Pushing Through the Common Core

At Monday's faculty meeting we addressed concerns from the staff about the common core.
And let me tell you, there are many concerns!
Ranging from how will it be assessed to how can we start the implementation process.

While we have no control on how it will be assessed,
We have total control on implementation.
CCS even provides us with the tools of how to do this...the math practices and Webb's Depth of Knowledge levels.

However, the task is daunting.
There is a lot to think about, to organize....to make sense of.

My advice is to start simply.
Focus on one thing until it makes sense.
For example, work on increasing the DOK levels of your lessons and/or assessments.
Simply focusing on taking your students to higher levels of thinking is a step in the right direction.
Record in your planbook what you attempted and the DOK level reached to help guide you next year.

Maybe you feel more comfortable starting with the Math Practices.
Focus a lesson on one math practice.
Not only teach the math concept, but teach the Math Practice that you hope your students will adopt with time.
Refer to this practice often.
Make it routine.
Then move on to the next one.

Remember...the Webb's Depth of Knowledge levels and the Math Practices guide HOW you teach.  This may or may not be a change from your current instructional methods, but the blueprint is there for you to use.

The content standards are another thing entirely.
As you focus on changing your classroom environment,
You might want to be doing your nightly reading on the content standards themselves.
Okay.
So I'm joking there.
But diving into the content would be beneficial.
First, identify what you already teach from the current state standards.
You'll be surprised at what you already have been doing that matches up with the new standards.
More than likely, you'll have to tweak it some...raising it to a higher level, adding new material, etc
But start with what you know.
Teach these concepts, making the needed adjustments and you have started out on the right foot!

Next, identify all the new content material.
Make sure you understand it...the vocabulary, the concept itself.
Since a textbook doesn't exist that covers all the concepts,
Start researching good problems, good ideas, good lesson plans.
I created a LiveBinder to store everything I ran across to be looked at in more depth later on.

Get creative and have fun!
We have two years before the new assessment is in the works.
This is the time to try new things, new lessons, new approaches.
Enjoy this time of learning new math and making new connections between mathematical concepts.
It's not the same ol' same ol' anymore.
It's a new and exciting time!