Welcome to all Internet readers - we hope you find the Newsletter interesting and useful. ALM is an international research forum bringing together researchers and practitioners in adult mathematics/numeracy teaching and learning in order to promote the learning of mathematics by adults. ALM Officers 1994/5 Chair: Dr Diana Coben, Department of Educational Studies, Goldsmiths College, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, UK. Tel: +44 (0)171 919 7214 Fax: +44 (0)171 919 7313 Email: aea01dcc@gold.ac.uk . Secretary: Dhamma Colwell Treasurer: Sue Elliott Membership Sec: Kathy Safford WELCOME to the first issue of the ALM Newsletter. We aim to make this an essential read for ALM members and a way of making contact and keeping in touch with developments. ALM now has members in Australia, Finland, Ireland, Austria, The Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, UK and USA. Please send items of interest for the ALM Newsletter to Diana Coben (address above). BOOK NOW: ALM-2 THE SECOND ALM CONFERENCE July 7-9 1995 Come and share ideas, information and research findings about adults learning mathematics at the Second ALM Conference and AGM to be held at the University of Exeter, Exeter, UK, July 7-9 1995. The Keynote Speaker will be Paul Ernest, author of 'Mathematics Teaching: The State of the Art' and the provisional programme includes: 'Mathematics: Certainty in an Uncertain World?' Roseanne Benn; 'Learning Mathematics by Patients in a Special Hospital' Ann Elsy; 'Adults Learn Maths in Austria' Dr Juergen Maa§ and Dr Wolfgang Schlglmann; 'Qualitative Research in Adults Learning Math' Kathy Safford; 'Maths Life History: A Case Study' Diana Coben and Gillian Thumpston; 'What's the Difference Between a Puzzle and a Maths Question?' Robert Eastaway; 'A Multiplication Game for Adults' Wendy Hubbard... ... and many more... All welcome, reductions for ALM individual members. TO BOOK YOUR PLACE - Contact: Anne Chammings, CET Division, DCAE, University of Exeter, Cotley, Streatham Rise, Exeter, Devon EX4 4PE, UK tel. +44 (0)1392-411906 fax. +44 (0)1392-436082 OUT NOW: ALM-1 1994 CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS The Conference Proceedings from the founding conference, ALM-1, held at Fircroft College, in Birmingham, UK in July 1994, ISBN: 0 901 542 78 4. One copy will be sent free to current ALM members and everyone who attended the ALM-1 conference; £5 sterling* per additional copy including postage and packing (please make cheques out to Goldsmiths College). Contact: Diana Coben (address above) *US-based members and friends may pay in US dollars as follows: Individual member: $16; ALM-1 Conference Proceedings: $8. Please send your order with a US$ check (made out to Kathy Safford) to Kathy Safford, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, 10 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08903. Thanks. ........... NEWS + VIEWS EU: Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) TMR is a new programme of interest to ALM members in EU countries. Contact: European Commission, Directorate General for Science, Research and Development, DGXII-G Training and Mobility of Researchers, Office 5/34, Rue Montoyer 75, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium. tel. +32 2 296 0254; fax: +32 2 296 2136 or 2133 or 3270 or 295 6995. BSRLM MAILSERVER A mailserver has been set up for BSRLM (British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics), to act as a fast forum for communication and debate. To subscribe to the list (it's free) send the one word email messageto maths-education-request@nottingham.ac.uk. The list is managed by peter.gates@nottingham.ac.uk. ILI: INTERNATIONAL LITERACY INSTITUTE The new International Literacy Institute (ILI), jointly sponsored by UNESCO and the University of Pennsylvania, opened in September 1994 at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. ILI will mainly focus on developing countries and may have some activity in the area of adult numeracy/mathematics. ALM ON RADIO Interviews with Diana Coben, ALM Chair, about ALM were broadcast on: 'Education Matters' July 25 1994 on BBC Radio 4 and 'The Learning World' September 1994 on BBC World Service. FIRCROFT ON TV ALM member Joan O'Hagan and adults learning mathematics at Fircroft College (venue of the first ALM conference in 1994 and the initial meeting in 1993) featured in 'Numbed By Numbers', shown on BBC1 on 5 March 1995 in the 'Who Learns Wins' series. ........... COMING SOON PDME-3: POLITICAL DIMENSION OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION Conference, 24-28 July 1995 in Bergen, Norway, on 'The Political Dimension of Mathematics Education: 3' (PDME-3). Key themes: gender/race/class issues; politics of numeracy; anti-racist mathematics education; deconstruction of mathematical knowledge; mathematics for the masses. Contact: Department of Applied Education, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway. ICME-8: INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON MATHEMATICAL EDUCATION The ICME-8 conference will be held in Seville, Spain, 14-21 July 1996. ICME is a commission of the International Mathematical Union. The programme will include a wide variety of scientific activities and an extensive cultural and social programme for delegates - an opportunity to exchange views and discuss new ideas about the basis of mathematical education in an