CCSS training is in session for teachers

Students on summer vacation are taking a well-deserved break from their academics, but many of their teachers are still at school getting ready for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). While these educators would surely love to spend their days at the beach, they understand that the transition to the CCSS will not be easy.

Here are a few examples of how teachers are training for the transition to Common Core-aligned curricula:

Spending more time with technology
To be prepared for an increasingly technological world, students are going to need to be familiar with different forms of technology. Before teachers can familiarize their pupils with computers and other gadgets they will use throughout life, educators need to be comfortable using these devices themselves.

This is why teachers in various school systems, such as the Eureka City Schools in California, are participating in CCSS training with a focus on technology. Educators recently started receiving professional development on different subjects, including ways of bringing students into the modern world, according to KIEM-TV News Channel 3.

"Students are going to be better prepared for competing in the 21st century and in a global world," Rich Lentz, Eureka City Schools' assistant superintendent, told the news source.

Meanwhile, in North Carolina, middle school teachers from the Guilford County Schools recently had a chance to learn about the educational benefits of tablet computers, the News & Record reported. This training is essential, as students across the district's 24 middle schools will be given tablets to work with in class.

During the sessions, teachers learned about the different apps that can be downloaded onto these devices, and how they can be used to enhance the instruction students receive. For example, music instructor Donte Robinson came across a few digital tools he could incorporate into his lessons.

Taking time to align curricula
As the CCSS apply to grades K-12, educators need to make sure students are building off of what they learned in the previous academic year. For this reason, teachers from Mississippi's Petal School District are focused on curriculum alignment across grade levels, the Hattiesburg American reported.

"Curriculum alignment means we look at what is taught in kindergarten and how that connects to first grade and second grade and on up," Dede Smith, the District's assistant superintendent, told the news outlet. "We're all in a huge learning curve, but the alignment of what happens in K-12 will be a huge part of what we do."