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MazioCreate Literacy & Numeracy Resources
 
Probably, like a number of readers, I have an ongoing battle with my weight.  Unless I'm cycling at least 250km a week, I have to be ever vigilent about what passes the lips.  I'm not a fast food or sweets junkie, just a woman who spends long periods of time belting away at a keyboard.  Since I've been working from
home part-time and sitting in front of the  computer for long hours, the kilos have been creeping on, like a rash from poison ivy.  So how does my weight battle have anything to  do with working in a classroom?  The APP My Fitness Pal is my new best friend and I immediately saw ways that I, and other teachers, could utilise this FREE APP or numeracy and literacy tasks.  Not only is it free, but you can download onto both Apple and Android devices.  But wait, there's more!  No you don't get a set of steak knives, you can also access it online from your humble computer or
laptop.  Ahhh! The simple things in life!  When using the online version go into settings and nominate the nutrients you want to track.  The APP version automatically displays: calories; carbohydrates; fat; protein; sugar; and, sodium.  I needed to add sugar and sodium in the online version.
Classroom  Application
There is only one issue that I have with this program, and it is a minor hiccup - calories.  Australia completed the convertion to metric measurements in 1977, and the use of calories instead of
kilojoules does put a spanner in the works.  I suggest any teachers that are using metric measurements, convert the calories to kilojoules as a numeracy activity.  Let's get started!
 
 
How can the humble Allen Key be related to teaching, let alone the basis of my teaching philosophy?  Before getting into the philosophical aspect, let's take a look at the importance of an Allen Key.  One of the world's wealthiest men, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, knows the worth of an Allen Key.  He has taken this relatively unknown, small, inexpensive and multi-sized tool to celebrity status by converting a flat pack of
materials into a useful piece of furniture.  This was no accident, it was a stroke of genius!   How many of you have erected a piece of furniture (with or without a few well chosen words) using an Allen Key?  Then you will  understand the usefulness of this understated hexagonal implement. 
 
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© MazioCreate 2011
My philosophical approach to teaching has undergone major paradigm shifts since I started teaching three decades ago.  The development of a teaching philosophy encapsulating the attributes of an Allen Key, unlike Ingvar Kamprad, was a monumental accident.  However, this doesn't degrade the value of this philosophy (maybe it's not worth IKEA billions, but it's worth is invaluable to me). So how does this philosophy correlate to an Allen Key

The first aspect of the Allen Key that reflects this toolhardy  philosophy is the shape.  A regular shaped hexagon has six lines equal in length and six equal angles.  This  predilection for six inspired me to develop the Six Degrees of Contemplation™, the nucleus of the A.K.T.P™.  (See below for the elements of the Six Degrees of Contemplation™.)

Secondly, besides being a regular shape, the Allen Key comes in different sizes.  I've coined the phrase "...one tool suits all" (as opposed to one size fits all) to explain the premise behind using the same topic and activities for a multi-levlled class (post secondary).  For example, Level 1 literacy and numeracy students would write a receipt - record the items, costs and calculate overall cost, while Level 3 would record items etc, but they would also calculate discounts and GST (General Services Tax).  Read more...


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