Classroom Strengths

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Strengths and Weakness Uncovered The use of the CCSS has been beneficial to some aspects of the classroom. It provides expectations for all students and that both students and teachers can strive to reach, it incorporates the use of technology in that children can be able to interact with what is currently a huge component of are daily lives today. Lastly, it promotes the fostering and scaffolding of skills and abilities to enable critical thinking, transfer of skills for real world application or within other subject areas, and comprehension skills through the use of reading or additional resources. It not only established higher aims for all students, including those with special needs but it also attempts to ensure that all students have …show more content…
While this can be done in various ways, two types of grouping that have been found to be effective toward student learning is the Joplin Plan and heterogeneous ability grouping. While these two grouping choices have differing results in its positive impact on student learning, it demonstrates flexibility in option of the type of grouping that can selected depending on the need of the classroom. Presenting itself as a viable option that can be introduced within conjunction with other methods allows for differentiation in instruction. The Joplin is considered the most effective because it groups students of mixed abilities from all grades as opposed to mixed heterogeneous grouping which involves grouping students of mixed abilities of the same grade. These methods allows for student centered learning as well as cooperative learning take place. Students of various abilities can have their skills strengthened and reinforced by interacting with other students instead of the teacher. However, these methods may be less effective in homogenous classes, such as gifted and special need classrooms. Despite these limitations, the impact that mixed ability grouping has on mathematics is considered most effective in this content area. Integrated into teaching instruction of 31 teachers within this study, results showed an increase in student achievement through the use of mixed ability grouping. Though it can be used under various types of instruction (i.e.: whole, between, in class instruction), has been shown to have a greater effect on student learning which contributes to greater student success especially in the content area of mathematics (Tieso, 2005).
 
 Music is another method that can be used to enhance the differentiation of teaching instruction. Integrating music with mathematics, educators are able to teach students