And, what about skills needed for driving that are not even on the test? I learned to drive in a little VW Beetle \u2013 stick shift. It was quite challenging to stop at a stop sign at the top of a hill. Maneuvering the clutch and the accelerator at the same time was a fine art, a necessary one if you drove a stick shift, but it wasn\u2019t tested on the paper\/pencil test. Does that mean we shouldn\u2019t bother ensuring that people have those necessary skills just because they aren\u2019t \u201con the test\u201d?<\/p>\n
I guess, in thinking about driving vs. doing math, I\u2019m at least grateful that the vast majority of us did have to show that we can apply our driving skills. We have many fewer serious accidents thanks to the ability to apply a variety of strategies. I wonder how much more successful our students would be in doing math-related activities if they had to show that they can apply their skills in a variety of situations?? I wonder, if we focused on helping students build a repertoire of strategies, including algorithms, could they be successful in working through math-related situations? I\u2019ve seen them succeed \u2013 I\u2019d love to hear your stories\u2026 do they apply their skills? Do they make sense of problems instead of looking for rules?<\/p>\n
![\"donna_side_web\"](\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/adultnumeracycenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2014\/12\/donna_side_web.gif\")
<\/a>Donna Curry is the Director of the SABES Center for Mathematics and Adult Numeracy, a project managed by the staff of the Adult Numeracy Center<\/a> at AV°ÍÊ¿. She has trained teachers nationally, and has taught and administered ABE classes for over 30 years.
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