international setting. Contact: ICME-8, Apartado de Correos 4172, 41080 Sevilla, Espana. fax: +34 5 4218334 BCME-3 BRITISH CONGRESS OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION BCME-3 will be held at Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK, 13-16 July 1994. BCME is the British organisation related to ICME. Contact: Frank Eade, Manchester Metropolitan University, Centre for Mathematics Education, Didsbury School of Education, 799 Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 2RR, UK. ........... RECENT EVENTS MATHEMATICAL ABILITY OF THE ADULT NUMERACY STUDENT Dr Joy Cumming of Griffith University, Australia, recently gave a talk on 'The Mathematical Ability of the Adult Numeracy Student' on 18 January 1995 at the Institute of Education, University of London. Her recent work includes an evaluation of different models of adult literacy and numeracy provision and she is currently working on the concept of numeracy. Contact: Dr Joy Cumming, Faculty of Education, Griffith University, Messines Ridge Road, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia ADULT MATHEMATICAL LITERACY A conference on Adult Mathematical Literacy was held in Arlington, Virginia, USA, in March 1994 to identify and discuss issues concerning the lack of mathematical literacy skills facing the US adult population. Contact: Iddo Gal, Director, Numeracy Project, NCAL, University of Pennsylvania, 3910 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3111, USA for details of the conference proceedings. LITERACY FOR ALL Information about ALM was sent to the UNESCO Eleventh Collective Consultation of Non-Governmental Organisations 'Literacy for All' held in Nairobi, Kenya, October 14-18, 1994. ........... NETWORKING - OTHER ORGANISATIONS ANPN ADULT NUMERACY PRACTITIONERS NETWORK The US Adult Numeracy Practitioners' Network (ANPN) was established last year and will meet in Boston in April 1995. ANPN publishes 'The Math Practitioner: Newsletter of the Adult Numeracy Practitioners Network'. A report of the ALM founding conference by ALM's Kathy Safford is in the last issue. Contact: Ellen McDevitt, The Editor, 'The Math Practitioner', Office of Community Education, Carlow College, 3333 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. tel: +412 578 6682 fax +412 578 6684. CAMET (IRELAND) The Centre of Advancement of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology CAMET (Ireland) is engaged in mathematics education research. The purpose of the Centre is to improve mathematics education at all levels through advanced study and research, curriculum development and teacher training. Contact: Professor John O'Donoghue, Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland. CmEG CRITICALMATHEMATICS EDUCATORS GROUP CmEG organises activities and publishes a Newsletter Contact: Marilyn Frankenstein (CmEG), College of Public and Community Service, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA. ISGEm INTERNATIONAL STUDY GROUP ON ETHNOMATHEMATICS ISGEm was founded in 1985 under the guidance of the Brazilian mathematician, Ubiritan D'Ambrosio who coined the term Ethnomathematics to indicate the influence of sociocultural factors in the creating, teaching and learning of mathematics. Contact: Anna Grosgalvis, ISGEm, 3830 N.Humboldt Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53212, USA. EUROALPHA EUROALPHA is a European network for research, action and training in adult literacy and basic education. Practitioners, students and researchers have been involved in the organisation of EUROALPHA seminars and workshops in Europe since 1987. Contact: Mary Kett, Education Unit, Wheatfield Place of Detention, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, Ireland, tel: +353 1 6234737; fax: +353 1 6231484 or Pierre Freynet, Centre Universitaires de Formation Continue, 5 Boulevard Lavoisier, 49045 Angers, France, tel: +33-41-352190; fax: +33 41 352180. GAMMA: GENDER AND MATHEMATICS ASSOCIATION GAMMA conference for young women in their first year studying A level, Higher, or GNVQ level 3 'Mathematics: Mathematics and Your Future' 4-6 July at Goldsmiths' College. Details: MAYF, Faculty of Education, Goldsmiths' College, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, UK. MATHEMATICS SUPPORT organises conferences and publishes a national (UK) Newsletter for academic mathematics support. Contact: Ian Beveridge, Mathematics Department, Applied Science, University of Luton, Park Square, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 3JU, UK. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR NUMERACY AND MATHEMATICS IN COLLEGES Contact: Anne Illis, Principal, Hammersmith and West London College, Gliddon Road, Barons Court, London W14 9BL, UK. RaPAL: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN ADULT LITERACY A report of the ALM founding conference is in 'RaPAL Bulletin' No.25 Autumn 1994. The inaugural meeting in November 1993 was reported in 'RaPAL Bulletin' No.23 Spring 1993. 'RaPAL Bulletin' welcomes articles on adult numeracy. Contact: RaPAL (Research and Practice in Adult Literacy), Bolton Royd Centre, Manningham Lane, Bradford BD8 7BB, UK. ........... PUBLICATIONS 'Getting to Grips with Maths: A guide for the non-mathematician' A book by ALM member Sybil Cock. ISBN: 185377 150 3. Contact: University of North London Press, 166-220 Holloway Road, London N7 8DB, UK. 