Standards and Classroom Changes to Deepen Math Learning Reflection

Standards and Classroom Changes to Deepen Math Learning Reflection:

I can 100% guarantee that K-8 schools and curriculums have changed and improved within the century, let alone within the last decade. All subject areas have been adapted and teachers’ teaching styles have radically changed; there are certain criteria to hit within each subject for each grade level and teachers have modified the way they execute concepts to their students and the way they assess students. In my classes I have learned about current teaching requirements and approaches. It is really nice that I went to school learning about common core standards from day 1. This will make it easier for me when I’m in the classroom because I am familiar with the standards and how they could be used.

            Focusing on Illinois, we have recently adopted the Common Core Standards (for language arts and mathematics). I have become very familiar with the CCSSM SMP standards, or Common Core State Standards for Mathematics-Standards for Mathematical Practice. During this summer session, we each focused specifically on two of these SMP’s but we did share information, reflect, and analyze about all of them. I think it was important that we broke these practice standards down so we could understand what it was conveying. These standards show what students should be able to do to be math proficient. The standards show how students engage with the subject matter as they grow older and gain more experience and maturity. There are 8 SMP’s: 1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 4. Model with mathematics. 5. Use appropriate tools strategically. 6. Attend to precision. 7. Look for and make use of structure. 8.Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. The Common Core Standards have different math content area objectives for each grade level. These standards need to be part of lesson plans so teachers are meeting the necessary content for that grade.

            Another change in mathematics seen recently is the NCTM process standards. There are five process standards including: 1. Problem-Solving. 2. Reasoning and Proof. 3. Communication. 4. Connections 5. Representation. When teachers create lessons, they need to make sure students have the opportunity to practice as many of these process standards as possible. This will help students mature in their mathematical thinking and critical thinking skills. With projects that I have done for this class, I have tried incorporating many of these process standards. I want my students to go beyond basic math computations and dig deeper. In my future classroom, I want to continue tying these process standards in with my lessons so my students are able to have a rich understanding and can relate these ideas to the real-world.

            In addition to the previous changes mentioned, student engagement and active learning have also become more widespread within K-8 classrooms. Students cannot sit in their desks all day and take notes like they used to. Without hands-on, interactive, exploratory, inquiry, and collaborative experiences, students are likely going to struggle or at least won’t be as involved in their learning process. Problems need to involve more than an answer; students need opportunities where they can explore with the concept, develop an understanding, reason, question, and make connections. There needs to be more engaging lessons in which the work is more student-centered.

            Students need to work beyond simple computations; they need to make meaning. Discourse in math is essential so students have a chance to discuss the content. Through whole-class discussions, small group discussions, or partner discussions, students are able to talk about mathematics and reveal their understanding. Students can also justify their answers, use reasoning, and debate. Students should be able to explain how they solved the problem and what method they used. Also, they should be able to evaluate their own work as well as their peers,’ reflect on different ideas, and find the most effective and efficient math solutions. Students also need to use syntax. In math, it is helpful when students write their methods, strategies, and observations. By students writing their processes, thoughts, and formulas down, the clearer it is to assess for understanding.

            Education is changing all the time. We are lucky to have come so far and I anticipate we will come even farther. There are so many resources that are available for teachers to use. Teachers need to make sure they plan carefully, align their lessons with standards, create engaging and student-centered lessons, and develop appropriate assessments. As self-evaluation is important, hopefully teachers are constantly evaluating their lessons to see how they can improve it. I know that creating lessons and curriculum plans will be time-consuming and require lots of thought and planning, but I feel that the recent K-8 educational changes have really improved the quality of learning.