Aligning Standards Based Instruction

Video Transcription

Hello. And welcome, everyone. I hope you're having a great day. The topic of today's lesson is Aligning Standards Based Instruction. We're going to look at some examples. So let's get started. The purpose of this lesson is to model for you some examples of how to align standards from different content with learning objectives and to create kid-friendly "I can" statements that accompany them.

The first example comes from grade 5. The learning objective is for students to revise a draft piece of writing for word choice with a partner. This can be aligned to Common Core State Standard W.5.3.D, use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. That's word choice.

The closest matching ISTE standard comes from Standard 2, Communication and Collaboration. So the "I can" statement that will derive from all this is, I can revise a piece of writing for word choice with a partner in real time using Google Docs. That's a great example of a 21st century skill.

Now we'll look at an example from a lower grade and in math. This is from second grade. The learning objective is that students will sort polygons by number of angles. That aligns with Common Core State Standard in Math under Content.2.G.A.1, recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.

The closely aligned ISTE standard that I'm going to go with is, number one, Creativity and Innovation. And letter C is, use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.

I went ahead and did a little research and found an app that works perfectly well with this activity. So the "I can" statement becomes, I can sort polygons by the number of angles using the Doodle Critter Shapes App on their iPads.

This third example will really help you to see how combining standards from different content areas can be accomplished. We'll start with the learning objective, which is-- this is for third grade science and ELA, students will find and report today's high temperature for capital cities around the world using a visual representation.

We'll actually be aligning standards from three different areas. The NGSS, the Next Generation Science Standards; the CCSS, Common Core State Standards; and ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education. Let's go through it so you can see how easy it can be done.

So for the NGSS, we'll represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

The aligning CCSS Standard is under Literacy Grade 3.4; report on a topic or text with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. And the ISTE Standard, the one I chose is number three, which is "research and information fluency"; reads, students apply digital tools to gather evaluate and use information.

So when you put this all together you come up with the "I can" statement. I can find the current height temperatures around the world using the internet and report the information to my class using a chart or a graph.

When working in a standards-based environment, it's important to keep the following in mind. Most content standards are written as what students should know and be able to do by the end of the school year. It's helpful to know what students should have mastered in the previous grade in the expectation for the next grade. This is called a Progression View of the Standards. And teachers should break down a standard into discrete chunks that span the year.

It's time to summarize today's lesson. We went over how to analyze, select, and align content standards in a standards based lesson or unit. We shared three examples of doing this. And we went over tips and best practices for Standards Based Instruction. Here's today's food for thought. Identify a colleague that you can share what you learned with today. And try aligning some content standards with them. This kind of work is much easier when you're doing it with someone else.

As you reflect on how this new information can be applied, you may want to explore the Additional Resources section that accompanies this video presentation. This is where you'll find links to resources chosen to help you deepen your learning and explore ways to apply your newly acquired skill set.

That's all for this video. Thanks for watching. Have a great day. We'll see you next time.