Wednesday, January 26, 2011

What does it mean to be literate?

Q: What does it mean to be literate? 

The question is one that many wonder about and are very shy to ask. Literacy is my business and I've taken it upon myself to source the best explanation to this question. Answers. com has come to our rescue.

A: If someone can read and write, that means that they would then have to have a large cognitive capacity to understand the communication. The ability to speak conveys meaning, so the same intellect used in speaking would be used in reading and writing. However, words written down are usually going to be longer than normal conversations, so literacy would mean the ability to understand entire books, articles, or even something as short as a paragraph, which isn't used in speech in the same way the same meaning or message would be communicated if it was written. In fact, reading and writing is just speech but doing it for longer periods of time. It could be for the same period of time, but it is usually going to be longer. That means that different mental abilities are going to be used for reading and writing since you are dealing with something that usually has one theme or main idea, but is very long. You could have a conversation about one thing for a long period of time, but this conversation isn't going to be structured to maximize understanding of the topic. When something long is written, it is put down in a certain pattern or way that itself communicates a message from the author, even if the author just meant to put it down in the most logical way possible. So literacy would then include understanding what complicated messages (which can be understanding of any sort - math, fiction, etc) mean, and how they can be understood in different ways, and the best way to structure and order it so understanding is maximized. That is even more important if you are the writer.

 

At the sentence level that type of understanding might be aided by better understanding how the parts of the sentence relate to each other, or grammar. But the rest of the piece relates to itself in other ways as well, and since it is going to be long and written down, each piece might contribute to the same idea. So literacy means understanding long passages, not just being able to read but a higher level of literacy would mean being able to put together a lot of information that is related to varying degrees and link it to a few ideas. So if you are reading a math book, and relate something in the end of the book to something in the beginning, you are a good reader, or more literate. That shows how the definition of literacy can vary greatly because math might be very different from say, reading a story of fiction. Literacy also means understanding the implications and subtle messages a text might convey - that would be a higher degree of literacy anyway. The math book example shows how literacy can cover any mental ability, so then what is the main idea of literacy, it is not just anything someone can understand. It is things that people can understand that is written down, or that they write down, it is the ability to structure large amounts of material in a logical fashion (or if it is a story, structure large amounts of material for emotional appeal, so really any fashion you want, but it is ultimately going to serve an end, or be logical). Unless you are the sentence level, then literacy is the ability to understand a sentence and relate each part of the sentence to other parts of the sentence. In terms of understanding a word (word level) literacy might mean understanding all the possible implications of that one word. The word "store" might mean any type of store. So things at the word level can be very complicated even if it is a simple word, it might be deceiving in context.


How would "literacy" if someone were reading a math book, be different from just the ability to understand math? It would mean how someone is comprehending that book, it would mean the way in which they understand math. How they put together the knowledge of the entire book. Math is just like reading a fiction book, different parts of a math problem relate to other parts in a logical way. If it is explained in that logical way, then someone would use literacy to understand it because literacy is putting together information in a logical manner so that one can read or write what meaning they want to convey.
So literacy isn't just the ability to read and write, it is the ability to understand what you are reading as well. One cannot read unless they understand what they are reading. So someone might not be literate in math if they cannot do any math textbook. In fact, if you cannot understand something written in specific, then you are not literate for that. In English this might mean that if you are more literate you would be able to get all the hidden meanings that could lie in the text. There is basic literacy and advanced literacy, there are levels to it.
In fact, that is all life is, figuring out how different parts of it relate to each other. This can mean emotional parts as well as physical, simple or complex parts. Unless it is just one part, and you don't want to know if it relates to anything else. But any one part is going to made up of it's own parts. 



Let's all do what we can to ensure a literate nation.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

So many questions

One can't argue that the 7.2 percentage point increase in the matric pass rate has raised fears of result manipulation. Chris Barron of Sunday Times asked the head of quality assurance body Umalusi, Professor Sizwe Mabizela...

Do you share the minister's excitement?
I do, but we need to focus on the quality of the pass.

Does Adjusting results improve quality, or the reverse?
One cannot give a yes or no answer. One has to understand what is called standardisation.


Does that mean bringing the results of more privileged schools into line with less privileged schools?
No, you see, these things are so complex. Standardisation is used to make sure that learners are not advantaged or disadvantaged by factors other than their own abilities, their own knowledge of the subject and so on. In some instances it turns out a paper might have been on the easy side. And learners cannot be advantaged because they have written an easy paper.

