skills. They need substantial content knowledge and information technology skills; advanced thinking skills, flexibility to adapt to change; and interpersonal skills to succeed in multicultural, cross-functional teams.”

THE puzzling title of the subject line on the e-mail read, Is This Progress? Attached was an electronic copy of recent Kappan article titled Arts/Technology: What Are We Doing? (June 2007). For many years now, those of us within the technology profession have argued that we need to stop talking to ourselves and start taking our message both to the broader community of educators and to the public at large. As recently as mid-June of 2007, the leadership of the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) had discussed the possibility of approaching the Kappan about publishing an article on contemporary technology education. So it was with both surprise and excitement that we found the article by James Howlett and Brad Huff attached to our e-mail. After reading the article, the subject line of the e-mail made sense. Howlett and Huff made two excellent points. The first is the strong relationship between basic skills in math and reading and such technical skills as machining, drafting, and working with electricity or electronics. The second is the notion that the public school curriculum is fast being turned into two-subject curriculum courtesy of No Child Left Behind. Beyond those key points, though, the article portrayed an overly vision of technology that left us--and the rest of the leadership of our profession--feeling that grand opportunity to explain the valuable role that technology can play as part of the general public school curriculum had been wasted. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, INDUSTRIAL ARTS, AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION To better understand our disappointment with what Howlett and Huff presented under the label of arts/technology, it would be helpful to provide some historical and philosophical perspective on the differences between education, industrial arts, and technology education. To the layperson, the terms and technology seem closely related, perhaps even synonymous. However, closer examination of typical definitions shows that they are very different. For example, the legislature in Washington State provided the following definition of education: The term vocational education means planned series of learning experiences, the specific objective of which is to prepare individuals for gainful employment as semi-skilled or skilled workers or technicians or sub-professionals in recognized occupations and in new and emerging occupations. (1) In contrast, the Standards for Technological Literacy defined technology as a study of technology, which provides an opportunity for students to learn about the processes and knowledge related to technology that are needed to solve problems and extend human capabilities. (2) This same document also advocated that all students in K-12 can become technologically literate and should be given the opportunity to do so. It provided an intellectual framework, spanning the K-12 system, for the study of the human-made world (i.e., technology) that included medical, agricultural, and related biotechnologies, as well as energy and power, information and communication, transportation, manufacturing, and construction technologies. From these vantage points, it becomes clear that focuses on trade preparation, whereas technology is broader in terms of content (the study of major technological sectors in the human-made world) and its intended audience (all students at all grade levels). Arguably, the relationship between industrial arts and technology is more complex. Industrial arts was the predecessor to technology education. The term industrial arts first appeared in the literature in 1904, when Charles Richards, editor of Manual Training Magazine, proposed it. His suggestion for the name was part of an editorial intended to redirect the educational focus of manual training. …

The strong association between unemployment and drug addiction suggests that employment interventions are an important and needed focus of drug-addiction treatment. The increasing necessity of possessing basic academic skills to function in the workplace may require that some individuals receive educational training along with vocational training. This study investigated the academic skills of drug-addicted and chronically-unemployed adults (N = 559) who were enrolled in one of six studies conducted at the Center for Learning and Health in Baltimore, MD. Upon study enrollment, academic skills in math, spelling, and reading were examined using the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-3 or WRAT-4) and educational history was examined using the Addiction Severity Index-Lite. Although participants completed an average of 11 years of education, actual academic skill level was at or below the seventh grade level for 81% of participants in math, 61% in spelling, and 43% in reading, and most participants were classified as Low Average or below based on age group norms. Despite the fact that participants in this analysis were studied across several years and were from diverse populations, rates of high school completion and academic skill levels were remarkably similar. Programs designed to improve the long-term employment status of drug-addicted individuals may benefit from the inclusion of basic adult education; future research on the topic is needed. Although establishing basic skills does not directly address chronic unemployment, it may help individuals obtain the jobs they desire and function effectively in those jobs.

