LVA-GTE Family Literacy and Technology Project
Resource Link #99-2
Compiled by Chip Carlin, LVA/GTE Technology Coordinator

Thanks to those of you who submitted answers to GTE WebQuest 2. We'll announce the winner of the $100.00 educational software gift certificate this week. Watch for the next WebQuest during February.

Best regards,

Chip

Chip Carlin
Literacy Volunteers of America - New York State
LVA - GTE Project Technology Coordinator
120 W. State St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607.273.0634
Fax 607.273.0840
[email protected]

Recently, Classroom Connect pointed out that the "online world is quickly becoming a source of primary information for both teachers and students. Considering the enormous amount of information available online we all need to be able to critically evaluate Web pages for authenticity, authorship, bias, and usability."

For this Resource Link, I'll be focusing on Internet resources for Math and Numeracy and as you explore these sites, evaluate them for their applicability to your needs.

According to educator, Kathy Schrock: "Knowing what type of information is appropriate for particular purposes, knowing how to find such information easily, and evaluating information, may be called information literacy, digital literacy, media literacy, or techno-literacy. Paul Gilster best defines the concept in his book, Digital Literacy:

"Digital literacy is the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers... (Not) only must you acquire the skill of finding things, you must also acquire the ability to use those things in your life. Acquiring digital literacy for Internet use involves mastering a set of core competencies. The most essential of these is the ability to make informed judgments about what you find on-line." (Gilster, 1997)
-----from Evaluation of World Wide Web Sites: An Annotated Bibliography by Kathleen Schrock -- available at http://ericir.syr.edu/ithome/digests/edoir9802.html

Schrock also has "WWW evaluation tools" at her WWW site: http://discoveryschool.com/schrockguide/eval.html

To highlight some of her ideas:

Content Validity
The most important area to consider when evaluating a Web site is the content. Students need to be able to recognize when a Web page is a thinly disguised commercial or opinion page or when it is strictly a source of information. More importantly, the student needs to realize when each type of page is appropriate for his/her purpose or task. If possible all information should be verified in a traditional edited print/electronic source. To put it simply:

• A Web page should be readable on a 14" monitor, with graphics turned on or off or via a text-based browser.
• It should adhere to the standard HTML conventions.
• A page should be user-friendly, well-organized, and all links should work.
• Information should be present to contact the author of a site.
• The content should be verifiable and replicable.
• The content should add to the existing body of knowledge in a unique way.

Another good WWW evaluation form -- CyberGuide Ratings for Content Evaluation-- can be found at: http://www.cyberbee.com/guide1.html

********** FOCUS ON MATH and NUMERACY **********

There is an Adult Education listserv for Numeracy and if you're interested in subscribing:

Send an e-mail message to: [email protected]

In the body of the message type subscribe numeracy

(turn off your Signature -- if you use one)

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MATH LESSON PLANS

If you are looking for math lesson plans, for adults and for children in adult literacy and family literacy programs, here are some places to start:

• ERIC
  Math Lesson Plans from AskERIC
  http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/Mathematics/index.html
  Check out "Applied Math" section for plans that could be adapted to adults.

• Math Forum Internet Projects
  ***This is a great resource***
  http://forum.swarthmore.edu/~steve/steve/mathprojects.html

• Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN)
  http://www.otan.dni.us

• Lesson Plan Place
  This is a very large lesson plan clearinghouse and there are many lessons for math. Site also has links to other sites like SkyMath.
  http://www.inet-edu.com/lessons/index.html

• TeachNet
  http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/index.html

• Teachers Helping Teachers: Math Activities by Dr. Scott Mandel
  http://www.pacificnet.net/~mandel/Math.html

• North Carolina Lesson Plans
  http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/Curriculum/LssnPlns.html

• Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
  http://www.enc.org/

• The Mid-Atlantic Eisenhower Consortium for Mathematics and Science Education
  http://www2.rbs.org/

• K-12 Lesson Database
  http://archives.math.utk.edu/k12.html

• The Math Forum
  http://forum.swarthmore.edu/

• Math Lesson Plans by Dr. Vicki F. Sharp and Dr. Richard M. Sharp
  California State University
  http://www.csun.edu/~vceed009/math.html

