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The Instructional Practice Guide includes coaching and lesson planning tools to help teachers and those who support teachers to make the Key Shifts in instructional practice required by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).   In order for teachers, colleagues, and instructional leaders to have meaningful and productive conversations about instructional goals and outcomes, there must be shared expectations regarding lesson planning and observation. These tools provide common criteria framed around the Key Shifts required by the CCSS that can be used to facilitate conversations between teachers and coaches about aligning content and instruction. By using these tools to reflect on practice, clear connections can be made between Common Core-aligned lesson planning and classroom instruction--conversations which can supplement information from other established observation protocols that focus on planning and preparation,  classroom management and environment, and professional responsibilities. 

every teacher already has the tools to differentiate in powerful ways for all learners

The core of differentiation is a relationship between teachers and students. The teacher's responsibility is connecting content, process, and product. Students respond to learning based on readiness, interests, and learning profile.

Content is comprised of the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students need to learn based on the curriculum.

Language always changes. Scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, anyone can notice this change. That’s not a negative, and it’s worth noting with our students. They use social media, and the discussion can fit into an ELA class.

Here are new words or definitions for words that I would argue came about because of social media. “Verses” as a verb. As in, our soccer team is verses Washington tonight.  “Couponing.” (My spell check highlighted this). The rise of reality television coupon and money saving shows gave us “couponing.” Couponing is a sport for certain people at the grocery store. “Adulting.” Students may not use this word often, but their parents might. (And again – spell check highlighted this). I adulted hard this weekend; I cleaned the house and went grocery shopping.  “Hashtagging.” Formerly known as the pound sign, the hashtag provides categories of messages. Are you hashtagging the awards show tonight? The hashtag often leads to… tags… “Tagging.” Not your clothing, but rather your friends. Will you tag me in your status? “Fail.” Normally present in, #epicfail. “Fail” was once a grade or effort, but now it has replaced “not doing well.” I am failing at life today.

Check out our Scope & Sequence tool to find age-appropriate lessons that address digital literacy and citizenship topics for your classroom.

The term 21st century skills refers to a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits that are believed—by educators, school reformers, college professors, employers, and others—to be critically important to success in today’s world, particularly in collegiate programs and contemporary careers and workplaces. Generally speaking, 21st century skills can be applied in all academic subject areas, and in all educational, career, and civic settings throughout a student’s life.

Leadership, teamwork, collaboration, cooperation, facility in using virtual workspaces

Critical thinking, problem solving, reasoning, analysis, interpretation, synthesizing information

Imagine a world where resources were limited to what was found in the classroom or the school closet known as the "Curriculum Materials Room." Picture a world where students wrote letters with pen and paper to communicate with other students and adults outside of the building. Due to postage costs, the teacher either sent the letters in bulk or paid for stamps out of his or her own pocket. Can you recall a time when student interests like skateboarding or video were never used as part of learning curriculum because the tools needed were either too expensive or not yet conceptualized? Do you remember a time when non-traditional learners struggled, and absenteeism meant a high likelihood of students doing poorly in school, and possibly having to retake the course?