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<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007>About test anxiety and "productive
disposition":</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007>1) Yes, conceptual understanding removes a
lot of it. When people understand number relationships, the fear subsides.
</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007>What is it that adults do not
understand?</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007> > The true meaning of
= This is looked at as an operation rather than a relationship
because we say "makes" rather than "is". There are studies with student
teachers documenting incorrect understanding of = .</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007> > The Part-Whole
concept. This is the understanding that when I have 9, I have 6 and 3 (or 5 and
2 and 2 or any other combination) in and with the 9 at the SAME TIME as I have
the 9. </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007> This is the concept
people are often missing when they have trouble with fractions. The EMPower
series talks about Part/Whole at the point that the books introduce
fractions. The concept needs to be brought in much earlier.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007> Based on my work with
Part/Whole thinking in math, I am hypothesizing that about 20% of adults (across
all educational levels) lack a firm grasp of the Part/Whole concept. I
have found a much higher percentage with the GED and ABE/ASE math
students I have worked with.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007>2) Countering performance anxiety (which is
what test fear is) has received a lot of attention in the performing arts. As a
former piano teacher who prepared students for competitions, I always used
conscious relaxation (to improve blood flow to the brain) and visualization of
success (thinking about the event and seeing yourself walk through it and come
out with a good result) beginning weeks before a contest. Try this as
part of your test preparation.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007>Melvin - My comments about Part/Whole
concept are based on work by Les Steffe (emeritus of the University of Georgia)
and others. There may be other developmental concepts besides Part/Whole
that your "dyscalculia" students missed somewhere along the line. Can you
give a description of the specific things your students seem unable to do? (I'm
assuming your students are of normal mental development and have not had
traumatic brain injury.) </SPAN><SPAN
class=515082113-20092007></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007>Dorothea Steinke</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007>NumberWorks</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007>300 Center Drive Suite G186</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=515082113-20092007>Superior, Colorado 80027</SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>-----Original
Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> specialtopics-bounces@nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces@nifl.gov]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Melvin
Rice<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, September 19, 2007 10:48 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
specialtopics@nifl.gov<BR><B>Subject:</B> [SpecialTopics 695] Re: Productive
disposition<BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>>>> "Lynda Ginsburg" <ginsburg@rci.rutgers.edu>
9/18/2007 9:30 PM >>><BR>Lenny, Pam and David,<BR><BR>I agree that
many adults are anxious about math, and it often has to do<BR>with tests.
Lenny, your strategy of practicing for the test situation<BR>until some of the
fear subsided seems to have worked well.<BR><BR><FONT size=3>In addition to
anxiety there may be the possibility of a math specific learning disability. I
read an interesting article in the NCSALL publication "Focus on Basics" on a
condition called Dyscalculia. The article is available on line at <A
href="http://www.ncsall.net/?id=325">http://www.ncsall.net/?id=325</A> .
According to the article there are some specific signs of this condition, many
of which I have seen in a couple of my students. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Melvin</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Melvin Rice</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>ABE Instructor</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Kansas City Kansas Community College</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3><A href="mailto:melvinr@kckcc.edu">melvinr@kckcc.edu</A>
</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>