CCSS & Differentiated Classrooms

CCSS & Differentiated Classrooms

Ashford University

EDU673: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR DIFFERENTIATED

CCSS & Differentiated Classrooms

Quality curriculum has its basis in standards, or descriptions of student outcomes in content areas (Puckett, 2013, Chapter 5)

Describe the standards for mathematics

The standards for mathematics are divided into two sets, mathematical practice and mathematical content. The mathematical method describes the way students should move through the math standards. As the student progress through the standards, it is a blend of procedural skill and conceptual understanding. The students are guided through the standard and also helped to learn to question the math. The standards in mathematics use real-life problems to help the students become curious as to how math works. The CCSS Standards in mathematics has eight practice standards. These standards focus on practices that encourage students

to question how and why mathematics works the way it does, to look for solutions to real-life problems using mathematical principles, to develop a mindset of curiosity and persistence, and to ultimately move beyond procedure and tedium to experience the elegance, beauty, and truth of mathematics Puckett, 2013, Chapter 5.3).

Describe the standards for English language arts.

English Language Arts is an area that all subject reinforce daily. English Language Arts is an essential standard which guides student’s comprehension through higher learned vocabulary and using text that is in the content area. Students must learn to think and be able to verbally communicate and write to express their ideas. The standards have set expectations by the grade level.

Summarize the Common Core State Standards initiative including their purpose (i.e., the expectations of the CCSS) and academic impact.

With an ever-changing world in technology and expectations, students need to have the tools necessary to meet the challenge. Today’s Common Core Standards are a consistent guide of what a student needs to know upon graduation. With the standards set for each grade level, they build upon each other as students move through the grades. The standards were drafted by experts and teachers from across the country and are designed to ensure students are prepared for today’s entry-level careers, freshman-level college courses, and workforce training programs (“Common Core,” .n.d, para. 2).

Discuss how differentiated instruction is an essential strategy for CCSS.

Differentiated instruction is essential to shape the standard to give every child the best chance possible to learn, teachers need to differentiate the lessons to support all students. We need to consider that all students learn differently and the teacher can transform the assignment to meet the needs of students. Differentiation is merely trying to find the best way to support the students to see the preferred learning style for the students. With this three-essential feature of differentiated instruction are, (1) differentiated instruction adapts instructional design to students’ needs; (2) differentiated instruction is not only based on curriculum goals, but also student characteristics; (3) differentiated instruction is aimed at maximizing learning outcomes (Wouter Smets, 2017, p. 2076).

Explain five or more differentiated strategies, tools, or activities that will support teachers’ implementation of the CCSS for mathematics.

Differentiation in the classroom has many different strategies that help teachers. There is

a creative learning station in the classroom where students have different stations to rotate through, and every station has a different level and task to challenge the students. We can also

Target different senses with lessons where students can play games such as prodigy, ABC Math there is a multitude of various programs to use. Students can also use charts and graphs to help explain their ideas. It is also important to group the students with similar learning styles; this will help the students learn through working out problems with other students who enjoy there learning style. Some students will also require a teacher to teach up and challenge them to acquire higher order of thinking problems. There are many more strategies for the students and having an understanding that the students in classrooms today are very diverse in their learning styles.

Explain five or more differentiated strategies, tools, or activities that will support teachers’ implementation of the CCSS for English language arts.

In English language art it is essential to find what the students are interested in and if at

all possible, try to differentiate the lessons to include areas the students enjoy. Within ELA there are many differentiated strategies a teacher can use. Think Pair Share is a great one where they read and share what they learn with a partner. Teachers must encourage independent reading to help the student s increase their fluency. We must also promote and practice fluency with the students; one way is reading out loud. Students also need to have some meaning and gives the students the tools needed such as predicting, visualizing, questioning, clarifying and being able to summarize what they read. This goes hand in hand with writing and providing the students with as many options as possible will motivate students to read and write.

References

Puckett, K. S. (2013). DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION: A PRACTICAL GUIDE. Retrieved

from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUEDU673.13.2/sections/fm

What Parents Should Know. (.n.d). Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/what-parents- should-know/

Wouter Smets. (2017). High Quality Differentiated Instruction? A Checklist for Teacher Professional Development on Handling Differences in the General Education Classroom. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2075-2080. http://dx.doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2017.051124

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