Common Core State Standards: A Good Fit for Gifted Education? Jennifer G. Beasley, Ed.D. is an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas. She will be presenting at ASCD’s Common Core Professional Development Institutes which you can learn more about and register for here. With so many states committing to Common Core State Standards (CCSS) many educators of the gifted and talented are wondering what the CCSS might mean and whether these new standards will be a good fit for the students they serve. What is Common Core? In order to address whether it is a good fit for advanced learners, we need to know just what is at the heart of the standards. “Are aligned with college and work expectations;Are clear, understandable and consistent;Include rigorous content and application of knowledge through higher-order skills;Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;Are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; andAre evidence-based.” Sources:
coretaskproject | A fine WordPress.com site 50 Common Core Resources For Teachers 50 Common Core Resources For Teachers Groups and Organizations These links will take you to essential reading materials from the institutions and organizations behind Common Core. Common Core State Standards Initiative:This is the official site for the CCSSI, featuring information about the standards, news, resources, and answers to frequently asked questions.National Governors Association: The NGA played a major role in the development of Common Core, so their website is a great place to look for answers about the standards.Council of Chief State School Officers: The other major group behind Common Core is the CCSSO, an organization you can learn more about by visiting their site. Useful Resources Read up on Common Core, find out more about what it will mean for your classes, and get some help from educational providers and groups by following these links. Curriculum Development These sites offer a wealth of resources for helping you develop curricula that meets Common Core standards. Blogs
Georgia Organization of School Based Speech Language Pathologists: Common Core for SLPs Language Skills in the standards from an SLP Lens - summary of language skills in the standards Standards Charts: Listed below are charts with standards listed by levels: elementary, middle, and high school. They are listed by grade levels and strands to help SLPs see the horizontal and vertical progression. The charts are for Language Arts, but we will be adding others soon. These standards are complex and will need to be “unwrapped” or “broken down” into more discrete language skills. To use the charts, here is an example: if a student is in 5th grade, but functioning closer to the 2nd grade standard, the SLP can look back at earlier grade level expectations and analyze the skills needed for the student to progress towards the grade level standard. SLPs can also use this information to explain to teachers, parents, and administrators on how we impact and support student achievement. Lozo, D. (2012). Lozo, D. (2012).
Partner in Education | Educational Consulting & Instructional Coaching Fifth Grade Math Worksheets Measurement and fractions come in the form of word problems at this level. A major theme in the core for this level is multiplication and long division. You will see in almost all aspects of the curriculum. Make sure that your students master those skills. It is truly paramount for them to do this! For some quick reminders, we also have 5th Grade Math Posters. Operations and Pre-Algebra Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces in Math Expressions- 5.OA.1 2-Step Order of Operations - 5.OA.1 3-Step Order of Operations - 5.OA.1 4-Step Order of Operations - 5.OA.1 Simple Expressions That Record Calculations- 5.OA.2 Generating Math Patterns From Rules - 5.OA.3 Creating and Breaking Down Math Patterns - 5.OA.B.3 Function and Chart Patterns - 5.OA.B.3 Identifying and Complete Math Patterns - 5.OA.B.3 Sudoku Math Patterns - 5.OA.B.3 Numbers and Base Ten Place Values and Ten Times Differences- 5.NBT.1 Patterns in Products with Many Zeros - 5.NBT.2 Naming and Introducing Exponents - 5.NBT.A.2 Numbers and Fractions
Common Core Curriculum Maps | Membership Common Core’s ELA Maps have been in use by teachers for over two years. During this time, the non-profit organization has established an unparalleled reputation for creating high-quality, low-cost curriculum tools based on the Common Core State Standards. Our Common Core Curriculum Maps, released in August 2010, were the first new, CCSS-based curriculum tools to come out after the standards were finalized. Written by teachers for teachers, our ELA Maps are detailed guides for creating CCSS-aligned lessons that delve deeply into key core knowledge content and utilize the best and most important literary and informational texts. The Maps are comprised of 76 units covering Kindergarten through 12th grade, and include: At Common Core, we recognize that implementing a new curriculum demands a significant investment of time and resources. 30% off (plus free shipping) the extended print edition of our maps published by Jossey-Bass. Please join us!
