Common Core Elevator Speech - Day 3

Day 1
Day 2

I had a break between events this afternoon, so I stopped at In-N-Out for an iced tea and a chance to hang out for a few minutes. If you've been to a recent training or presentation of mine, I briefly share my admiration for the In-N-Out business model. Although Barry Schwartz doesn't talk about In-N-Out in his TED talk, The Paradox of Choice, he tells a parallel story extremely well.

A few notes from this afternoon:

Today's elevator speech isn't one I'd consider using, but something to chew on:

I enjoy In-N-Out Burger because of the experience, convenience, service, affordability, and great taste. When I think of the experience at a deeper level, every detail is important: the ingredients are fresh, the service is friendly and efficient, and the menu is simple yet customizable. Common Core and the 8 Math practices can be a rich experience that encapsulates critical thinking, conceptual understanding, and applied math. When you decompose Common Core, every part is important because both standards and practices demand our teachers and students to explore concepts in depth, obtain procedural fluency, and apply said skills to real-world situations using mathematical modeling.

Animal style,
939

Common Core Elevator Speech - Day 2

Common Core Elevator from Day 1.

Today, I'm going to take a different direction. Enter the elevator and press your floor number. Here we go:

I believe the Common Core standards are a tool for both students and teachers to explore problem-solving and increase mathematical conceptual understanding. Picture the first cell phone you saw or owned as a tool used to communicate. Compare it to any of today's cell (smart) phones and how the tool has evolved and improved. As a tool, the Common Core standards will help students evolve to be better, more robust math students in order to think critically and communicate.

Next floor,
312

Common Core Elevator Speech - Day 1

For the next week, I will challenge myself (and you) to work on an elevator speech each day about Common Core Math. I will try to be as fluid as possible in my thinking as if I were describing Common Core to a complete stranger as we rode an elevator together. And with that, here's today's elevator speech:

For me, Common Core is a tool to help students see how the world around us can be explained using critical thinking and mathematical properties. My favorite part of Common Core are the 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice. No matter what grade level, the practices emphasize that both teachers and students are problem solvers and how important it is to understand why mathematical properties and procedures exist, and not just the answer. I get to see my students thinking and focusing on finding solutions through hard work and collaboration instead of me just standing up at the front of the room, telling them a procedure they will most likely forget in a day or two. I get to see students be creative in their mathematical thinking and I help guide them when they need teacher support.

Come along for the ride and share your elevator speech in the comments. Take a minute or two to compose an elevator speech. It's a work in progress...

Going up,
504

[Update] More days:
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7