Implementing the Curriculum Frameworks Units

People ask:  “What does it look like when Unit Curriculum Frameworks math tasks are used in classrooms?”

To answer this question, we filmed several classrooms in two Georgia elementary schools in which teachers are using Georgia Unit Curriculum Frameworks tasks.  The resulting brief video is designed as a professional learning resource intended to spark discussion and reflection among teachers, math instructional coaches, parents, and administrators.

The classrooms featured in the video are filled with students representing our diverse Georgia population.  The teachers in these classrooms reflect a continuum of experience facilitating problem-based tasks. The video shows classrooms in early stages of implementation and classrooms demonstrating several years of task use. Bear in mind, the unit curriculum frameworks do not contain scripted lessons, but instead contain problem-based tasks. The participating teachers determined how to facilitate these unit curriculum frameworks tasks based on the needs of their students. Because there are numerous ways to open tasks, to facilitate work sessions, and to close tasks, these teachers purposefully chose methods, pacing, manipulatives, and differentiation techniques which work for their students and for them.

We encourage teachers, coaches, and administrators to watch the video in professional learning collaboratives for the purpose of learning how teachers use tasks in the classroom and how they are supported in task use by administrators and support staff.  Viewers are encouraged to pause the video where appropriate to discuss and share ideas about how to embrace student sense-making through problem-based tasks, number talks, and student discussion. Viewers should look for evidence of the Standards for Mathematical Practice in the video segments, and discuss how the Standards for Mathematical Practice shape classroom dynamics. 

Suggestions

• Look for practical ideas you can use immediately
• Note the effective instructional practices used by teachers
• Note the teacher scaffolding and support of student sense-making
• Note purposeful questioning techniques by teachers
• Note the student discussion, collaboration, and explanation

Teachers are encouraged to try Number Talks, 3-Act Tasks, and Unit Curriculum Frameworks tasks with their learners, and to discuss outcomes, aha moments, student engagement, and adjustments to instruction with colleagues, collaboratively.

Remember, it is important for teachers, exercising their own expertise and creativity, to deliberately make the Unit Curriculum Frameworks tasks their own for their students.

Video

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• Implementing the Curriculum Frameworks Video Segment

Featured Professionals

Heather Brannan, Second Grade Teacher
New Hope Elementary School
Cereal Arrays Task

Terri Crawford, Fourth Grade Teacher
New Hope Elementary School
Quadrilateral Roundup Task

Carolyn Cunningham, Third Grade Teacher
Greensboro Elementary School
Number Talks Opening: Oops, I’m Decomposing Task

Carrie Edwards, Kindergarten Teacher
New Hope Elementary School
Number Talk Opening: Fishing Tale Task

Jeanette Glover, Mathematics Coach
Greensboro Elementary School
Supporting Students and Teachers

Sharda Massey, Second Grade Teacher
Greensboro Elementary School
Cereal Arrays Task

Dr. Corey Stegall, Principal
Greensboro Elementary School
Supporting Teachers

Dr. Tim Tilley, Principal
New Hope Elementary School
Supporting Teachers

• Participant Biographies

Resources

• Georgia Unit Curriculum Frameworks
• Georgia Standards of Excellence
• Mathematics Glossary
• Georgia K-5 Mathematics Support wiki
• 3-Act Task and Number Talks Resource
• Standards for Mathematical Practice/TKES relationship
• Resource Evaluation Information