All posts by Mark Trushkowsky

About Mark Trushkowsky

Mark enjoys doing math problems that take weeks, family sing-a-longs and reading late into the night. At 16, he believed the next American revolution would be waged through poetry. Now he believes it is adult basic education. But he still likes poetry. Mark has worked in adult literacy and HSE since 2001. He is a founding member of the NYC Community of Adult Math Instructors (CAMI). He was born and raised in Brooklyn. He currently lives happily ever after in Minnesota with his partner Sarah, their daughter Liv, 4 chickens and a dog named French Fry. Follow him on Twitter (@mtrushkowsky)

Everyday Numbers

ABE, Classes, ESOL, Math, Pre-HSE, ,
Everyday Numbers
· Appropriate for: Use in class, For student independent work · Available: Lessons, Problems · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

ABC Everyday Numbers is a numeracy program based in Canada that offers free resources to adult learners looking to improve their math skills. Learners can download free workbooks or take online courses on their own. The workbooks are geared for beginning to intermediate level ABE students.

ABC Everyday Numbers can also be used in the classroom. The workbooks are designed for teachers/tutors/practitioners who are teaching math skills and may not be trained foundational math instructors.

Currently there are three workbooks available:

Continue reading Everyday Numbers →

Using the Change Agent in Math Class

ABE, Classes, HSE, Math, Pre-HSE, Reading, Science, Social Studies,
The Change Agent (It's Not Just for ELA!)
· Appropriate for: Use in class · Available: Lessons, Texts/Readings, Hands On Activities · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

The Change Agent is an adult education magazine for social justice, written by and for adult education students and adult education teachers. Each issue is centered around a theme – recent themes have included Mental Health, the Pandemic, Indigenous Peoples, Our Immigration Stories, and We Take Action.

Many ELA classes in adult education use the Change Agent to study reading, writing, social studies and science. But the Change Agent is also a fantastic resource for math class!

Continue reading Using the Change Agent in Math Class →

Teaching about Coronavirus

ABE, Classes, ESOL, HSE, Math, Pre-HSE, Reading, Science, Social Studies

· Appropriate for: Building teacher background knowledge, Use in class, For student independent work · Available: Lessons, Texts/Readings, Videos · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 2 = engaging

Many adult education teachers are looking for resources and developing lessons to help our students understand the coronavirus. We will use this post to create a space where teachers can share the materials they find and/or create. We will try to update this post once a week with new resources we find and/or hear about. Please share any links to materials that you bring to your students in the comments below.

Continue reading Teaching about Coronavirus →

Examine Math Mistakes from Our Everyday Lives

ABE, ESOL, HSE, Math, Pre-HSE, , ,
Sara VanDerWerf's Real-Life Math Mistakes
· Appropriate for: Use in class · Available: Problems · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

Sara Van Der Werf is a teacher in Minnesota, who has been teaching middle school and high school students for the past 24 years. She writes about teaching on her highly-recommended blog. For the past three years, Sara has collected photographs of math mistakes taken from everyday life, both from the world around her and from the internet. The mistakes come from stores, signs, newspapers, TV, advertisements, etc.). Continue reading Examine Math Mistakes from Our Everyday Lives →

A Call to Adult Numeracy/HSE Math Teachers: Let’s Build Community (and Practice) Together

ABE, HSE, Math, Pre-HSE
ANN under 10
· Appropriate for: Knowledge of teaching · Available: Videos · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

On the evening of April 4th (the second night of the 2017 COABE1 conference), some 30-40 adult educators from around the country came together after a long day of workshops for some extracurricular inspiration in math – a new Adult Numeracy Network (ANN)2 event called ANN Under 10. 

The idea is simple. Adult numeracy teachers give a brief talk, each under 10 minutes. Each speaker tells a story and asks a question that is driving their teaching practice. Some may pose a question they have been working on for years, some may share something they’ve been working on for only a few months. But the questions they share with us are invitations to collaborate.

The goal of ANN under 10 is for teachers to continue to work on the ideas inspired by the talks. The talks themselves are wonderful, but the real work is what happens in the classrooms and practice of the teachers who watch them.  Continue reading A Call to Adult Numeracy/HSE Math Teachers: Let’s Build Community (and Practice) Together →