What we have learned so far in this course is that students come to us from diverse backgrounds and have their own unique learning needs. We have also learned that the systems of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are grounded in differentiated instructional practices to form the basis of quality curriculum.
As noted in Week Two, you participate in your school’s Professional Learning Community (PLC) as developing experts in implementing differentiated instruction. For this assignment, you will create the content for a blog (not actually creating the blog at this time) that identifies differentiated assessment and teaching strategies. These strategies can be used to assess student mastery of the new Common Core State Standards while providing engaging and rigorous classroom instruction.
For the purpose of this assignment, you will be using a Word document (two to three pages) to create a prospective blog that can be designed online at another time.
Within your blog, you must:
· Describe (in general) the standards for mathematics.
· Describe (in general) the standards for English language arts.
· Summarize the Common Core State Standards initiative including their purpose (i.e., the expectations of the CCSS) and academic impact.
· Discuss how differentiated instruction is an essential strategy for the CCSS.
· Explain five or more differentiated strategies, tools, or activities that will support teachers’ implementation of the CCSS for mathematics.
· Explain five or more differentiated strategies, tools, or activities that will support teachers’ implementation of the CCSS for English language arts.
Use your course text and at least two scholarly articles from the Ashford University Library or Google Scholar to support your research. Your paper will be formatted according to APA guidelines including title and reference pages.
Instructor Guidance
Week 3
Introduction
This week you will:
- Create an instructional alignment between the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and differentiated instruction.
- Develop engaging and motivating differentiated strategies that align with Common Core State Standards.
- Implement instructional plans to promote opportunities for success in differentiated learning environments.
Now that you’ve designed the physical layout of your classroom and have a strong idea of how you will create a positive behavior management system, it is time to get instruction started! With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, schools are holding students to higher standards and requiring more advanced proficiency in graduation requirements. This means that you, the teacher, will need to create engaging and dynamic lesson plans that align with the new standards that also promote opportunities for success in your differentiated learning environment. It is important to point out that the CCSS do not specify how to teach or how to assess; the standards only identify what students should know and be able to do (CCSS, 2014).
Discussions Boards
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are meant to provide educators and parents with a consistent and clear understanding of student expectations. While written to address English Language Arts and Mathematics, the CCSS address college and career ready knowledge and skills in preparing students to transition from high school to college. One example of providing multiple means of instruction through differentiation is through instructional technology. The following short video from PowerUP What Works (2013) will help to provide some information that will helpful to you.
Other methods of differentiated instructional strategies can be found in Miss Taylor Brooke Stancil’s Differentiated Instructional Strategies Kit (Links to an external site.) with suggestions for all ages, grades and content area.
Assignment
To begin, this is a three-minute video that clearly explains the purpose behind the Common Core State Standards (CCSS):
This video was created by the DC Public School system. As the video explains, one of the purposes of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is to scaffold ideas, starting with a foundation and then gradually becoming more challenging and abstract. Differentiated instruction has a similar conceptual framework as teachers must continually work to identify and implement strategies that work for all students.
For your assignment this week you will create a blog that is written in user-friendly terms and is easily understood by other educators, parents, and community stakeholders regarding the purpose of the Common Core State Standards, the evidence-based foundation for differentiated instruction, and how the two methods align. In addition, you will include resources, references, guides, and materials that will contribute to your reading audiences’ understanding of each topic and how they can be integrated into curriculum material and instructional delivery.
References
Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2014). Myths vs facts (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/
DC Public Schools. (2012, November 2). Three-minute video explaining the common core state standards (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s0rRk9sER0
PowerUp What Works. (2013, September 16). Embedded supports to differentiate instruction for struggling students (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GTdUtAUl2M&list=PL9-_3Cww3Z20IhrLNjMDWARunIckafQnP
Stancil, T. (2011, November 30). All children can learn (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://cnweb.cn.edu/tedu/New%20Website%20Docs/DifferentiatedInstructionStrategiesKit.pdf
Required Resources
Required Text
Puckett, K (2013). Differentiating Instruction: A Practical Guide [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
- Chapter 5: Instructional Strategies Supporting Differentiated Instructional Practices
Multimedia
Tomlinson, C., Britt, S. (2012). Common core state standards: Where does differentiating fit? ACSD. (Links to an external site.) [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/tomlinson-and-britt-webinar.aspx
Recommended Resources
Articles
Newton, S. (n.d.). Civil war – kwl. (Links to an external site.) Retrieved from http://creately.com/diagram/example/go7g10ui1/Civil War – KWL
Stancil, T. (n.d.). Differentiated instruction strategies. Retrieved from http://cnweb.cn.edu/tedu/New Website Docs/DifferentiatedInstructionStrategiesKit.pdf
Uzayr, S. (2012, March 13). Top 10 free online blogging platforms. (Links to an external site.) Retrieved from http://sixrevisions.com/tools/top-free-online-blogging/
Multimedia
nlumarketing. (2012, Feburary 1). Career Readiness and Common Core Standards. (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VedAZSrszzE
nlumarketing. (2011, December 8). Tips for Differentiating Instruction with Common Core Standards. (Links to an external site.)[Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN3i0Ws06vA