Chalk
Talk
There is more in us than we
know. If we can be made to
see it, perhaps, for the rest of
our lives, we will be unwilling to
settle for less.
-Kurt Hahn
Vol. 1, Issue 4
We Educate for Excellence……….
Empowering all students to achieve their educational goals, to direct their lives and to contribute to society.
Let’s Cut to the Core….
Breaking it Down….One Ah-ha Moment At A Time: The Fourth of a Series….
The Road to Algebra is Traversed Through Fractions...the Math Mantra: Focus, Coherence, Rigor: (Wessling, 2010).
According to David Coleman, one of the principal authors of the Core, the greatest predictor of algebraic agility is the ability to understand fractions. The
new standards begin to build the foundation for algebraic thinking in kindergarten. Students must understand EVERYTHING about whole numbers and be
able to transfer that knowledge to the next grade level. Thus, the emphasis on focus, coherence and rigor. FOCUS on fewer concepts. COHERENCE to
teach for mastery instead of re-teaching year after year. RIGOR to teach for transfer to understand a math concept SO well that one is able to transfer that
knowledge to other mathematical operations and applications. The point is not necessarily the right answer….but to understand FUNCTIONS.
The Next Generation of Science Standards: An Exercise in Accepting Risk and Challenge
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are intended to reflect a new vision for K-12 science education. The standards are
based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education. The framework operates in three dimensions: Science and engineering practice;
crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas. Science and engineering practice combines the investigative nature of science
(building models and theories about the natural world) to the set of engineering practices of design, models and systems. The focus is
on inquiry; combining scientific inquiry practices of answering questions through investigation, and engineering design which is the formulation of a problem solved through design. In other words, STEM, the integration of science, technology , engineering and mathematics. Crosscutting Concepts links the different domains of science that include: Patterns, similarity, and diversity; Cause and effect;
Scale, proportion and quantity; Systems and system models; Energy and matter; Structure and function; Stability and change. Interrelating these concepts provides the students a foundation for understanding science as a coherent entity and allows their vision to expand
from science as separate concepts and labs to a coherent “scientifically-based view of the world.” The curriculum, assessment and instruction of science should focus on the most important aspects of science. To this end, to be considered “core” content should ideally
meet all four of the following criteria:
Have broad importance across multiple sciences or engineering disciplines or be a key organizing concept of a single discipline;
Provide a key tool for understanding or investigating more complex ideas and solving problems;
Relate to the interests and life experiences of students or be connected to societal or personal concerns that require scientific or
technological knowledge;
Be teachable and learnable over multiple grades at increasing levels of depth and sophistication.
These disciplinary ideas are grouped in the four domains of physical science, life science, earth and space science, and engineering,
technology and applications of science.
Take a look at Ohio’s new revised science standards. There are commonalities between the two documents. Standards in K-8 are organized into three of the four domains. Strand connections including inquiry and application are present. The “Visions into Practice”
section of the model curriculum includes technological and engineering solutions using scientific concepts, demonstrating scientific
knowledge and interpreting and communicating scientific concepts and recalling accurate science (ODE, 2011) . Keep in mind that Ohio
is a lead state in the NGSS development. Therefore, schools are urged to begin transitioning to the new standards to prepare for the
new end of course assessments scheduled to be administered in spring, 2015. The NGSS document was published for public comment
in May, 2012. The next review will be in the fall, followed by a state review and considerations for adoption by the end of 2012. Even if
the Next Generation Science Standards are adopted, there will be time needed to develop assessments aligned with the NGSS. Considering that assessment development can take up to five years, districts are being directed to teach and assess Ohio’s Revised Science
Standards. Providing that the curriculum and assessment work is done in a thoughtful manner, there should not be a tremendous
amount of transition work necessary should the state board of education adopt the NGSS. To that end, Westlake will accept the risk
and challenge of creating high rigor curriculum, assessment and instructional experiences necessary for student success.
Intervention of the Week:
Interested in learning more about the NGSS? Click here.
Interpreting math graphics. Click on the first math intervention “Applied
Math Problems: Using Question Answer Relationships (QARs) to interpret math graphics.”
This website is PK-12 and has loads of graphic organizers and MORE!
Heads Up: Dates to Remember...Academic Services is
Coming to a School Near YOU!
District Kindergarten Team 9/17/12– 2:30 PM BOE
District Gr. 1 Team 9/18/12—2:30 PM BOE
WHS ELA Department 9/19/12- 7:15 AM
Media Specialists 9/20/12—8:00-11:00 AM BOE
Parkside Math-9/21/12– 7:50-8:30 AM