Development Educationand its Use in Mathematics

Teaching

• What is Development Education?

• Why should we use it in Mathematics class?

• How can we use it?

Outcomes

• “an educational process aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the rapidly changing, interdependent and unequal world in which we live”

Irish Aid, Dept of Foreign Affairs

Development Education

Aims of DE?

• Ultimately development education aims to develop critical thinking skills, analytical skills, empathetic capacity and the ability to be an effective person who can take action to achieve desired development outcome.

(Tormey, 2003).• It encourages students to compare development

issues present within their own countries to those experienced in other places throughout the world

(Regan, 2002).

Aims of DE?

• Ultimately development education aims to develop critical thinking skills, analytical skills, empathetic capacity and the ability to be an effective person who can take action to achieve desired development outcome.

(Tormey, 2003).• It encourages students to compare development

issues present within their own countries to those experienced in other places throughout the world

(Regan, 2002).

Aims of DE?

• Ultimately development education aims to develop critical thinking skills, analytical skills, empathetic capacity and the ability to be an effective person who can take action to achieve desired development outcome.

(Tormey, 2003).• It encourages students to compare development

issues present within their own countries to those experienced in other places throughout the world

(Regan, 2002).

Aims of DE?

• Ultimately development education aims to develop critical thinking skills, analytical skills, empathetic capacity and the ability to be an effective person who can take action to achieve desired development outcome.

(Tormey, 2003).• It encourages students to compare development

issues present within their own countries to those experienced in other places throughout the world

(Regan, 2002).

• Development Goals:– UN Summit (2000)

• Underlying theme:

Unfairness / Unequal World

Topics:

It’s Part of Our Job!

• Teaching Council Code of Conduct:– Identifies cultural values, social justice,

equality and inclusion as core values of the teacher.

• Role of Education:– To make a fairer society.

Why Use Development Education?

Student Development

• Deeper understanding of global issues.

• Develops critical and analytical thinking.

(Tormey, 2003)

Why Use Development Education?

Deepens Mathematical Understanding

• Orientation and Motivation: Recognise the importance of

mathematics (Affective Domain)

• Information:Using real statistics (Cognitive

Domain)

• Application:Using maths to solve real issues.(Psychomotor Domain)

Why Use Development Education?

Changing Educational System.

• Newly Qualified Teachers – expected to be up to date with current practices

• This could help you get a job!

Why Use Development Education?

Video

What mathematical topics can you relate to this?

The Evidence

The importance of DE

• McMorrow (2006) thinks that greater importance needs to be placed on highlighting the inequalities that exist in the world and the role we all play in causing or preventing such inequalities.

• Devine (et al., 2001) believes that teachers need to become more than mere subject experts and schools need to become ‘caring and nurturing institutions rather than focusing exclusively on academic attainment’ (p.6).

• Wade(1997) states that education should ‘prepare young people to meet the challenges and opportunities of the present world and to play a constructive part in shaping the world of the future’ (p.1).

Wiggins (1999)Callan (1998)

Drudy (2006)

Howe (1990)

Munnelly (2003)

Sharpe (2000)

Regan (2002)Torney (2003)

Development Education in Ireland

Irish Study: Development Education

• A study into Development Education was carried out on Irish secondary schools in 2007. – Shannon Curriculum Development Centre.– Curriculum Evaluation & Policy research unit, UL.Funded by Irish Aid

Irish Study: Development Education

• 1,193 teachers were surveyed – 265 maths teachers(22.2%).– More mathematics teachers were

surveyed than any other subject (English 17.2%).

• 4970 students were surveyed. – 2,586 second years– 2,382 fifth years

Irish Study: Development Education

• The Conclusions:– 84% of teachers have used

DevEd in the last five years– Students knowledge was quite

high in relation to DevEd with the average score over 50%.

– 96% of schools had organised fund raising for charities within the previous two years.

Irish Study: Development Education

• Over 80% of teachers said they enjoy dealing with DevEd topics.

Irish Study: Development Education

• Over 75% of teachers said they believed that the students were interested in DevEd topics.

Development Education in Mathematics

Irish Study: Development Education

BAD NEWS!

A Second Study

• 166 student teachers were surveyed after their block placement. (McCormack & O’Flaherty, 2006).

Results:• Only 4% of the student teachers surveyed believed their co-

operating teachers included development education issues in their teaching.

• Furthermore, of the 84% of teachers that said they have taught DevEd topics in the last five years…

• 77% of these teachers said the main resource

used when teaching DevEd was the text book.

Conclusions• Teachers may only be including DevEd because of

its presence in the textbook.

• Mathematic teachers struggle to see where DevEd can be included in their classes.

• Main reasons for excluding DevEd were curriculum constraints, lack of time and little relevance to subject matter (McCormack & O’Flaherty, 2006).

• Haran & Tormey (2002) believe “Development Education should be about teaching ‘differently’ rather than teaching ‘more’.

Applications

APPLICATIONS

Earthquakes

Major Weather Events

2010 – Haiti Earthquake

2006 – Hurricane Katrina

2011 – Earthquake & Tsunami (Japan)

2004 – Christmas Tsunami (Indian Ocean)

Global Warming??

Earthquakes

• The Richter Scale

– What is it?

– How was it constructed?

– Do people fully understand what the numbers on the scale represent?

