Monday, April 22, 2013

Common Core Standards for Math--Making Math Approachable

Many students have difficulty with math. They find it a challenge to approach any type of math assignment or math lesson. Some of that difficulty stems from a negative attitude, so as a teacher you should suggest to students the advantages of being good at math (cold hard cash when they get older because of the great jobs that involve math) and how a change of attitude can help them to better.

The last thing you want to hear a student say is, "I'm terrible at math" or "I can't do math." If they are saying these things, talk about how that type of thinking will not help him/her do better in math. Talk to him/her about metacognitive skills regarding math, such as take problem solving one step at a time and when he/she begins a math assignment to be sure to look over the examples carefully so that math will be easier to understand.

Finally, talk about that feeling of satisfaction when you've solved a problem correctly or have gotten an "A" on a math test.

The Core Standards for Math leads you to a dead link (http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics/introduction/standards-for-mathematical-practice) on the Common Core Standards webpage. The correct webpage is at http://www.corestandards.org/Math.
 

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Common Core--Math and Modeling

The Common Core Standards are only for Math and Language Arts because these are the subjects upon which other subjects are built.

Math standards have been written for Grades 1-8 and the following math content areas for hish school: number and quantity, algebra, functions, modeling, geometry, statistics.

Everyone is familiar with most of these math content areas. One--modeling--might puzzle many educators. Just what is modeling?

Modeling is using data from observations to make decisions about a wide range of subjects, including students' daily decisions.

Modeling problems involve a number of math content areas. It could be a process used to figure out how to feed and provide water a a city of 1 million after a natural disaster. Or it can be used to analyze the changes in each area of Greenland where the ice sheet has disappeared and predicting what will happen to these areas in the future.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Welcome to the Common Core Standards Links Blog

The Common Core State Standards, a nationwide initiative, are to replace the current state standards and frameworks that vary state to state.

Here's what the standards do:

1. Let parents, teachers and students know what they are going to learn.
2. Contain real world applications.
3. Help students to be successful in their college and working careers.
4. Ensure that each community in the United States can compete globally.

Today's link is: Common Core State Standards Initiative Home

Each week the Common Core Standards Links blog will summarize an important link for teacher, parents and other community members can use to better understand the new Common Core State Standards that will take effect at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. For most educators that means there are going to be big curriculum changes coming this August.

This blog is here to help.

Note that 
Alaska, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, & Virginia have opted out from participating in the nationwide change of school standards.