5 Ways Graphite Helps Teachers Implement Common Core State Standards
Amy Wilson preprinted from Dec. 11, 2013
Published: December 17, 2013
When we meet with educators around the country who teach in states that are adopting the Common Core State Standards, we hear the message loud and clear that understanding how particular apps and websites map to Common Core is of utmost importance to them.
That's why we've included several features on Graphite that make it easy to discover the best Common Core-aligned digital products and learn how to use them effectively. Below are five ways that Graphite supports teachers adopting Common Core State Standards.
All the products on Graphite that have a math or ELA component have been mapped to Common Core by our team of expert educators. To find the list of standards supported by an app, game, or website, click on the green See Common Core Standards button in the left-hand column of the review page. Rather than relying on outside sources, or on the developers themselves, we've done the mapping and have indicated key standards that are addressed.
You can search for products on Graphite by Common Core Standard. Looking for edtech products that help students “Read About and Solve One-Variable Equations and Inequalities”? Just type “6.EE.5” into the search bar on any page, and a list of apps, games, and websites that support that standard will appear. Then you can refine your search by indicating which devices you have in your classroom; search by whether it’s paid, free, or free to try; or sort the results by rating.
Graphite reviews and teacher Field Notes let you quickly zero in on what works well in the classroom. Read advice from teachers about how to use the product in your classroom or find out what hidden benefits they discovered. For example, in this Field Note about Algebra Touch, an educator in Santa Cruz, Calif., describes how the app "is very clever and useful for teaching all the basic concepts needed for solving for a single unknown." She goes on to describe that "increasingly difficult problems are given as a series of lessons which teach concepts such as order of operations, isolating variables, and factoring out."
We've curated Top Picks lists that pull together the very best apps, games, and websites aligned to Common Core. Start with ELA Products Aligned to Common Core Standards and Math Products Aligned to Common Core Standards. Teachers can also curate their own “boards,” which serve as personal Top Picks lists. For example, a teacher in Gibsonville, N.C., recently created a board called Websites and More for Common Core. There are also lots of boards curated around topics like "Best for Reading" or "English Language Arts." Some educators have also chosen to curate boards around particular grade levels.
Appy Hours on Graphite are free webinars hosted by expert educators on a range of topics. October's Appy Hour took place on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The topic? Best ELA Apps and Websites Aligned to Common Core. You can read about the products we featured and watch the archived edition in this blog post. Our next Appy Hour is on Monday, Dec. 16 at 1:00 p.m. on Google+. Watch online and discuss via Twitter using the hashtag #appyhour. Hope to see you there!
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/