Common Core Math Standards

 

I found theMathematics Scale ranking table below that shows the US 25, 26 in the world.

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International Comparison of Math, Reading, and Science Skills Among 15-Year-Olds More than 250,000 15-year old students from 41 countries participated in the assessment. The countries included all major industrialized nations (results for Britain were not available) and 11 other nations that chose to participate. The test scores are from 2003. Mean Performance on Mathematics Scale Range of ranks1 Country Upper rank2 Lower rank3 Hong Kong (China) 1 3 Finland 1 4 South Korea 1 5 Netherlands 2 7 Liechtenstein 2 9 Japan 3 10 Canada 5 9 Belgium 5 10 Macao (China) 6 12 Switzerland 6 12 Australia 9 12 New Zealand 9 13 Czech Republic 12 17 Iceland 13 16 Denmark 13 17 France 14 18 Sweden 15 19 Austria 16 20 Germany 17 21 Ireland 17 21 Slovak Republic 19 24 Norway 21 24 Luxembourg 22 24 Poland 22 26 Hungary 22 27 Spain 25 28 Latvia 25 28 United States 25 28 Russian Federation 29 31 Portugal 29 31 Italy 29 31 Greece 32 33 Serbia 32 34 Turkey 33 36 Uruguay 34 36 Thailand 34 36 Mexico 37 37 Indonesia 38 40 Tunisia 38 40 Brazil 38 40 1. Because data are based on samples, it is not possible to report exact rank order positions for countries. However, it is possible to report the range of rank order positions within which the country mean lies with 95% likelihood. 2. Rank based on top two levels of proficiency (out of six) on mean scale of mathematical performance. 3. Rank based on lowest two levels of proficiency (out of six) on mean scale of mathematical performance. Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD PISA (Program for Student Assessment) 2003 databas

Read more: International Comparison of Math, Reading, and Science Skills Among 15-Year-Olds — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0923110.html#ixzz1xMmP2QrO

After attending a Common Core Math Standards training this week I have become hopeful that this will change.  The standards are presented,  in a format, with skills ad knowledge that our students need for future success in their educational career and beyond.

The emphasis is on helping students to first develop the concepts through multiple representations and that the procedures is something you do to a concept in a variety of ways. 

 The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.

The emphasis is on the students learning the concept first and then the procedure!  I feel this is so essential when learning math skills.  If a can perform a procedure in math, it has no lasting quality if they do not understand the concept behind it... 

My biggest concern is the time element behind this all... planning and instruction.  Where will it come from?

Schools Out For Summer

Idle time in the summer?  This is a fairly common question amongst parents and educators.  There is an abundance of family friendly educational websites for children, that parents can use to spend quality time with their children while helping them to learn and have fun too!  Below are a few of these websites:

Kids' Recipes - Recipes for Kids - Cooking with Kids | FamilyFun

Cooking up some fun is a cinch with these quick and easy recipes for kids! Find dozens of cooking with kids recipe ideas on FamilyFun.

familyfun.go.com/recipes/cooking-with-kids/

 

 

Disney Family.com | Recipes, Crafts, Parties and Family Time Ideas

Family.com provides answers for every family's needs. Find resources on parenting and raising healthy children, activities, entertainment, recipes, family travel ...

family.go.com/

 

Brain Training Games www.lumosity.com

Improve memory with scientifically designed brain exercises.

• Enhance memory and attention
• Web-based personalized training program
• Track changes in brain performance

 

 

How can we help?

In this TED video, Psychologist Philip Zimbardo asks, "Why are boys struggling?" He shares some stats (lower graduation rates, greater worries about intimacy and relationships) and suggests a few reasons -- and challenges the TED community to think about solutions.


The statistics he shared in this video are alarming:

Boys are 30% more likely than girls to drop or flunk out of school.

Girls out perform boys at all levels from elementary to graduate school.

Boys are less likely to get BA's (44% vs. 56%) and graduate degrees (45% vs. 55%)

Boys make up 2/3 of special ed students.

5 times more likely to have ADHD. 


Boys’ brains are being digitally rewired for change, novelty, excitement and constant arousal. That means they’re totally out of sync in traditional classes, which are analog, static, interactively passive.” (Philip Zimbardo)

This quote from Zimbaro's book the Demise of  Guys  struck a chord with me.  I have noticed the differences of behaviors between girls and boys in my classroom, mostly I attribute it to physical movement.  I have had boys that couldn't sit in their sits as long as expected in lessons.  I even have allowed them to stand behind their seats and listen to lessons.  Progressively I have noticed behaviors that are much more disconcerting.  Performance on classwork is becoming inconsistent with boys. I have begun to see boys who are very capable and have the skills to complete classwork, often not applying themselves to the task at hand.  Even assessments on computerized programs showing performance that varies from proficient to well below proficiency.  What are some solutions?  Any thoughts?