Allaying Older Sister's Frustrations over Common Core Math Homework

I saw this problem on Twitter with the caption: "My 9 year old sisters math homework with this "common core" %$#. WHAT ARE THESE DIRECTIONS.”

Dear Frustrated Older Sister,

The directions are confusing to someone who hasn’t read the Common Core standards and accompanying documents (which only people like me actually do).  So it makes sense that you are confused.  I would guess the confusing part of these directions are either “number bonds” or “skip-count.”

First I’ll talk about “number bonds.”  One of the shifts in the Common Core State Standards is towards conceptual understanding.  What used to be taught as a practice in memorization is now taught to understand the underlying concept.  “7+7=14 because... my brain told me” is no longer acceptable.  Understanding that 7 can be broken up into 3+4 (that’s what the number bonds are showing you) is important and helpful in understanding why 7+7 = 14.  You may ask, why 3+4 and not 2+5 or 1+6?  The reason is in the next step, we are taking the 7 and adding 3 to it to make a 10.  Then we have 4 left.  Putting it altogether, 7+7 is the same as 7+3+4 which leads to 10+4 which is the expanded form of 14.  

If you are confused about the “skip count” part, we used to just call it counting by 7’s.  Similarly to how you jump over ground when skipping on the playground, you can skip over the other numbers when counting.  I believe the skip was added to make clear they are jumping over the numbers in between to differentiate it from regular counting which would mean by ones.

Thanks for trying to help your little sister,

Jim Town - Mathematics Specialist at ACOE Core Learning

Core Coaching Network 2014-2015 Kickoff

Yesterday, the Core Learning team launched a new year of the Core Coaching Network...and it is better than ever!  Instructional leaders from seven districts in our county joined our executive director, literacy, and math teams in a half-day meeting which included getting-to-know-you activities, information about planning meaningful PDs for their district/school sites, and plenty of time to learn new ed tech resources. (All handouts from this meeting are at our tinyurl.com/corelearning site, under Core Coaching Network)

Creating Meaningful PD

In accordance with the image above, instructional leaders were led through a series of interactive steps toward creating meaningful and effective PD; they were asked to:

1. Define meaningful/real-world outcomes
2. An authentic application experience
3. Finding meaning-making resources
4. Using the 4 Cs
5. Formative Assessments
6. Technology integration

In retrospect, what we came to find was that these steps mirror what the Smarter Balanced Assessment is asking of our students: take a real-world experience and create a product using multiple, meaning-making resources (stimuli), while using the 4 Cs, and answer formative assessment questions (the research questions), all while using technology.

Networking

Participants had ample time to get to know each other while working through the steps toward effective PD, and also during networking time.

  

 

Future Meetings
Future Core Coaching Network meetings will focus on three important elements:

1. Strategies to design dynamic PD based on adult learning theory
2. Content-area specific data, coaching, and pedagogy
3. Opportunities for participants to collaborate and network as they problem-solve, share district practices, and work in partnership on projects

Join Us!

If you are an instructional leader who is interested in...

• Advancing your design and delivery of professional development for 21st century curriculum and instruction, including cutting-edge technology tools
• Learning and being able to share best practices for adult learning as well as how to facilitate systems transformation
• Developing a strong community through shared expertise and time to network with job-alike colleagues from neighboring districts
• Deepening your Common Core content knowledge
• Learning how to align tasks and assessments to Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium expectations

then come be a part of the Core Coaching Network!

The cost is a fee of $1,000 per school district (this covers all participants from that district for the school year).  Please click here to register: https://2014corecoachingnetwork.eventbrite.com.  For registration questions, contact Michael Lee at mlee@acoe.org.

By Maria Vlahiotis, Literacy Specialist