Watch Math Coach Audra McPhillips Teach a Great Common Core Aligned Math Lesson!

Audra McPhillips is a math coach in Rhode Island. In this video for The Teaching Channel, she works with middle school students on understanding how functions operate. McPhillips believes that students in this age group can be engaged in grasping not only lessons and concepts, but also in seeing the way those connect with the standards themselves.

If you create a free account with The Teaching Channel, you'll be able to access all the supporting materials for this lesson--including the lesson plan. Stick around the website to check out a host of other great tutorials and videos.

Common Core and Languages Other Than English--Ideas and Conversations!

In today's global, connected learning environment, learning multiple languages can provide enormous practical and personal benefits for students. In addition to offering horizon-expanding cultural growth and development, languages give students an advantage when it comes to college and career-readiness.

Much of the focus with Common Core has been on ELA and Math, the first areas in which CCSS will be implemented. Yet it's critically important for students and educators alike that the principles that guide and structure Common Core are present and connected throughout the learning environment. Here are a few great places to look for ideas, resources, and conversations about CCSS and Languages Other Than English (LOTE)!

With the emphasis on developing "globally competent citizens" at the heart of Common Core, there are obvious intersections with LOTE. Take a look at the
se blog posts and essays from Education Week to get your wheels turning!

Where World Languages and the Common Core Intersect

Common Core: Preparing Globally Competent Citizens

Check out the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) website for a number of helpful resources, including this crosswalk,

Alignment of the National Standards for Learning Languages with the Common Core State Standards

Finally, take a look at this fascinating World Languages Skills Map, developed by the ACTFL. You'll see the emerging trends in language education, and get great ideas and interdisciplinary strategies for your LOTE classroom!