Learning Outcome #8:
Know state and national standards, integrate curriculum across disciplines, and balance historical and contemporary research, theory, and practice
The purpose of standards, both state and national, is to provide schools with a set of educational guidelines in order for students to learn about and be assessed on subject matter that is developmentally appropriate. Standards allow teachers to have consistency from classroom to classroom, across the state and country. Ideally, students in English classes nationwide would learn the same reading, writing, and language concepts and skills as their peers. While students may learn these various concepts in vastly different ways, standards help keep all teachers and students on a similar pace, allowing for equal education of students.
When learning how to create unit and lesson plans for my classroom, I chose to utilize backward design. According to Wiggins and McTighe, this concept is “An approach to designing a curriculum or unit that begins with the end in mind and designs toward that end” (338). Wiggins and McTighe also assert, “converting our goals and content standards into questions is so crucial” (77). Standards are important to base our lessons on as teachers, so we can ensure that we are meeting state and national goals and staying on track with students’ developmental levels.
As a student teacher, including New York State English language arts learning standards in each lesson plan was mandatory. This extra step in planning allowed me to truly understand at which levels students are expected to be achieving; it also afforded me the opportunity of seeing the difference in expectations for students from grades seven through twelve.
The new Common Core State Standards are another set of standards I have recently become cognizant of through staff development. These standards are a revised group of learning guidelines and expectations to better guide teachers, parents, and students in education. These standards are currently being voluntarily accepted by states, as this initiative is state-driven; they will be implemented in the forty-three states that have adopted them, including New York, within the next few years. One goal of these newly revised standards is that students will be more prepared than they currently are for life after high school, regardless of the paths they choose to pursue.
When learning how to create unit and lesson plans for my classroom, I chose to utilize backward design. According to Wiggins and McTighe, this concept is “An approach to designing a curriculum or unit that begins with the end in mind and designs toward that end” (338). Wiggins and McTighe also assert, “converting our goals and content standards into questions is so crucial” (77). Standards are important to base our lessons on as teachers, so we can ensure that we are meeting state and national goals and staying on track with students’ developmental levels.
As a student teacher, including New York State English language arts learning standards in each lesson plan was mandatory. This extra step in planning allowed me to truly understand at which levels students are expected to be achieving; it also afforded me the opportunity of seeing the difference in expectations for students from grades seven through twelve.
The new Common Core State Standards are another set of standards I have recently become cognizant of through staff development. These standards are a revised group of learning guidelines and expectations to better guide teachers, parents, and students in education. These standards are currently being voluntarily accepted by states, as this initiative is state-driven; they will be implemented in the forty-three states that have adopted them, including New York, within the next few years. One goal of these newly revised standards is that students will be more prepared than they currently are for life after high school, regardless of the paths they choose to pursue.
Work Cited
Wiggins, Grant, and Jay McTighe. Understanding by Design. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 2005. 77, 338. Print.