UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING STANDARDS

Understanding and Applying Standard

In this unit of Module 5, learning and using standard to teach a unit, I have been able to identify some of the importance of unpacking standards and backward mapping as a teacher I am able to be aware of what students should be able to learn on the unit. Using backward mapping will help me as a teacher to focus on the learning goal and what students are supposed to know at the end of the lesson rather than focusing on the teaching process.

I work as a teaching assistant in grade 3 in my school and at the beginning of the school year in the elementary school, teachers are provided with standard they are to teach in subjects like social studies and science, then generally the school uses the common core state standard for math and English.

What I enjoy in this unit are the strategies of backwards mapping, how to unpack a standard, and write objectives.

Unpacking standards

While unpacking standards, I learnt how to identify and understand that terms used in math are found around us and applicable to real world problems and the terms used in standards are set as goals and skills which students need to acquire. I also learn that each state in the US has developed its own standards and curriculum which all schools within need to follow. This is a very good foundation for a better alignment among schools and students, and especially for new teachers.  Having the knowledge of unpacking standards when I become a lead teacher, I will be able to create lesson that will direct students on the big idea and the skills they are supposed to learn at the end of each lesson or standard and I will be able to create engaging activities that would help for better understanding of the standard.

Unpacking standards is a great idea for all teachers, but especially for those of us who are new to the gig because it really tells you what to focus on when designing lessons and units.

The two standard I unpacked were:

Standard 3.G.1 Understand that shapes in different categories may share attributes and that the shared attributes can define a larger category. Recognize rhombuses, rectangles and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these categories.

Standard 3.NBT.2. Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithm based on place value, properties of operation and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction (the unit is Money).

Following the standards above, the lesson review on the first standard (the unit is angles and lines), the teacher will ask students to look around to see if they could fine lines and angles around the class, students will be able to discuss what lines they could find around, they will be able to Measure angles, compare and contrast angle, know the difference between angles and polygon and explain the differences in line and angles. 

For formative assessments, the teacher will work around to see students that are on task. The second standard is so interesting and will engage students all through the unit, I like the fact that the unit is so applicable to real world problem.

Unpacking standards facilitates developing and delivering relevant and comprehensive lessons.

Backward Mapping

Before now as a teaching assistant I did not have too much experience first-hand with backwards mapping before this activity, although as I observe my classroom teacher I could see the familiarities in the concept and ideas behind backward mapping. Doing the activities in this unit, as I dived into backwards mapping for one of the two standards I unpacked, I realized just how easy it was to first unpack, then backwards map.  Because I had unpacked the standard, I was able to easily identify what students needed to know in order to achieve the standard. Working on this in this module I feel the importance of this method and I will really like to use this method in working out unit and lesson plans. Understanding this method, standards should be used as a reference and final results should be clearly identified to drive activities taught and learned.

I feel that what we as teacher want students to be able to achieve at the end of the unit is the key question to drive each unit or lesson plan. For example, for my grade 3 students at the end of the unit (money) will be able to demonstrate understanding of the uses and importance of money, be able to add and subtract money with and without regrouping and also learn to make good choices while spending, giving, earning and saving money. This unit is applicable to real world problems and students will be able to connect the knowledge they will acquire from the unit to their everyday lives. Also, students will demonstrate 21st century skills like collaboration, communication critical thinking, creativity, student’s choice and voice and the activities in this unit is engaging and student centered. Once I was able to unpack standard, I could determine the proficiencies students would learn and at this point I was able to consistently use the keywords in the standard and then further develop my unit plan with assessment and activities that will assist students in mastering the standard.

The strengths of unpacking and backward mapping the standards as part of the lesson planning process are obvious to me. To me, the perspective on the standards elicits an iterative, organic thinking and planning process, in which new lesson ideas and nuances to differentiate instruction continuously evolve.

A problem I faced when unpacking a standard was trying to figure out just how far to unpack and just how many lessons were actually needed in order for students to understand a concept and the weakness of this approach might be resultant lesson plans that are overambitious, but “chunking” the standards out into discreet lessons is a simple solution to that. Well, because the activities have been backward-mapped to the standards, they are readily modifiable. This notwithstanding, unpacking and backward-mapping of standards helps to ensure that the academic objective is clear, and I understand the standard and develop a lesson that adequately addresses the standard and meets its objectives.

To me I think learning opportunities are maximized when each of the standards is practiced in every lesson in the unit.

Unpacking standards and backward-mapping are complementary processes that can help teachers understand and apply standards, I understand this and I appreciate the process because I see it as a way to help teachers to be able to dwell mainly on the learning goal rather than the teaching point. 

Also understanding how to unpack, use, apply, and deliver standards is the key to succeed for teachers. It helps teachers to align with school standards, ensure the continuity in learning and teaching, and provide interesting, meaningful, and personal learning activities relevant and necessary to students' future careers.

Some clear objectives

For me I think that in learning the object should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant/result oriented and time targeted (SMART), as a teacher, in order to meet smart objectives, learning activities need to be well planned, meaningful, personal relevant, and fun to engage students' focus.  For the standards that I choose there are learning activities that are engaging:

1. Teacher’s warm up lesson

2. Discussion with students

3. Project based learning

4. Game based learning

5. Personal reflection for students

6. Individual presentation.

All these were wrapped in the lesson to engage and get students involved so that at the end of the unit they will be able to achieve the learning objectives.

In conclusion, understanding and applying standards for me as a teacher will help me to focus on what students should know and the skills they should be able to acquire at the end of the lesson and this will in-turn help students to be able to meet up to the learning goal and objectives. 

References
common Core State Standard Initiative
http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/3/NBT/#CCSS.Math.Content.3.NBT.A.2

Common Core State Standard Initiative
http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/3/G/


Common Core State standard Initiative
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/