Mathematical Literacy

MATH 10. Introductions

The 3 R’s of Education (1800’s)
Reading
‘Riting (writing)
‘Rithmetic (arithmetic)
For the modern world
Reading & writing
Numeracy
Day-to-day science
Reasoning
Communication skills
Social interaction
and MORE…
Quantitative literacy
(aka numeracy)
ability to interpret and reason
with quantitative information

fundamental to every discipline

of study and to different issues
in society
Forms of quantitative literacy
taking measurements
money sense
understanding statistics
tracking trends
conversational logic
evaluating chance
and MORE…
Innumeracy
lack of quantitative literacy
results from
• misunderstanding of logic,
• improper reasoning,
• misjudging values and quantities, or
• inability to distinguish between
legitimate science from fraud
Interdisciplinary thinking
fundamental ideas from different
disciplines essential in understanding
current issues.

issues can be best understood from

various perspectives
LEVELS
or
SPECTRUM of mathematical
understanding
 Theoretical Applied Vocational Quantitative
mathematics mathematics mathematics literacy

SPECTRUM of mathematical literacy

Quantitative literacy
mathematical knowledge and
skills for everyday life
Vocational mathematics
routine use of mathematical
tools for specific work or
activity
Vocational mathematics
balancing accounts pharmacy
statistical surveys dressmaking
computing farming
electric circuits carpentry
machine operations cashier
scheduling work
MANY MANY MORE…
Applied mathematics
development and application
of mathematical principles in
different disciplines
Applied mathematics
operations research
actuarial science
mathematical biology
mathematics education
computer science
mathematical statistics
AND MORE…
Theoretical mathematics
discovery of mathematical
principles
Theoretical mathematics
abstract algebra
projective geometry
functional analysis
topology
combinatorics
number theory
approximation theory
graph theory AND MORE…
 Theoretical Applied Vocational Quantitative
mathematics mathematics mathematics literacy

more less
ABSTRACT ABSTRACT
Misconceptions
Math requires special or
inherent intellectual abilities.
Math is gender dependent,
ethnic based, hereditary.

Math provides exact answers.

Misconceptions
Math makes no allowance
for creativity.

Math makes you less sensitive

to the romantic and aesthetic
aspects of life.
Misconceptions

Math in modern issues

is too complex for the average
person to understand.
Mathematics is difficult and dull.
Misconceptions

Math is irrelevant
in your day-to-day life.
MATHEMATICAL THINKING
exploring questioning
working systematically
visualizing conjecturing
explaining generalizing
justifying proving
and MORE!!!
Pythagoreans
(600 BC)

𝝁𝜶𝜽𝜼𝝁𝜶𝝉𝜾𝜿𝝄𝝇
𝝁𝜶𝜽𝜼𝝁𝜶𝝉𝜾𝜿𝝄𝝇

mathēmatikós “fond of learning”

máthēma “knowledge”

mánthanein “learning”
Mathematical thinking
is a way of thinking…
…logically
…critically
…analytically
…creatively
“Mathematics”
as a field of study
abstract study of patterns,
structures and relations
of numbers, quantities
and spaces
Mathematics
as a human endeavor
a way of understanding
phenomena – real world
or abstract in nature