Mapping to the National Numeracy Strategy
Background information
ICT contributes to both Maths and Science in a number of ways. For the purposes of the training and to ensure that you can focus upon aspects of ICT that are linked, we will concentrate on the Finding Things Out theme. The Expected Outcomes include in this theme, 6 activities:- Identifying sources of information and discriminating between them
- Planning and putting together a search strategy, including framing useful questions, widening and narrowing searches
- How to search for information, including key words and logical operators such as AND, OR and NOT
- Collecting and structuring data and storing it for later retrieval, interpretation and correction
- Interpreting what is retrieved
- Considering validity, reliability and reasonableness.
The National Numeracy Strategy draws attention to the fact that:
" Almost every scientific investigation or experiment is likely to require one or more of the mathematical skills of classifying, counting, measuring, calculating, estimating and recording in tables and graphs. In Science pupils will, for example, order numbers, including decimals, calculate simple means and percentages, use negative numbers when taking temperatures, decide whether it is more appropriate to use a line graph or bar chart, and plot, interpret and predict from graphs." The National Numeracy Strategy also identifies six ways that ICT can be used to teach and motivate children's learning. For the purposes of the training programme we have separated them into two modules, the greyed out areas are where the recommendations are less appropriate for the identified module.
| Finding things Out | Try Things Out and make things happen |
| Explore and explain patterns in data: for example, by accessing, displaying and interpreting ready-made sets of data, displaying a quickly a bar chart or pictogram showing a class vote, or using a sensor connected to a computer to measure, display and show trends in room temperatures. | Explore, describe and explain number patterns: for example, by watching a counting 'meter' with sequences of number shown slowly one at a time, or experimenting with patterns of multiples highlighted on different number grids. |
| Practise and consolidate their number skills: for example, by using software designed to 'teach' and practise a particular skill and provide rapid assessment both to you and them. | Explore and explain patterns in data: for example, by accessing, displaying and interpreting ready-made sets of data, displaying a quickly a bar chart or pictogram showing of a class vote, or using a sensor connected to a computer to measure, display and show trends in room temperatures. |
| Develop their mathematical vocabulary, logical thinking and problem-solving skills, for example: by using a 'branching -tree' computer program to sort shapes or numbers, or exploring a simple simulation to discover the mathematical relationship that underpins it. | Experiment with and discuss properties of patterns in shape and space: for example, by using software to transform shapes and create geometric patterns, or watching a film of a square being halved in different ways. |
| Develop their mathematical vocabulary, logical thinking and problem-solving skills, for example: by using a 'branching -tree' computer program to sort shapes or numbers, or exploring a simple simulation to discover the mathematical relationship that underpins it. | |
| Estimate and compare measures of length or distance, angle, time, and so on: For example, by devising a sequence of instructions to move a floor robot or screen 'turtle' along a path, then modifying their instructions in the light of the robot's response. |