Infographics and the Common Core Information is all around us, but very little of what we digest daily is in the form of a traditional textbook. Advertisements make use of large images designed to catch our attention followed by product information. Social networks, like Pinterest, and Instagram capitalize on our attraction to images as sources of information. My biology textbook is three times the size of old textbooks from the 70′s, and a quick scan reveals that the pages are bigger, brighter and filled with colorful images. I’m always disappointed when a class discussion reveals that many of the students aren’t even looking at these pictures. Analyzing text structures is a major theme of the common core literacy standards. Check out some of these infographics at Images can be powerful and convey ideas in a brighter, bigger way than text can. 1) A daily or weekly infographic can be used to spark analysis and discussion. 5.
Common Core State Standards | Institute for a Competitive Workforce What are the Common Core State Standards? The Common Core State Standards are a set of high-quality academic expectations in English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics that define both the knowledge and skills all students should master by the end of each grade level in order to be on track for success in college and career. They were created through a state-led initiative and have been adopted by more than forty states. The standards establish consistent learning goals for all students – regardless of where they live – so that children will stay on track in school when moving from one state to another. With a clear roadmap of academic expectations, students, parents, and teachers can work together toward shared goals. This three-minute video explains how the Common Core State Standards will help students achieve at high levels and help them learn what they need to know to get to graduation and beyond. Myths vs. Resources From the Blog
The Other 21st Century Skills Many have attempted to identify the skills important for a learner today in this era of the 21st century (I know it is an overused phrase). I have an affinity towards the skills identified by Tony Wagner: Critical thinking and problem-solvingCollaboration across networks and leading by influenceAgility and adaptabilityInitiative and entrepreneurialismEffective oral and written communicationAccessing and analyzing informationCuriosity and imagination Today I viewed a slideshow created by Gallup entitled, The Economics of Human Development: The Path to Winning Again in Education. Here are some slides from this presentation. This presentation sparked my thinking about what other skills and attributes would serve the learners (of all ages) in this era of learning. GritResilienceHope and OptimismVisionSelf-RegulationEmpathy and Global Stewardship Grit Students can develop psychological resources that promote grit, tenacity, and perseverance. Resilience
Comprehensive List of ELA CCSS Implementation Resources My school is starting to accelerate our ELA implementation. We’re asking ELA teachers to: carefully look over the Common Core English Language Arts (ELA) standards compare them to existing curriculum maps, unit plans etc. understand the major differences start to develop an understanding of the technology expectations in the CCSS and begin appropriate modifications to curriculum maps, and start working their way through unit plans and lesson plans. In addition, all the subject matter teachers (NOT ELA) will review their maps and add in specific CCSS details about how Writing Anchor Standard #2: Write informative /explanatory texts , will be supported via their maps, too. We have a team of teachers responsible for pulling together an initial set of resources - source info (the standards themselves), a few how to’s (videos to help understand how to unpack the standards, and so on), some sample lessons (typically, short videos) and a start at lesson plan sources. CCSS Information Resources
Welcome to Literacy Leader | Literacy Leader 10 Excellent Resources to Help you Align your Teaching with Common Core Standards There is now a heated discussion going on in the States about the Common Core Standards. Everything has been reshaped to meet the requirements of Common Core Standards including technology integration at least in the 46 states that have already adopted it. To help you better align your teaching practices with the CCS, Educational Technology and Mobile Learning pooled several resources to curate for you the list below.But before you start exploring these links , let me briefly wrap up what CCS is all about : The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. 1- Common Core State Standard Information Center As well as a wealth of facts and statistics about the standards, you'll also be able to find aligned curricula and lesson plans, the latest news on the Common Core and relevant videos and links. 2- Status of Adoption of CCSS 4- Pathways to CCSS 8- Compass Learning