Adventures in Math

Today I am proud to share that I received a print copy of my article published in Education Week!  I am feeling very busy and important, as Bridget Jones would say (Not so important that the editor didn't address my congratulatory letter to Mr. Doyle accidentally, however... oh well). Yesterday, I officially starting using Common Core Math Journal tasks in my classroom.  I got them from an awesome website, K-5 Math Teaching Resource s, which has amazing, FREE resources that are aligned to the Common Core.  The Math Journals and the Flip Books are my favorite.  The math journals, or "problem solving notebooks" feature tasks that invite students to think a little deeper, explain their thinking, and justify their answers.  Sounds like Common Core to me!  I put this problem up on my Smartboard yesterday: When I first put it up, it just showed up to "Do you agree?" I had my students read it to themselves, then I read it aloud, and then they read it to...

This adventure began this summer when I walked into a week-long fraction institute put on the by the   California Math Project .  I quickly learned that the content was going to be presented with an emphasis on Common Core.  Common what?  Common who?  Come again?  While I had heard rumblings of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) development ("They're coming!"), I had not done any investigation on the matter.  By the end of the week, I had been indoctrinated into the Common Core Initiative!  I left feeling energized and hungry for more information about how to get my students thinking more deeply.  Bitten by the CCSS bug, of course I inquired about Common Core professional development within my district.  The answer, "We're on hold with it."  Yeah, on hold like a person standing in the middle of a freeway that's going to get hit by a big rig eventually... So, instead of sitting around, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for the p...

If you have found your way here, welcome!  I better get blogging since apparently I'm famous.  Ok, just kidding, but my article was  published in Education Week this week and I'm beaming!  It's so exciting to spread the word about something I'm passionate about, and I can't wait to dive into the topic of Common Core implementation even deeper.  Please check it out if you missed  my article  on how online learning communities will support CCSS implementation.