Chelsea Griffith

EDUG 506
September 22, 2016
PRQ #3: How can I ensure I teach the Common Core Standards to all students?

Ann S. Epstein, author of The Intentional Teacher states, to be intentional is to act

purposefully, with a goal in mind, and a plan for accomplishing it. Teachers can be intentional

by identifying a clear curricular goal taken from the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and

then developing an appropriate plan to help students master that goal. I will use backward design

to plan my lessons by first identifying the desired learning goals, second determining acceptable

evidence of achievement, and third planning instruction that incorporates 21st century skills to

ensure that I teach the CCSS to all students.

To ensure that I teach the CCSS to all students, I will construct my lessons utilizing the

steps of backward design. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) define backwards design as thinking a

great deal, first, about the specific learnings sought, and the evidence of such learnings, before

thinking about what we as the teacher, will do or provide in teaching and learning activities (p.

14). Backward design is centered around specific curricular goals that students should achieve.

The first step is to determine what goal from the CCSS I intend my students to master. Wiggins

and McTighe (2005) state in this stage, we consider our goals, establish content standards

(national, state, district), and review curriculum expectations (p.18). I will use the CCSS to

begin designing my lesson. The second step of backward design is to decide what assessments

will provide adequate evidence to determine if students have reached the identified goal.

Wiggins and McTighe (2005) state, this approach encourages teachers and curriculum planners

to first think like an assessor before designing specific units and lessons, and thus to consider

up front how they will determine if students have attained the desired understandings (p.18).

Thinking like an assessor is a necessary step because knowing what will be required for students

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to demonstrate their mastery of the content will provide a clear roadmap as to what specifically

needs to be taught. The third step of backwards design is to determine what types of instruction

will take place during the lesson to ensure mastery of the curricular goals. Wiggins and McTighe

(2005) note, specifics of instructional planningchoices about teaching methods, sequences of

lessons, and resource materialscan be successfully completed only after we identify desired

results and assessments and consider what they imply (p.19). By planning the specific

instructional strategies at the end of designing a lesson, teachers are able to see the goals first and

are then able to effectively align their teaching and instructional activities to support these goals.

An example of backward design is my BST Direct Instruction Lesson Plan for module

506. I began the design by my BST lesson plan by first determining which CCSS I would be

using. I chose R.L.1.2 retelling stories, including key details, and demonstrating understanding of

their central message or lesson. Next, I determined what assessment would provide adequate

evidence of students mastery of that standard. The summative assessment that I decided to use

was an audio retell students would submit on Seesaw.me. Finally, the instructional activities I

selected were completing a retell story map with illustrations, modeling a retell, and oral practice

retelling the story utilizing pair sharing. Backward design has expanded my understanding of

TPE 3.1 states that teacher candidates demonstrate knowledge of subject matter, including the

adopted California State Standards and curriculum frameworks (Commission on Teaching

Credentialing (CTC), 2016) by helping me to see the connection between the goals I set for my

students and the standards. I have a better understanding of how the subject matter standards

drive my goals and instructional activities.

In addition to backwards design, I will infuse 21st century skills into my lessons. Burden

and Byrd (2015) define century skills as skills such as communication, collaboration, critical

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thinking, problem solving, and creativity that will prepare students today to be successful in the

future of the competitive world as citizens and workers. These skills are aligned with the CCSS

and promote college readiness and future success for students. Learning about 21st Century Skills

has deepened my understanding of TPE 3.4 which states that teacher candidates individually

and through consultation and collaboration with other educators and members of the larger

school community, plan for effective subject matter instruction and use multiple means of

representing, expressing, and engaging students to demonstrate their knowledge (CTC, 2016). I

understand the importance of integrating communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and

creativity into the curriculum and lessons while using multiple means of representing,

expressing, and engaging students in order to prepare students to be successful citizens.

A classroom example of 21st century skills properly executed along with the CCSS

would be assigning students to collaborate in small groups to analyze a poem and identify its

figurative language before creating their own original poem. The groups will communicate their

ideas and suggestions before coming to a consensus about the topic. Once they have decided as a

group what the poem will be about, they will collaborate to create an original poem using

figurative language. Once completed the groups will be using their communication skills to

present their poem as a group to the class. This lesson illustrates the 21st century skills of

communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.

In conclusion, using these specific and strategic methods will help guide teachers and

keep them focused on the purpose of their teaching. Implementing backward design and

including specific 21st century instruction will ensure that all of my students receive effective

instruction to ensure equal access to the Common Core State Standards.

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 Reference Page

Burden, P.R., & Byrd, D.M. (2015). Methods for effective teaching: Meeting the needs of all

students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2016). Preliminary multiple subject and single subject

credential program standards. Retrieved from http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-

prep/standards/PrelimMSstandard.pdf

Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association

for Supervision and Curriculum Development.