Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Common Core State Standards: Math Instructional Shifts

David Ginsberg, from the Coach G's Teaching Tips blog, shares the following:

The fate of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics will depend on how we teach more so than what we teach. It's great, for example, that teachers will now have time to explore topics in greater depth. But unless they're prepared to go deeper with those topics, the extra time will be spent reinforcing algorithms and formulas rather than deriving them. 

School leaders and math teachers must therefore understand the instructional implications of CCSS in addition to the content implications. This is why I begin Math CCSS training with a discussion of six shifts in instruction associated with CCSS: Focus: fewer topics covered in greater depth Coherence: connect learning within and across grades Fluency: perform mathematics with speed and accuracy Understanding: use mathematics in complex situations Application: know when and how applying math can solve a problem Dual Intensity: achieve fluency and conceptual understanding/application Check out this video in which CCSS co-author David Coleman explains the six shifts in more detail:

No comments: