{"id":23,"date":"2020-10-16T19:46:34","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T19:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/becalm\/?page_id=23"},"modified":"2025-08-14T19:14:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T19:14:46","slug":"about-calm","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/becalm\/about-calm\/","title":{"rendered":"About BeCALM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We created BeCALM, the Be<\/strong>ginning C<\/strong>urriculum for A<\/strong>dults L<\/strong>earning M<\/strong>ath, for students who need to learn and understand beginning-level math concepts for the first time. BeCALM grew out of CALM, our Curriculum for Adults Learning Math<\/a>. Both CALM and BeCALM represent a shift from a traditional procedural approach to a conceptual approach where students construct understanding through hands-on activities and group work. CALM contains a progression of units and lessons<\/a>\u00a0appropriate for learners in adult basic education (ABE) through adult secondary education (ASE)-level classes. BeCALM is designed for adult students who need math instruction at GLE 2-4 (CCRSAE B\/C)<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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With BeCALM, these students will improve their understanding of themselves as math learners, learn skills that can help them now, and build a solid foundation for later math study. All of the strategies for teaching rigorously and conceptually to other levels of students also apply to students at this level. Memorization and drills are the lowest form of cognitive challenge, and do not help students build their conceptual understanding or higher order problem-solving skills. Students at GLE 2-4 need cognitively-challenging tasks and benefit from visuals, manipulatives and games, as well as meaningful applications of math to their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BeCALM approach is to honor and center student thinking by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Exploring multiple ways of solving a problem<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Developing conceptual understanding of basic operations and other beginning math content<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Providing opportunities to apply math to relevant adult contexts<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    All of the teaching strategies we promote are appropriate for students at GLE 2-4. Many of these teaching strategies have a basis in Universal Design for Learning<\/a>, such that they can help make math accessible to learners with various learning challenges and disabilities. Connections to the Standards for Mathematical Practice<\/a>, Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM),<\/a> and the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRSAE)<\/a> are fully integrated into BeCALM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are 7 BeCALM units, each of which:<\/p>\n\n\n\n