The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role that state standards play in the classroom. The topics that I will include in this paper will be an overview of the usage and role that state standards play in the teaching and learning of students and a summary of a discussion with my guiding practice teacher about standards and data from observing him. In addition, I will analysis how my guiding practice teacher uses standards to help instruct his students. Furthermore, through the lens of the reflective cycle, I will reflect on the intelligent action I plan to incorporate into my future classroom.
Role That State Standards Play in the Teaching and Learning
State standards impact the way that teachers’ instruct in the classroom in a control manner. The standards are state mandates for the topics that need to be cover in the class. The standards serve as an outline of topics for the teachers to teach to the students. They are uniform instruction of a subject that covers all public schools in the state. Additionally, the standards should provide a structure-learning environment in the classroom.
Standards help teachers by providing an outline of instruction for the class. Falk (2000) suggest that “the capacity of standards to provide guidance toward and images of possibility of what quality work can be; the opportunity that standards present to initiate collective conversations and inquiry about shared values, purposes, goals, and expectations” (p.164). Standards help the teachers find a starting point for an instructional lesson.
Standards also help to create uniform instruction across the district as well as the state. According to Ravitch (1991), “[curriculum] must teach the core democratic values that enable ...
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...learning as the students need (p.234). While teaching my lesson, I must be present in the moment. I do not need to be thinking about the last class period, next period, or what needs to be done for tomorrow classes. I need to focus on the instruction that on the class that I am teaching to help them be successful.
Another intelligent action, I would include in my classroom is feedback. I would include structure feedback in my lesson. At the end of instruction, I would ask the students what they have learn today in class. I would do this as a way to assess their learning and see what the students receive from the class lesson. Additionally, I would ask the students what could I have done better in class or what they believe did not work in class. This would help me plan future lessons to know what work with the class as well as what did not work with the class.
I listen to my students. I allow time for their individual impute in what they are learning, and adjust accordingly. I really believe that is why students can be so into the idea of being taught, because they are all encouraged to lead the discussion and projects before them as it relates to the curriculum. I try to learn from my students by listening to their interpretation. I am learning what interest them, and feed off of it in the work that needs to be performed. Work towards a positive social society, with this education does takes place for our students, teachers, and community, all for a better future, one that is full of knowledge and acceptance. What could be any
The proposed Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act identifies key factors for college and career-ready students. The act asks that states adopt rigorous college and career ready standards in English/language arts and mathematics along with assessments aligned to these standards. In June of 2010, the NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released the Common Core State Standards which 45 out of 50 states have currently adopted. Additionally, states are required to develop a system of accountability that rewards successful schools, requires interventions for the lowest-perfor...
Since 2010, there were 45 states that have adopted the same educational standards called Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The initiative is sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers and seeks to establish consistent education standards across the states. The Common Core Standards is initiative state-led effort that established a single set of clear educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English and Mathematical standards. These standards help to educate all of the students equally, they help children who move from state to state, as well as they help to prepare students for college and workplace. The common core standard helps to provide a clear understanding for teachers and parents of what is expected of the students to learn. It is designed to help educate our children for the future; it gives them the knowledge and skill they need to be prepared for post secondary education and employment. "The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world." (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers)
Today, public schools follow a set of standards called Common Core. Despite its good intention, Common Core could potentially do more harm than good. Common Core standardized tests for example create stress and pressure for students and teachers. If students fail the tests they might have to retake the grade, and the teachers of those students are held responsible. Common Core is not necessary as other countries, like Finland for example, has successful students without the need for tests like the standardized
The Common Core State Standards has been adopted by many states in the United States already. This issue is gaining both positive and negative opinions within the education world and society. Some want to know why the standards were created and what the meaning behind these standards is. What is the reasoning for implementing these standards, and why is there so much controversy that follows. Why do these four words cause such controversy? The following will analyze and evaluate The Common Core State Standards in hopes to understand why education is being overtaken by them.
Standardized testing has taken over the education realm and led to a shift in the institutional goals and values of education. In the last 40 years, standardized exams have changed; they were once used to determine the learning level of students, but now they are being used to determine the teacher’s ability. Standardized tests do not measure education quality and are incorrectly used, leading to the wrongful evaluation of teachers and the limiting of education for students by schools.
The Common Core Standards prepare students for a competitive global economy and has been designed to leave room for tailoring to specific state populations who must adopt at least eighty five percent of the standards, leaving fifteen percent to tweak. The Common Core Standards were designed by a diverse group of teachers, experts, parents, and school administrators to reflect aspirations for student achievement and an understanding of the realities of the classroom.
In 1997, President Bill Clinton stated that the United States needed, “ a national crusade for education standards - not federal government standards, but national standards, representing what all our students must know to succeed in the knowledge economy of the twenty-first century”(http://books.nap.edu/books/0309062802/html/13.html). The way to succeed in this journey is through standardized testing that results in consequences for teachers and students.
Over the last twenty years, America’s Public Educational system has changed their teaching policy directions to focus more on standards-based instruction. Laturnau (2001) states, “Standards-based instruction (SBI) is at the forefront of education reform because it presents a way to ensure that all students are exposed to challenging curricula and prepared to contribute positively to an increasingly complex world.” During the Clinton administration in the year 1994, there was a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which begun this strong move towards SBI. The SBI idea was then continued on under the Bush administration through the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. Shepard, Hannaway, & Baker (2009) write “In a recent survey of policy makers, standards were acknowledged as the central framework guiding state education policy.” The standards-based instruction idea is one that requires states to exclude no particular student and also includes guidelines for evaluating the educators that the American people trust to teach our future generations to be sure that no child is left behind and every student academically succeeds.
Standards-Based learning is teaching students to insure that they gain knowledge and skills that are important in school but also the adult world. Standards-based learning “helps educators
The first thing an educator has to consider is the curriculum students should be taught. Educators must use the common core standards for ELA and Math, as well as the Georgia Performance Standards for Science and Social Studies. They use these standards to plan what is to be learned, how it is to be learned, in what order it is to be learned, and how to determine the strengths and weaknesses of individual students. Classroom teachers
With a standardized curriculum comes standardized testing. A standardized curriculum limits what students learn. Students master content areas (Cole, Hulley, & Quarles, 2013). Students are not encouraged to go in depth of content knowledge. According to Adler (2013), objectives of the school should be the same for the whole school. To obtain these objectives teachers use lecturing, textbooks, coaching, and supervised practices. Students are not exploring the content beyond what is expected. Teachers are teaching to the test because that is what is expected of them. Students are not growing and exploring with knowledge. Content is watered down and vague for students (Noddings, 2013).
These new standards seem to be focusing more on both accountability and back to basics. As a math teacher I can be delighted by this focus. However, as a potential administrator, I realize this is too myopic a view. Indeed these standards have created a dilemma -- a conundrum -- a paradox.
Council of Chief State School Officers and National Governors Association. (2010). Common Core States Standards. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/
testing was to standardise the content taught across schools in order to raise standards of