Earthquakes

• What is the difference between a magnitude 2 an magnitude 4 earthquake?

• Is it twice as strong?

• A magnitude 3 earthquake is 10 times stronger than a 2 earthquake.

• A magnitude 4 earthquake is 10 times stronger than a 3 earthquake.

• 10 x 10 = 100

• Great opportunity to introduce logs and indices.

Benefits:The benefits of using DevEd to introduce

Logarithms and Indices:

• Understand how devastating high magnitude earthquakes are.

– Encourage students to consider how these natural disasters affect humanity.

• Excellent method of introducing a challenging concept.

Inequality in Sport

Inequality in Sport

Is there a clear presence of inequality in sport?

– Money

– Media

Soccer and Salaries

Samuel Eto’o

€20 million

Marta Veira Da Silva

€400,000

2% of what Eto’o earns

Basketball

Lebron James

$53 million

Candace Parker

$3 million

5.66% of what James earns

Media

Do these percentages reflect how much media coverage is given to different genders in sport?

Child Poverty

One approach to introduce Child Poverty

A Second Approach

Which had a better impact?

A DVD or video is the most effective methodology when teaching Development Education.

Irish Aid Study 2007

Task: Work in Groups

Task: Work in Groups

Task: Work in Groups

Task: Work in Groups

How do we raise the money?

Development Education In Short Courses

The Short Courses

• The Short Courses can:• Give us as math teachers, more room to be

creative and innovative with our ideas.• Present an opportunity to incorporate

Development Education with maths.• Allow teachers to take Development Education

outside the classroom and into the community.• Help educate the local community about

Development Education.

Endangered Species

What is an endangered species? Can you name two?

• Discuss in pairs.

• Try think of one or two animals which are endangered.

Endangered Species: some examples

• Black Rhinos• African and Asian Elephant• Cheetah• Polar bears• Giant panda• Grizzly Bear• Camels • Chinese gray monkey

Endangered Species: some examples

• Black Rhinos• African and Asian Elephant• Cheetah• Polar bears• Giant panda• Grizzly Bear• Camels • Chinese gray monkey

Endangered Species: some examples

• Black Rhinos• African and Asian Elephant• Cheetah• Polar bears• Giant panda• Grizzly Bear• Camels • Chinese gray monkey

Increase vs. Decrease

African Rhino

There were once over 100,000 Black Rhinos on the plains of Africa. There are now only 2,707.

What is the decrease in numbers?

97,293

Can we find the percentage decrease of this species?

• Original number = 100,000• Current number = 2,708• Decrease of 97,292

• How can we represent this as a percentage?

97.23%

Giant Pandas

These animals have been classed asan endangered species for many years. Between1974 and 1977 a studied showed that therewere approximately 1,000 GiantPandas in the world.

Today there are an estimated 1,600.

% Increase / Decrease?

How can you relate this to student’s lives in Ireland?

• Relate to local issues, for example, Animal Welfare.

Pet appeal for Christmas

• Limerick Animal Welfare are asking the citizens of Limerick to help the animal shelter in Kilfinane by donating items such as dog/ cat food, blankets, chew toys or any small present they can think of.

• Items such as tea, cleaning products and towels are also suitable.

Price List

• Cat/ dog food 79c per can• Blankets €3.00• Chew toys €1.49• Tea bags €2.49• Towels €2.00• Donations (whatever you feel as a

group)• Kennel cleaner €4.99

Class Task

• Class split into groups of 4.

• Each group has €20 to spend on donations.

• Each group can decide what they want to spend the money on using a price list given in class.

Possible questions:

• The cost for hiring a hall for an Animal welfare charity event is €150.

• N stands for the number of people at the event.

• Each person pays €5 on entry.

• Derive an equation to determine the profit?

• P = 5N - 150

Possible Maths Topics

• Arithmetic• Algebra• Statistics• Percentages• Currency exchange (Black Rhinos

horns)• Trigonometry (building

kennels/shelter)

Go the extra step: Raise the money!

Advantages/ Disadvantages

Advantages

• Aligns with national curriculum changes.

• Framework for Junior Cycle statements of learning.(NCCA)

• Develops lifelong skills.

Statements of Learning

The students will:

• Value what it means to be an active citizen, with rights and responsibilities in local and wider contexts.

• Learn how to think and act sustainably.

• Understand the distribution of social, economic, and environmental phenomena.

• Values local and national heritage and recognises the relevance of the past to current national and international issues.

Statements of Learning

Advantages continued...

• It uses real life data which makes things more relevant.

• Pupils are interested in development issuesMcCormack and O'Flaherty (2007)

Disadvantages

• Can reinforce negative stereotypes.

• Can leave the student feeling like they can’t make a difference.

Osler (2007)

• Can lead to difficulty in dealing with controversial issues.

Oxfam

Discussion

• Do you think students need to know about DevEd? Why?

• Do you think there is room for DevEd in a mathematics classroom?

• Once you finish your PDE, will you make an effort to bring DevEd into the Maths classroom?What difficulties may arise??

Group Discussion

Our Views and Opinions:

• Pro DevEd in the Maths class!

• For most topics of Maths, DevEd is easily brought into the class.

• Not essential for every class but where it can be applied, it should be applied.

• Teaches holistically.

Any Questions??