Effectively implementing the CCR math standards is tough work! Teachers struggle as they teach to the standards in settings that are often not ideal. In a recent visit I had with teachers in Jackson, MS, several issues kept coming up:
- What are the best practices for effectively teaching to the CCR standards in a classroom with multiple levels of math skill and sometimes even multiple subjects being taught? How can this best be done, given the short amount of time we have with our adult learners?
- What can teachers of adults do to help their students understand that college and career readiness entails more than passing the GED or other credentialing exam? Of course, passing such a test is critical, but it just may not be enough to get students into an entry-level, college credit-bearing math course or into a job with potential for advancement.
- What tools already exist to help adult educators incorporate the Standards for Mathematical Practice into their lessons? Are there robust repositories of lessons that target the CCR standards, including the Math Practices?
Hopefully some of you have good ideas that you are willing to share. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas.
Kaye
Comments
This is not a very bookish answer for best practices for the multiple level math classes we all have, but it's one thing a teacher can try. Use the Problem-Based Lesson customized search engine, found here: http://robertkaplinsky.com/prbl-search-engine/ to search for lesson ideas. Multiple levels are more of an issue if you're trying to teach in a traditional way. Problem-based instruction is also more likely to address the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
Thanks for sharing this resource, Connie. We need all the resources we can find for effectively teaching our adult learners. And problem-based learning is definitely a way to weave the Standards for Mathematical Practice into our classrooms.