'Relearning Mathematics: A Different Third R - Radical Maths' A book by Marilyn Frankenstein, published by Free Association Books, 26 Freegrove Road, London N7 9RQ. ISBN: 1 85343 091 9. 'Adult Numeracy' Draft final report of the first International Seminar on adult numeracy, held at Marly le Roi, France, 15-19 March 1993. Centre Universitaire de Formation Continue (CUFCO), University of Angers, 5 Boulevard Lavoisier, 49045, France. 'Bibliography of Research in Adult Literacy and Basic Skills 1972-1992' Published by the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit, London, UK. ISBN: 1 85990 007 0. Available from Avanti Books, 8 Parsons Green, Boulton Road, Stevenage SG1 4QG, UK 'Fear of Math and How to Get Over It and Get On With Your Life!' A book by Claudia Zaslavsky (author of 'Africa Counts') published by Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. ISBN: paperback 0 8135 2099 8; hardback 0 8135 2090 8. 'The Role of Continuing Education in Overcoming Innumeracy' Working Papers of a research project edited by ALM members Ingrid Thorstad, Gill Hind and others. Contact: Department of Mathematics, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK. 'Reclaiming Mathematics' A collection of readings edited by ALM member Betty Johnston, encouraging practitioners to reflect critically on their practice and on the role of numeracy and mathematics in society. Contact: Language and Literacy Centre, Faculty of Education, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia. 'Journal For Research Into Mathematics Education' (JRME) The 25th Anniversary Special Issue of JRME (25, 6, December 1994) includes reviews of research on: learning; teacher education; affect; gender; problem-solving; technology; an international perspective; methods; radical constructivism. 'It's Not Just British Schools That Need to Focus on the 3Rs' A summary report of research on 1234 British workers highlighting the overwhelming need for essential communications and numeracy training across the UK workforce. Contact: Workbase Training, 67A High Road, Wood Green, London N22 6BH, UK. 'Changing Mathematical Background of Undergraduate Engineers: A Review of the Issues' Report of research by Dr Rosamund Sutherland and Stefano Pozzi which found that the majority of engineering lecturers at a number of UK universities said that mathematical knowledge of first year undergraduate engineering students is weaker now than ten years ago. Free in UK (large, 45p stamped self-addressed envelope) Contact: The Engineering Council, 10 Maltravers Street, London WC2R 3ER, UK. 'Two Alternative Approaches to the Acquisition of Mathematical Insight for the Mathematically Unadapted' A report on a project which aimed to construct mathematical models using Hypermedia. Contact: Walter Middleton, School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Sunderland, Priestman Building, Green Terrace, Sunderland SR1 3SD, UK. WATCH THIS SPACE ... for news of a book bringing together research on adults learning mathematics... ALM members Diana Coben, Gillian Thumpston, Hans ter Heege and Willem van Zon are planning to co-edit a book bringing together research on adults learning maths. 'Older Adults Needs and Usage of Numerical Skills in Everyday Life' A report of research by ALM member Alexandra Withnall - available soon. Contact: Department of Continuing Education, University of Lancaster, Storey Institute, Lancaster, LA1 1TH, UK 'Guide for Adult Numeracy Education' Forthcoming. Contact: Iddo Gal, Director, Numeracy Project, NCAL, University of Pennsylvania, 3910 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3111, USA. 'Common Threads: Women, Maths and Work' A new book by ALM member Mary Harris (forthcoming) London: Trentham Books COURSES Do you offer any courses through which ALM members might do research into adults learning mathematics? If so, let us know and we'll mention them in future editions of the Newsletter (space permitting). Meanwhile... * Are you an adult numeracy/mathematics practitioner? * Would you welcome the chance to reflect on your practice? * Are you up to date with new ideas and the latest research? * Have you ever thought of doing a Master's degree? MA ADULT CONTINUING AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION The modular Masters degree for adult educators at Goldsmiths College, University of London, MA:ACCE, has a new look from October 1995 and includes an option on adult literacy and numeracy. We also offer M.Phil/PhD supervision and a new taught doctoral degree (EdD) is planned by Goldsmiths College, Institute of Education and Kings College. Contact: MA Education Office, Room E206, Goldsmiths College, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, UK. tel. +44 (0)171 919 7302 fax. +44 (0)171 919 7313 ........... IN MEMORIAM We were very sorry to hear of the death of Professor Stieg Mellin-Olsen of the University of Bergen, Norway. Professor Mellin-Olsen was author of 'The Politics of Mathematics Education' and founder of PDME the Political Dimension of Mathematics Education. We are all the poorer for his passing. ........... This issue of the ALM Newsletter was written by Diana Coben. Many thanks to all those who sent information.
Dr Diana Coben, Department of Educational Studies,
Goldsmiths College, University of London, New Cross, London SE14
6NW, UK.
e-mail:
aea01dcc@gold.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)171 919 7214
Last updated: 8/8/95, 5.00pm