Session # 1014 9:05 AM Numeracy + Information Literacy = Success Melissa Poremba, B.A., B.Math., B.Ed., LIT Dipl., We expertly use our libraries to support literacy skills development. Now let's use our same assets to support numeracy education! The library is the perfect place to curb "math anxiety" as we can show students that math is useful, interesting, relevant and even fun. Learn how to utilize your library's collections and services to integrate numeracy skills development in information literacy programming. Information literacy is defined as "the ability to acquire, critically evaluate, select, use, create and communicate information in ways which lead to knowledge and wisdom" (Information Literacy and Equitable Access (ILEA): Draft Document, Ministry of Education and Training, 1995). ~ p. 3 As Figure 1 demonstrates, information literacy encompasses "all other forms of literacy -- traditional literacy (the ability to read and write) and media literacy (the ability to critically evaluate and create media, such as television, advertising, news stories and movies) and numerical literacy (the ability to understand and solve problems with data and numbers)." (ILEA) ~ p. 3 ~ p. 4 To navigate a library, you need (and vice versa!) Increase awareness of the potential of the library to support numeracy education › Have traditionally focused on literacy (and where most are more comfortable) Give you the confidence to establish and promote your library as a destination for numeracy support and resources › You already have what you need Present a wide range of ideas for combining information literacy and numeracy initiatives › Don‘t be overwhelmed Inspire you to come up with more ways to integrate numeracy into your library‘s collections and programs › Can‘t possibly cover everything today › Adapt—every library is different “Math” words within the document: • graphs • pictographs • charts • data • problem solving • timelines • spreadsheets • tally charts • probability • surveys • samples • bias • reasonableness of results • matrices Sort and classify objects by characteristic and category (K) Identify parts of fictional texts such as table of contents and chapters (Gr. 1) Read pictures for information (Gr. 1) [i.e. size, number] Identify pattern books (Gr. 1) Identify major Dewey Decimal categories (Gr. 2) Begin to use the Dewey Decimal system, simple indexes and catalogues (Gr. 2) Use a table of contents, index and chapter headings (Gr. 2) Read simple pattern books, chart stories and non-fiction texts for pleasure and understanding Identify the parts of non-fiction texts such as indexes (Gr. 3) Begin to identify catalogue record elements (Gr. 3) Begin to use catalogues to locate materials by call number (Gr. 3) Identify Dewey Decimal sub-categories (Gr. 4) Use index in multi-volume works (Gr. 4) Compare fiction and nonfiction texts to classify their features (Gr. 4) Begin to search the Internet using keywords in single search engines (Gr. 5) Describe information anxiety and overload in contemporary society (Gr. 8) Select handbooks, almanacs and directories (Gr. 9) Verify the logic of argument (Gr. 9) Search the Internet using a range of strategies available in a variety of single search engines (Gr. 9) Select appropriate census material (Gr. 10) Analyze inaccuracy and ambiguity in information and their effect on argument (Gr. 10) Identify the role of information in society in such fields as criminology (Gr. 10) Interpret statistical information in varied media such as handbooks, yearbooks, almanacs and reports (Gr. 10) Describe different classification systems (Gr. 11) Explain ways of making information secure such as encryption (Gr. 11) Analyze both inductive and deductive arguments and evaluate the logic of their conclusions (Gr. 12) In other words … there are numerous examples!!! Main categories/perspectives › Library organization and collections › Individual items as manipulatives › Content of the resources Direct and indirect › Research/Searching techniques Main audiences Students (range of abilities and interests) Teachers Information literacy lessons Numeracy skills instruction supporting supporting numeracy skills instruction information literacy lessons Important to be aware of mathematics curriculum • Are you introducing a new topic?