One of the primary goals of adult basic education programs is to help individuals develop the reading, writing, and math skills necessary to access stable employment opportunities. In the US, this need has been largely overlooked by the burgeoning educational technology sector. To understand how learning technologies might support these learners and what challenges program providers might face as they implement technology platforms, we conducted a study of 5 learning technology products across 11 states in the US. The study involved the participation of 14 program sites, 105 instructors, and 1596 adult learners. We documented the intended use of each product, ensured that educators got the appropriate training on the products, and collected pre- and post-scores on literacy and numeracy assessments. Overall, the effects on learning estimated for math were slightly larger than for reading. Moderate to large statistically reliable positive impacts were found for one product within one program site, and a moderate to large statistically significant negative effect was found for another product also within a single site. We offer recommendations for future research on the use of technology to support teaching and learning in this important area of education.

Children with dyscalculia show deficits in basic numerical processing which cause difficulties in the acquisition of mathematical skills. This article provides an overview of current research findings regarding the symptoms, cause, and prognosis of dyscalculia, and it summarizes recent developments in the diagnosis, early intervention, and treatment thereof. Diagnosis has improved recently because newly developed tests focus not only on the math curriculum, but also on basic skills found to be impaired in dyscalculia. A controversial debate continues with regard to IQ achievement discrepancy. International studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of specialized interventions. This article summarizes the research findings from intervention studies, describes different treatment approaches, and discusses implications for clinical practice.

Human beings understand and interpret what is happening around them in their mother tongue. It is a fact that in recent years, language teaching has been given importance as a communication tool. Each language carries out the processes of understanding and explaining, consisting of its own specific structures and rules. In terms of the basic language skills involved in these two processes, the behaviours and methods of language learners and teachers who will ensure that they can use their mother tongue correctly are very important. The historical development of multilingualism in Kazakhstan consists of several stages. Multilingualism has brought with it problems in Kazakh teaching in Kazakhstan. For this purpose, it is important to determine the opinions of classroom teachers about teaching the Kazakh language in terms of word structure, the suitability of the contents of the textbooks, and the qualifications of teachers in language teaching. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with 19 classroom teachers working in Kazakhstan. In this study, the findings obtained using the qualitative research method were analysed in detail. It has been concluded that there are points where the contents of the textbooks are not suitable for the classroom teachers, the methods and techniques they use in language teaching are insufficient and these inadequacies cause problems.
 Keywords: Kazakh, language teaching, method and technique, language, speaking
 

A qualitative case study in 15 community colleges across the country found that learning assistance centers and specialized skills labs are an important means of increasing students' academic preparedness for postsecondary study. Since these facilities provide instruction or support in reading, writing, and math skills, it appears that they play a valuable remedial role. Most of the assistance occurs in the form of tutoring and computer-assisted instruction, and some of the centers also provide specialized learning workshops and self-paced remedial courses. The majority of colleges have several learning centers and labs, and duplication of services may explain the lower than expected demand for assistance services seen in some of the sites. However, the institutions consider the learning centers to be effective, and report positive outcomes including retention in college English and increase in GPA. Because, in some cases, recipients of learning assistance services display severe learning difficulties, tutors may benefit from professional development in instructional strategies for special-needs students. It is recommended that future research compare the effectiveness of learning assistance services and developmental education courses in boosting students' basic academic skills.

Results from an experiment in Fall 2013 of 902 incoming students at this university are reported. In this experiment, after students were given a basic math assessment to ensure they had the necessary math skills to take a principles of economics course, they were randomly allocated to a treatment or control group to test whether there was a significant impact of test format, calculator use, and calculator type on students’ scores. The interaction of calculator use/type and test format was also tested. The results from this experiment suggest that each treatment had a significant positive impact on students’ assessment scores, with much variation depending on the type of question asked and the level of performance. JEL Classifications: A22, C23

This study used ECLS-K 1998–1999 data to evaluate whether specific kindergarten teaching practices predicted school-year learning gains differently, depending on children’s ethnicity, SES, and fall test scores. Exploratory factor analyses guided the creation of four literacy and five math instruction composites from teachers’ reports of their teaching practices. The composites differentiated teaching activities that were child-centered versus skills-based and those that targeted basic versus advanced skills. Additionally, they served as predictors of year-end skill level in three-level hierarchical linear models. Literacy instruction composites showed no differential benefits. More frequent exposure to Applied Math (e.g., use math for word problems, use measuring instruments) was associated with higher average spring math scores among children who entered kindergarten with relatively high math skills but not among children who entered kindergarten with relatively low math skills.

