A promoção da numeracia numa escola de massas

Abstract

Throughout my fifteen years of teaching, my experience grew thanks to the challenges in which I have been proposed to perform as a teacher, head teacher or head of department: Adult education classes, students with special needs, education at various ages and levels (from the 5th to the 12th grade), vocational education, head teacher of various classes and contact with their guardians, head of mathematics department, attendance of seminars and training in the fields of education, information technology and in my particular area, the Mathematics. With the gained evolution, I set myself to a reflection work, whose theme is “The promotion of numeracy in a school of masses”. Numeracy is an interdisciplinary competence which is not exclusive to the subject of mathematics, and is worked with concepts of mathematical nature by all subjects. The school is now of “masses”, a result of mandatory school, currently until the 12th grade. The existing heterogeneity (students and teachers) is rather complex, depending on the different geographical and social contexts. Through the students’ observation, we get aware of the needs of building educational models, which are capable of providing the ambitioned success. Diverse interests, with different learning rhythms have been observed. In order to meet the characteristics of the current school, teachers have been required assignments beyond the classroom: head teacher; head of department or subject; trainer, pedagogical orientation, etc. Based on the principle of equal opportunities, it is to the school to correct the disorders, aiming their future integration in the labor market. I am referring to family involvement and other agents, which can ensure the physical and mental health. The more fragile the social web is, the greater the task will be. The educational process passes by the escape of the "logic of Decree”. It is replaced by "interactive professionalism", where the experience of teachers in teams, ensure an educational level that can be shared with other schools. The necessary school network is molded and built, improving the capacity of each student and ensuring the development of their potential. They create points of contact among themselves; enable gatherings where teachers’ applied experiences are shared; enable the approach of schools, giving place to synergies of purposes, achieving dynamics that were ever possible in traditional school. Promoting the learning process implies renovating structures and conditions given to education, as the embryo for the education of the future. It is in this context that I reflect in particular on the Phoenix Project, which aim is promoting the development of numeracy and literacy in the school population where I teach. Focusing on the core subjects, Mathematics and Portuguese, subclasses are created, known as “nests”, formed by 10/12 students and which are worked individually. There will be attempts to improve the learning levels, by boosting their self-esteem and motivation. Once the desired results are achieved, students will return to their “mother-classes", from where they were "displaced". The richness of my experience and the results obtained by the students made me believe the importance of the responsibility of the core subjects for the development of literacy, on behalf of the desired school success.

Date of Award	18 Jul 2014
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Maria Raul Xavier (Supervisor)