Understanding and Applying Standards

The process of unpacking a standard can feel daunting at first, but by following careful methods and putting in the work, it is absolutely worth it. As a teacher, I must focus on first unpacking standards to ensure that I have a plan for covering everything my students need to know. Next, I must focus on backwards mapping so that students can arrive at the end goal. Teaching is not simply about putting information out there for students to absorb. Teaching is about finding a way to teach a student something that they can use and apply later. If the end goal is not always in sight, teaching efforts may be useless. In addition, writing out SMART goals is an excellent way to provide both the teacher and student with a goal that can be easily met. 

In activity one, I chose to unpack two 4th grade mathematics standards based on the California Common Core curriculum. I found this process to be a bit overwhelming at first, as I wasn't sure where to begin. The videos I watched helped me to understand what it meant to "unpack" a standard. From there, I was able to break down each standard and pick out the important nouns and verbs. Next, I was able to think about the end goal, and possible projects or ways that students could achieve the goal. I found this activity to be very helpful. As a new teacher, unpacking standards will be very important as I begin to dive into the curriculum. Standards often contain a lot of content, and the process of unpacking helps to break down the important topics and give direction for planning. 

After selecting and unpacking two standards, I began activity two. In this activity, I learned about the process of backwards mapping, and then applied it to my selected standards. I love the idea of backwards mapping. It ensures that the teacher is keeping the end goal in mind at all times. No activity or assessment is done without purpose. Students can buy into this idea. Valuable instructional time is not wasted, and lessons are taught thoughtfully. I absolutely plan to use backwards mapping when I begin unit planning as a teacher. After looking at standards, it was very helpful to first consider the skills and proficiencies that students should acquire. From there, I considered how I could best help students to achieve these skills. Finally, I considered what assessments I would need to create and administer to let me know, as the teacher, that students have mastered the skills. 

The last activity was especially helpful as I begin to think about unit planning. Be able to write clear objectives that meet the SMART criteria is an important skill. Objectives not only help the teacher, but provide the student with a sense of what they should be working toward. Objectives are key to success, and keep the classroom and the lesson goal oriented at all times. 

Overall, I felt that the activities this week really helped me to gain a greater understanding of the importance of unit planning. I picked up several extremely helpful skills and methods that I plan to use.