* • Are you expanding upon a topic already taught in the math class? Collaborating with teachers is essential *Not teaching the math! Dewey Decimal System Library organization and collections › Where are the non-fiction books? › How can you tell? What are the 10 main Dewey Classes? › Why ten? › In what other ways could we classify and organize the library collection? › How have you organized your books at home? In your classroom? › What are the main sub-classes? (Division) › Move through Dewey hundreds to thousands › Discuss: 398 and 813 › Look at OCLC http://www.oclc.org/dewey/resources/summaries/#300 Sample bookmark from Demco Searching/Researching › Locating items on the shelves (Not trivial!) › Record call number from catalogue, match to shelf location, locate exact match › How are shelves labeled? Do you need to locate the correct bay first? Then the correct shelf? (Order, inequalities, notion of ―range‖) › Whole numbers then decimals › Decimals require knowledge of place value http://holmanlibraryblog.blogspot.com/ › Watch terminology: 599.29 vs. 599.4 › Search for a subject and see how many ranges of Dewey numbers treat that subject DDC is a complex and nuanced classification system—worthy of lots of attention! Every time you guide a student in locating a non-fiction book on the shelves, every time you train a page (library helper), you are essentially reviewing a mathematics lesson! Be aware of the progression of steps (spiral the curriculum) Extremely important that students understand the universality of this system http://frank.mtsu.edu/~vvesper/dewey2.htm Must practice ―Order in the Library‖ http://users.ece.utexas.edu/~valmstrum/s2s/utopia/library4/src/library4.html ―Shelved: Librarian Game‖ app for iPad and iPhone http://speakquietly.blogspot.com/2011/01/librarian-game.html Collection as manipulatives › Evaluate expressions involving decimals and search for items with corresponding Dewey numbers › Take several books and perform operations with their Dewey numbers › Organize scavenger hunt matching math question answers to call numbers › ―Dewey Decimal Sudoku‖ in School Library Media Activities Monthly http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com/artic les/Montgomery2007v23n10.html Look for teachable moments Seize opportunities › Formal › informal Try to seamlessly integrate › We all use math every day! Ratio • Proportion of collection in various genres, formats, etc.; • Compare with number of shelves in various genres Rate • If purchase books at rate x and weed at rate y . • If we have 4 copies of the book, the regular loan period is two weeks and you are 15th in the queue, when are you likely to obtain the book? • What is the most popular book in the collection? How would we determine this? Estimation • Do you think we have more picture books or more fiction books? • Number of items in collection, in each section of the collection – what information would you need? • Do we have enough space to combine the softcover and hardcover picture books? Problem solving • What information would you need to calculate the approximate value of the books in the collection? • What should we do with books that are never borrowed? • What if we keep purchasing new books but not discarding? Have students tally, chart and/or graph their findings How many numbers can you find on/in a book? (ISBN, price, pages, chapters, reading level, date, Dewey number, edition, etc.) Have you seen a book with an unusual page numbering pattern? What did we gain by switching to ISBN-13? How many more items can we uniquely identify? Why do we need barcodes? (or library cards?) Reference collection is excellent place to study concept of ‗relative size‘ as ‗biggest books‘ usually located there. What does ‗biggest book‘ mean? Use duplicate copies and Big Books (read aloud size) to demonstrate ‗similar‘ and ‗congruent‘ Shape of books Golden ratio Merchandising—appeal The geometry of bookshelves!!! Library architecture and design ―The Library as Shape‖ in The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel (p. 129-161) The mathematics of bookmaking Book fairs › What is the total value of the books on your wish list? › Did you qualify to get the promotional prize (min. $25)? › You have $15 to spend and the books you have selected cost… › What value of books would each person in the school need to purchase for us to reach our goal? The library budget is $1000, what combination of items from the wish list/Forest of Reading list can we afford to purchase? Why are students charged for lost books? Overdue books? Are donated books really ‗free‘? Collection can be categorized based on many ‗attributes‘ (hardcover/soft-cover, fiction/nonfiction, reference/circulating, etc.) Arrange selection of books into various patterns based on attributes Overlap with Venn diagrams Discussion of the geometric patterns of the Laurentian Library‘s tile floor designed by Michelangelo: http://ralph.cs.cf.ac.uk/papers/Geometry/Laurentian.pdf Activity: Book Drive › Sort books: fiction, non-fiction, picture books › Tally books in each category › Use Excel to make chart and graph › Submit to newsletter Learn to use OPAC features by answering questions such as › How many books do we have