Assessment 1

Subject-specific/disciplinary literacies and numeracies: What are they and how do they work? As students’ progress in their studies, they will find themselves faced with ever specific and specialized texts, readings and concepts in their subjects, as opposed to the generalized learning they may have faced in the past. Educators need to understand these specialized literacies and numeracies taught in specific content areas, also called subject-specific literacies and numeracies. Some other topics educators will need to learn on their teaching journey are disciplinary literacies and numeracies, the definition of knowledge in a particular subject, how knowledge is created, and what types of evidence, language and numeracies are used in a particular discipline.             Firstly what exactly are subject-specific literacies and numeracies when applied to a particular subject area? For the literary side, it means understanding t...

What is authentic practice and why does it matter? One term that educators use a lot is the term “authentic practice”. On the surface it may seem like educational jargon, however knowing what authentic practice is, or “authentic learning” as it is more widely known in educational circles is essential for providing the best educational methods for teaching students the literacy and numeracy aspects of a specific subject.             First of all, what is authentic practice? Put simply, it is learning focused on real-world problems and practical activities. It is real life learning that encourages students to find tangible and practical solutions to challenges the educator provides. For historical context, the focus on authentic practice in modern schools as a response to the shortcomings of teaching styles in the previous centuries, which over emphasized rote learning, with a student taking notes and simply regurgitating inf...

Difference between numeracy and mathematics: Why does numeracy matter in the 21 st century? While at first glance, the terms numeracy and mathematics seem to be indistinguishable, there is an important difference. For the contemporary educator, knowing the difference between the two is vital for teaching 21 st century skills to their students.             First of all what is numeracy? One definition is that numeracy entails the ability to deal with the quantitative features in real life situations (Goos, Dole, & Geiger, 2012). Steen (2001) goes further to explain that self-assurance in using mathematical concepts, logical thinking and ability to use mathematics in real world applications are the main elements in numeracy.             On the other hand, mathematics generally only refers to a particular field of study that includes dealing with specified operations...

Educators in the 21 st century are expected to know more about Literacy and Numeracy Capabilities in the Australian Curriculum, and how they apply to other subjects other than Maths or English. Additionally, as an educator in today’s secondary schools, you are expected to understand what literate and numerate thinking is, and know what related elements there are in both literacy and numeracy. So what does Literacy Capabilities mean in the context of the Australian curriculum? According to the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority, students make progress towards being literate when they progress the information and skill that they know, using it to understand and use language with confidence in the environments of school, home and in broader society (Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority [ACARA], n.d.). In terms of encouraging students to apply literate thinking, educators can encourage students apply literate thinking by having them to apply...