This single subject design study (ABAB) investigated the effects of using iPads in a classwide academic intervention to increase independent task completion and basic math skills of seven students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) enrolled in a special education school. The study also examined the advantages of and challenges to using iPads for classroom instruction. Traditional basic math instruction was used for the baseline phase, while a basic math skill app on an iPad was used for the intervention phase. Math probes were completed and the results recorded for four to five sessions for each of the four weeks of the study. Data on level of teacher prompting and presence of noncompliant behaviors were collected during every phase. Descriptive and visual analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. Findings expand current knowledge of the use of single subject design to document the effect of evidence-based practices in special education. Results were mixed for math skill development, but indicated an increase in independent task completion as demonstrated by a decrease in noncompliant behaviors and teacher prompt levels. Findings suggest iPads can be an effective instructional tool to enhance learning and independence. Contributions, limitations, and future research are presented.

This challenging compilation of multi-step word problems is designed to strengthen basic math and problem-solving skills among 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Solving Word Problems for Life, Grades 6-8offers students who struggle with math a daily opportunity to improve their skills. The book offers 180 math word problems. The first 30 focus on 6th-grade math standards, the second 30 on 7th-grade standards, and the last 30 on 8th-grade standards. There is also a section of more difficult, extra-credit problems titled "Hard-Hat Thinking". All of the activities are designed to strengthen basic math skills and problem-solving ability. Six visual cues—a hammer for adding, a screwdriver for subtracting, gears for multiplying, a saw for dividing, a tape measure for measuring, and a level for averaging—remind the students which math process to follow and further reinforce their skills. Catering to the growing need to prepare students for gateway tests, the problems here target the areas that appear on these tests most frequently. In this era of accountability, every teacher is concerned with student achievement and adequate yearly progress. This book can help.

In October of 1992, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Merex Corporation began a pilot basic skills program to enhance workers` skills. The program, known as the NEWS (Now Enhancing Working Skills) Program, was implemented by the Training and Development Group of the Human Resources Division. A group of 106 employees known as Radiological Control Technicians (RCTs) from ESH-1 (Environmental, Safety, and Health) were targeted to take mandated DOE (Department of Energy) training. The main goal of the LANL/Merex partnership was to help RCTs prepare for mandated DOE Rad Con training and job performance by improving their information processing and math skills. A second goal of this project was to use the information from this small group to make some predictions about the Laboratory as a whole. This final report contains the description and an appendix for the ``NEWS`` program. The topics in this report include Merex class descriptions, test score results for the MAT, the WAT, the TABE, and Challenge test, a follow-up survey to Merex IPS and math training, student feedback statistics for skills programs, and lessons learned from the program.

Various authors estimate that between 10 and 20 per cent of school-age children exhibit emotional and behavioural problems (Kottler and Kottler, 1993; Vernon, 1993; Mental Health Foundation, 1999; Thompson and Rudolph, 2000). This reinforces the importance of teachers being able to use basic counselling skills in order to help a substantial number of their students. In fact, Mosley (1993, p. 105) firmly believes that ‘personal counselling is an essential activity which should be included in all schools’. In order to fulfil their pastoral duties and play their part in the teaching of personal and social education (PSE), all teachers need to have basic counselling skills, and at least one teacher in each school needs to have developed specialist expertise in counselling (McGuiness, 1998). The purpose of this book is to help classroom teachers, and those in schools responsible for pastoral care and PSE, to develop effective counselling skills and intervention strategies.