October 10, 2013
San Lorenzo Valley elementary teachers are focusing on higher order mathematical thinking this school year, with a new technology-rich curriculum. The district has spent $20,000 on a one-year pilot of Stepping Stones, an online math curriculum designed for the Common Core standards.This change represents a renewed focus on math instruction, said Superintendent Julie Haff. Math class no longer means practicing calculations in workbooks. With the new curriculum, teachers present multiple strategies to approach problems and emphasize concepts rather than procedures. Now students are expected to write about how they solved problems.Julianne Foxworthy, Boulder Creek fifth-grade teacher, said “With this change to the Common Core, we’re thinking deeply about mathematics. I learned three new ways to teach fractions through Stepping Stones, and I’m getting excited about that. I know I’m going to be a much better math teacher because of what were doing.
San Lorenzo Valley elementary teachers are focusing on higher order mathematical thinking this school year, with a new technology-rich curriculum. The district has spent $20,000 on a one-year pilot of Stepping Stones, an online math curriculum designed for the Common Core standards.This change represents a renewed focus on math instruction, said Superintendent Julie Haff. Math class no longer means practicing calculations in workbooks. With the new curriculum, teachers present multiple strategies to approach problems and emphasize concepts rather than procedures. Now students are expected to write about how they solved problems.Julianne Foxworthy, Boulder Creek fifth-grade teacher, said “With this change to the Common Core, we’re thinking deeply about mathematics. I learned three new ways to teach fractions through Stepping Stones, and I’m getting excited about that. I know I’m going to be a much better math teacher because of what were doing.