Wednesday, October 5, 2016
standards
Last week Candace, Gabbie, Professor Mace and I sat in our universities library to examine some second grade math text books. I was very frustrated with the lay outs of many textbooks we looked over. It was hard to find similar problems when comparing two textbooks side by side. To my surprise the teachers edition was no better than the students textbooks. They were very confusing. They had options for problem of the days, silent work, and assessments.Textbooks are ment to help you not teach the class for you. There was so much going on it was very unclear what to teach the children and what was common core.
There seems to be a very blurred line between what is curriculum and what is common core. Common core is what you need to teach per the state. There is no specific way it need to be taught that is the curriculum.
I chose the standard CC.2.4.3.A.3. Solving problems and making change involving money using a combination of coins and bills. I will be studying this standard in a second grade classroom. I hoping to come out of this study with a better knowledge on how to apply common core without the use of textbooks.
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Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteYou have hit the "nail on the head" with your comment about the blurred line between standards and curriculum. Unfortunately, too many teachers use the book as the curriculum or some districts write curriculum based on a certain textbook. My advice is - always start with the standards. It is so important to back map for each grade. examine where you hope to end at the end of a unit of study and then design what has to occur to get there. It gets much easier with practice.
Note -- I am unclear if you all read all the posts and responses. I gave a big spiel in response to Candace. If you haven't read it, you may want to. This will help you know who I am :-)
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteYou have hit the "nail on the head" with your comment about the blurred line between standards and curriculum. Unfortunately, too many teachers use the book as the curriculum or some districts write curriculum based on a certain textbook. My advice is - always start with the standards. It is so important to back map for each grade. examine where you hope to end at the end of a unit of study and then design what has to occur to get there. It gets much easier with practice.
Note -- I am unclear if you all read all the posts and responses. I gave a big spiel in response to Candace. If you haven't read it, you may want to. This will help you know who I am :-)
PS -- making change is a difficult concept for young children. Not many children handle money at home; they think the bank "makes" $20 bills or that we all just use plastic.
ReplyDeleteFor deeper understanding, start with pennies, dimes and dollars and don't add nickels and quarters until students demonstrate a good understanding of the money with relationships of 10. ...and half dollars?!?! who uses those anymore?? Let us know how it goes.