Geoff Krall
I don’t often put up a blog post every time I add a new map, but I thought I’d pause a minute and comment on the ol’ CCSS-PrBL Curriculum Maps in general.
I just added a CCSS map of (in my opinion) quality tasks that adhereto tenets of Problem-Based Learning created by teachers, curriculum specialists and math advocacy organizations. However, I want to make sure that I make plain my ignorance when it comes to elementary math education. Having a couple kids get put through the ringer at an elementary school has given me some insight, but nowhere near the elementary teachers that I work with in person and follow online. If the “# of days” is a best guess for Middle and High School tasks, then it’s an even worse best guess for elementary. And that goes triple for my best shot at what makes for quality instruction at the elementary level. I’d guess (but again, I don’t know!) that the task itself is less important at lower grades than at higher. And that the discourse (aided often by the task) is the real thing to get better at as a facilitator.
Also, I’m having more and more difficulty in finding tasks the younger the age groups gets. I’d suggest there are more holes in this Grade 3 map than in any prior. Maybe that’s because I don’t know where to look or maybe there’s just a relative dearth of tasks for certain younger grade standards.
So that’s a way of inviting critique and feedback from elementary teachers that do want to steep their kids in mathematical inquiry, just as I do as a middle/high school centric person.
Anyway, here’s the grade 3 map. Enjoy! And keep a bookmark there for updates to the google docs.
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