If they write the same paper, how are they advantaged?
You want to ensure consistency across years.

What subjects were adjusted downwards?
I can tell you that there are four assessment bodies.


Can you tell me which subjects?
I can't.

Don't we have the right to know?
Absolutely.


Then why don't you tell us?
There is no easy and simple and straightforward answer. The statistical moderation of exam scores is buy its very nature, a confidential process.

Why?
It is a confidential process but not a secretive one. when we do the standardisation all the heads of provincial departments are there, the teacher unions are there, observers from higher education bodies are there.


You say the teachers are there, but the teachers say they haven't been told.
Let me just go back again.There are four assessment bodies...

Which subjects are adjusted upwards?
I'm not at liberty to tell you that, for the same reasons.


Don't universities need to know? Aren't you deceiving them?
No.The danger of disclosing the identity of the subjects is the potential of stigmatising that subject and possibly that cohort of learners. And I don't think it is the best interest of cohort learners to do that.

Is it in their best interest to pretend they're better at a subject than they actually are? Aren't you setting them up for failure?
No. As I have indicated, the process of standardisation is to mitigate fluctuations in student performance caused by other factors other than their innate attitude and knowledge.

How does it help the learner if he gets a 30% for maths and you bump that up to 40%and he comes a cropper at university?
Let's say you're writing a science paper and there is a question where vital information to solve a problem is missing and therefore you are not able to solve that question. So the candidate loses 30 marks. That is not fair to him.

Nine subject were adjusted upwards. Are you saying there were mistakes in all those papers?
I'm not saying that. I'm simply saying there are good reasons for adjusting upwards.

What would the pass rate have been if the original results had been allowed to stand?
We don't know that.

Surely you know the raw results before you begin manipulating them?
We know the individual subjects...


what would the pass rate in maths have been?
I wouldn't know that as I sit here. The pass rate  is worked out after the standardisation process has been implemented.


What is the margin of upward adjustment?
It varies from subject to subject.

For maths?
I don't know if maths was adjusted or not.

What have you got to hide?
There is a danger that people might misinterpret...

Is upward adjustment about making the government look good?
We do not do things to benefit the government. what we do is ensure that the quality of the qualification is maintained.


Evidence suggests you're not doing a very good job...
As a country we should be concerned about the quality of the passes. We have set the bar low. To get 30% or 40% and have a matric certificate is not in the best interests of the nation.

Poll: Do you believe that results are being manipulated to enhance the governments image.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Tip's for the first week of school

You’ve changed their diapers, tolerated their terrible twos and taught them to get dressed by themselfs. Now, it’s time for another milestone – the first day of school. Nervous? Excited? Don’t know what to expect? Welcome to grade 1. Here are eight tips to get you and your little one ready for the first week.



The Name Game
Teaching your child to write their name makes for excellent preparation. Small letters are used most commonly, but it doesn’t hurt to teach both upper and lower case. Once they can write their first name, have fun with it. Move onto the last name and then her a sibling’s name or the dog’s name – any practice is good. When you’re done with names, teach your child to write their address and telephone number.

Encourage Independence
Before going into school, most school boards suggest that children be able to get dressed and undressed, and use the toilet independently. They should also know how to put on their own coats and shoes. If your child isn’t up to speed, you may need to get creative. Stickers work well for encouragement. Also, a routine that the child begins to recognize can help. Make sure you allow enough time for each stage so they don’t feel pressured.   

Teach the Basics
Take your child on errands and explain how things work as you go. Stops could include the grocery store, library and post office. As you visit each location, talk them through the steps: “This is where all the produce is, here’s the meat section and this is where we go to pay at the cashier.” General knowledge of how things work makes for good preparation, says
Also, when reading to your child, encourage comprehension by talking about the story and asking questions. For example, what was their favorite part? Or, stop halfway through and ask what they think will happen at the end of the story.

Make Getting Ready Fun
Remember the excitement you felt starting school with new clothes and a fresh supplies? With younger kids, a bag full of gadgets, a new backpack and a few new items of clothing tend to gear them up without any further encouragement. Go shopping together to help get your little one excited.

Ensure that learning doesn't stop on the school grounds.