Math tasks in a common core curriculum alignment

Abstract

In the spring of 2012, professional development opportunities exposed my teaching philosophy and disposition as out dated and in need of change. In seven years of teaching at a small school without much collaboration, my style became very teacher oriented. As the cliche goes, I was a "sage on stage" rather than "guide on the side." In this curriculum development project, I began by trying to design a curriculum for Algebra 1 that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards. During the research and professional development, I searched for best practice methods that met the mathematics practices outlined in the Common Core State Standards. My conclusion was the incorporation of performance tasks in my Algebra 1 curriculum.