How do EDI and Common Core Standards work together?
Let us begin with understanding the terminology to avoid miscommunication. Common Core refers to educational standards created at the national level. Common Core standards are organized by subject and grade.
Many teachers have been misled to believe that Common Core requires inquiry learning, project-based learning, or group learning. But the standards only tell us ‘what to teach’. There is no actual recommendation on ‘how to teach’ these standards. So, is there a specific teaching methodology that works best?
One methodology which DataWORKS uses to teach Common Core is Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI). This method is used to achieve specific learning objectives that align to the Common Core standards.
EDI is an approach that emphasizes teacher guidance and interactive engagement. It is the culmination of decades worth of educational research that has been proven to work in the classroom. Furthermore, research by Clark clearly shows that learning is most effective for new concepts and skills with a direct instruction method. Clark adds that once students have a solid foundation, then inquiry, projects, and group work become more useful.
The effectiveness of the EDI approach for meeting Common Core standards is being demonstrated in schools around the country. Here is an example of a success story found when implementing EDI as aligned to Common Core standards.
Is your school or district struggling with Common Core? DataWORKS would love to demonstrate what EDI can do for you.