BETTER TEACHING
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CLASSROOM CURRICULUM FOR TEACHING STUDENTS & TEACHERS Lynne Munson
eachers in the 42 states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSS-M) are trying to change how they teach. For most, the strategies and methods required are new, as is the depth of knowledge demanded, in both students and teachers. Many teachers are finding that studying standardsbased curriculum can be a basis for their own professional development. But this is only possible when curriculum-makers write materials that are
worthy of study. The expectations of the CCSS are slowly ushering out the day of the scripted curriculum. Content-rich materials that are educative and respectful of teachers as students themselves are replacing scripts. With a much wider reach than any previous reform effort to fix math instruction in this country, Common Core State Standards in Mathematics are changing the K-12 instructional landscape. They emphasize conceptual thinking, deeper learning, and the real-world application of math concepts while
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also expecting kids to be able to compute well and recall math facts quickly. They aren’t reliant solely on procedures and memorization of formulas, which people tend to forget over time. Instead, they seek to teach the meaning behind math concepts, problems and algorithms. They also encourage students to solve problems in more than one way to promote flexible thinking and ensure students have multiple strategies that work for them. But a persistent question has been how to help teachers successfully deliver
this kind of instruction, since most were trained before the Common Core and didn’t learn math this way as kids. Thus, as a new generation of children is being asked to learn math the way leading researchers, the higher education community, and employers say is needed, too many teachers don’t have the knowledge or the confidence to make that happen — particularly in the lower grades where teachers tend to be generalists. In our experience over the past few years with the K-12 math curriculum we WWW.SEENMAGAZINE.US
