CRT Curriculum Gap Analysis

The curriculum unit selected in this regard is Interactive Fractions and Decimals.
Specifically, the teaching is expected to include multiplication and division of numbers between 1 and 100 and solving word problems.
Specifically, the standard that is taken into consideration in this analysis is:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Principle of Culturally Responsive Teaching
Current State of Curriculum Unit
Gaps Between Principles and Curriculum Unit
Recommendation for Improvement
Relationships:
Developing Positive and authentic relationships across differences and getting to know students, families, and communities are important to creating a classroom culture where students feel safe and supported.
Linking mathematics, culture and community and the different ways of accomplishing that take into consideration the cultural diversity of the students so as to come up with learning activities. Mathematical concepts of multiplication and division in this unit are based on cultural perspectives that permit the students to not only reflect and appreciate their own culture but also the culture and traditions of others (d’Entremont, 2015).
Mathematical concepts can be understood in different ways. One of the key gaps in this regard is that it is challenging to see the mathematical opportunities in a task, sizing it up and acclimatizing it for a specific group of students.
There are recommendations for improvement:
1. Making use of body language, gesticulations as well as expressions to communicate a message that all of the questions and opinions of the students are important (Krasnoff, 2016).
2. Making use of eye contact with both the low-achieving students and the high-achieving students. The teacher needs to be thoughtful of the cultural norms and interpretation of even simple mannerisms such as eye contact.
3. Arranging the classroom in a manner that accommodates discussion and augment interpersonal associations between the teacher and the students and amongst the students themselves.
4. Making certain that instructional materials as well as other visuals being used in the curriculum unit mirror the racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the students (Caro-Bruce et al., 2007; Rimm-Kaufman & Sandilos, 2016).
Relevance:
Connecting curriculum and instruction to the lives of students facilitates their learning and success
Mathematics is used in everyday lives of the students. For instance, the division of sweets amongst friends is an everyday life aspect. In the same manner, multiplication can be used when buying several pieces of icecream.
At times, it is significantly challenging for the mathematics units to link the concepts being taught to the everyday lives of the students.
There are different suggestions for improvement.
1. First of all, the teacher should monitor interactions with the objective of communicating suitably high behavioral and academic anticipations to all students and not just to high achievers.
2. Secondly, giving hints and clues to the students can aid in understanding the concepts being taught within the classroom.
3. Using an assortment of visual aids and props to support student learning such as use of color, lighting, and sound as well as physical arrangement of space.
4. Learning, using and the displaying of words and actions in the heritage language of the students. It is important to consider the cultural backgrounds of the students.
Rigor:
Conveying high expectations that all students will engage in challenging work to prepare them for success.
Multiplication and division of numbers between 1 and 100 can involve the computation of numerous different numbers and can start by simple ones to more complex ones making the students more prepared for success.
Multiplication concepts and division concepts are quite confusing and can be understood in different ways. Therefore, in spite of the expectations, there might be dissimilarity in the levels of understanding between the high-achieving students and the low-achieving students.
There are suggested approaches of improving and bridging the existent gaps:
1. Acknowledging all of the comments, answers, questions and contributions given by the students. Recognition of all student responses ought to be affirming, correcting, or probing (Shade et al., 2004).
2. Looking out for several different perspectives or points of view. The teacher needs to be explicit in regards to structuring prospects for the students to hear different perspectives or opinions. It is important to validate all of the standpoints with responses to the students. For example, the teacher can use phrases such as: “That is one idea. Does any other person in the class have another idea?” The teacher can also respond by saying “That is one way of viewing the problem and solution. Is there any other person in the class who did it in a different way? Or also, “Is there any other person who has a different view or opinion?” This way, all of the students will be able to engage.
3. Providing students with the criteria and standards for successful task completion. By providing nameless samples of strong student performances, teachers can efficiently communicate to students the criteria for successfully fulfilling a learning goal.
4. There is also the recommendation for the teacher to give the students effective, particular oral and written feedback that instigates improved performance. It is imperative to note that instantaneous feedback is beneficial to the students to start to ask pertinent questions regarding the work, making the decisions and learning self-evaluation in the course of the teaching process instead of subsequent to when they have submitted their work to the teacher for grading
Responsibility:
Using equitable classroom practices and inclusive teaching practices as well as teaching for social justice supports achieving excellence with equity
The curriculum uses the similar objects for demonstration and explanation to be equitable and facilitate the similar explanation to all students.
One of the key gaps in this regard is that even though the proximity with all students equitably by circulating around the class, it is not yet guaranteed that all the high-achieving and low-achieving students will understand the same aspects.
1. A key way to improve is to use multiple approaches to consistently monitor students’ understanding of instruction, directions, procedures, processes, questions, and content.
2. There is also the need to ascertain the understanding level of the students and lay some emphasis on low-achieving students in the unit to assist their understanding.
3. Asking higher order questions impartially of high- and low-achieving students. Classroom questioning has an exceedingly significant role in equitable classroom practice. Posing questions in the course of lesson instruction is more efficacious in generating achievement gains as compared to instruction undertaken devoid of questioning students (Krasnoff, 2016).
4. The teacher providing assistance to both the high-achieving and low-achieving students is another recommendation. It is imperative to note that one-on-one meetings are the decisive confidence builders for students and are particularly efficacious as supplements to instruction when students practice a class strategy or approach. What is more a teacher’s complete attention to each child expresses caring about their learning and interest in assisting them understand and improve.
References
Caro-Bruce, C., Flessner, R., Klehr, M., & Zeichner, K. (Eds.). (2007). Creating equitable classrooms through action research. Corwin Press.
d’Entremont, Y. (2015). Linking mathematics, culture and community. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 174, 2818-2824.
Krasnoff, B. (2016, August 02). Culturally responsive teaching: A guide to evidence-based practices for teaching all students equitably.
Rimm-Kaufman, S., & Sandilos, L. (2018). Improving students' relationships with teachers. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships.aspx
Shade, B. J., Oberg, M., & Kelly, C. (2004). Creating culturally responsive classrooms (Updated reprint). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.