• Classroom Projects
  the L.A. County Office of Education Teams Math
  http://teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/projects/projects.html

• Lessons Developed by Susan Boone/ A program of the Center for Research on Parallel Computing
  http://www.crpc.rice.edu/CRPC/GT/sboone/Lessons/lptitle.html

MATH RESOURCES

• Adult Numeracy Special Collectionbr> Ohio Literacy Resource Center/ Midwest Hub - NIFL
  http://archon.educ.kent.edu/Midwest/Math/index2.html

• Let's Do Math / the U.S. Department of Education
  http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/LearnPtnrs/math.html

• Ask Dr. Math
  http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.math/dr-math.html

• Math Magic
  http://forum.swarthmore.edu/mathmagic/

• Homework Central
  http://www.homeworkcentral.com

INTERACTIVE SITES and IDEAS FOR MATH

• Flashcards For Kids
  http://www.edu4kids.com/math/

• Exploring Maps
  http://www.usgs.gov/education/learnweb/Maps.html
  A noteworthly set of lessons from the US Geological Survey. Four part unit geared toward grades 7 to 12 but you may be able to adapt the ideas to lower levels.

• MapQuest
  http://www.mapquest.com/

• MapQuest Map Project
  http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbsmat/MapProject/scale.html

• Daily Weather Reports
  http://www.weather.com/

• Temperature Project
  http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbsmat/temp/temp.html

• Population (US Census)
  http://www.census.gov

• Population (World Fact Book)
  http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

• Population Activity
  http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbsmat/population/pop.html

MISCELLANEOUS

• Calculators Online
  http://www-sci.lib.uci.edu/HSG/RefCalculators.html

• About Today's Date
  http://acorn.educ.nottingham.ac.uk/cgi-bin/daynum

• The Math Humor Page
  http://www.cyberspc.mb.ca/~dcc/phys/humor_ma.html

For Family Literacy programs, there are some great resources online to help parents with teaching Math. Check out the U.S. Dept. of Education site and especially:

HELPING YOUR CHILD LEARN MATH U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement (with activities for children aged 5 through 13) By Patsy F. Kanter, January 1994 Foreward "Why?" This is the question we parents are always trying to answer. It's good that children ask questions: That's the best way to learn. All children have two wonderful resources for learning-- imagination and curiosity. As a parent, you can awaken your children to the joy of learning by encouraging their imagination and curiosity. Helping Your Child Learn Math is one in a series of books on different education topics intended to help you make the most of your child's natural curiosity. Teaching and learning are not mysteries that can only happen in school. They also happen when parents and children do simple things together. For instance, you and your child can: sort socks on laundry day-- sorting is a major function in math and science; cook a meal together--cooking involves not only math and science but good health as well; tell and read each other stories--storytelling is the basis for reading and writing (and a story about the past is also history); or play a game of hopscotch together--playing physical games will help your child learn to count and start on a road to lifelong fitness. By doing things together, you will show that learning is fun and important. You will be encouraging your child to study, learn, and stay in school. All of the books in this series tie in with the National Education Goals set by the President and the Governors. The goals state that, by the year 2000: every child will start school ready to learn; at least 90 percent of all students will graduate from high school; each American student will leave the 4th, 8th and 12th grades demonstrating competence in core subjects; U.S. students will be first in the world in math and science achievement; every American adult will be literate, will have the skills necessary to compete in a global economy, and will be able to exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; and American schools will be liberated from drugs and violence so they can focus on learning. This book is away for you to help meet these goals. It will give you a short rundown on facts, but the biggest part of the book is made up of simple, fun activities for you and your child to do together. Your child may even beg you to do them. At the end of the book is a list of resources, so you can continue the fun. As U.S. Education Secretary Lamar Alexander has said: The first teachers are the parents, both by example and conversation. But don't think of it as teaching. Think of it as fun.

***complete document at: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/index.html

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In the next LVA-GTE Resource Link, we'll look at "Math Software for Adults and for Children"

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A reminder that February is Black History Month.

"The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Human Rights and Community Relations Dept. is offering materials to help schools celebrate Black History Month. To order a kit, send a postcard to: AFT Human Rights and Community Relations Dept., 555 New Jersey Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20001

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