This assignment continues the theme of numeracy as the confidence and capability to choose and use mathematics as part everyday activity by inviting pairs of pre-service teachers to describe, conduct and present an investigation connected to an interest, task or problem from their lifeworlds.
The investigation needs to have a rich mathematical focus and lead to some action being taken. For example, choosing the “best” mobile phone plan to suit personal needs, costing and completing a landscaping project or vegetable patch or taking action to reduce personal or family use of a resource such as water, electricity, energy.
This assignment continues the theme of numeracy as the confidence and capability to choose and use mathematics as part everyday activity by inviting pairs of pre-service teachers to describe, conduct and present an investigation connected to an interest, task or problem from their lifeworlds.
The investigation needs to have a rich mathematical focus and lead to some action being taken. For example, choosing the “best” mobile phone plan to suit personal needs, costing and completing a landscaping project or vegetable patch or taking action to reduce personal or family use of a resource such as water, electricity, energy.
Preparation for assignment 3, choosing the “best” mobile phone plan to suit personal needs
You should do the following to prepare for this assignment:
• choose a peer partner;
• choose an investigation that provides opportunity exploration is rich in mathematics, involves aspects of financial mathematics and can lead to taking informed action;
• discuss the potential of this investigation with your course lecturer;
• revisit both Forrest (1997) and Scott (2000) and choose either framework;
• explore a possible medium to present your paired presentation such as:
o poster,
o web-page,
o PowerPoint, Keynote or Prezi,
o model,
o booklet or brochure
o photo story or video, and /or
o oral presentation with notes.
• become familiar with the assessment criteria as described on the assignment feedback form.
The assignment requires you to work in pairs and undertake an investigation of a mathematics rich interest, task or problem and then present the investigation and the actions their investigation suggests.
In particular the presentation should:
• briefly describe the focus of the investigation;
• describe how the investigation was planned and conducted with a focus thinking and working mathematically;
• identify key aspects of mathematics that were chosen and used to conduct the investigation, in particular which aspects of financial mathematics, number, geometry, data handling, chance and / or measurement;
• choose one aspect of mathematics key to the investigation and discuss this aspect of mathematics from historical perspective;
• discuss, with examples, how either the four roles of a numerate person (Forrest, 1997) or the essential ingredients of numeracy (Scott, 2000) underpin the investigation, and
• describe the personal action this investigation preciptated
• reference key resources used in both the investigation and the presentation.