Common Core lesson planning made easy.

The goal of the website sounds impressive: create year long CCSS unit plans in minutes, customize free resources, etc. However, there are some hurdles to accessing the resource. Currently you have to have the newest version of Microsoft Office to access the free resource. Metria says ‘Coming Soon’ is a version that would work through their website. They also have paid membership with greater features in the future. I have no concrete idea what these will entail. The free resource gives you access to a blank master of a lesson plan; the teacher can customize it for their own class. Once the document is open, you insert ‘My Apps’ and select ‘Metria Learning.’ The app feature is why the newest version of Word was necessary. The app walks a teacher through the lesson by providing a menu of options, starting with a Common Core standard. Each item can be added to the lesson plan document. Once added, the text can be edited, so the lessons are not pre-scripted lessons, but a framework of lessons that make writing lesson plans less daunting to teachers new to the Common Core. The app also prompts with tangible examples of learning activities and objectives for each of the standards.

I like the streamlined effectiveness of Metria. It could help teachers save time and keep track of lessons, grades, student progress and the Common Core standards all in one place. In theory, Metria Learning seems like the "silver bullet" to managing lesson plans, common core, and differentiation. When I tried to download the free version though, I noticed that I needed to have Microsoft Word 2013 and an online account with Microsoft. Not only do I not have that, but we do not have it at school on our computers. Also, to take advantage of what seems like one of their most interesting components-to be able to share your plans and work collaboratively with other teachers, the school would need to have a demo scheduled. The price for the "School Improvement Edition" is not listed. Honestly, I would just be interested in the free download for an individual teacher. Hopefully they will find another way to make it available other than Microsoft Word 2013.

This is a useful program for educators interested in seeing how their lessons, assessments and re-assessments after intervention have worked. Metria is a data-driven program that will hopefully allow teachers to see results quickly and help students remedy their proficiency as quickly as possible when needed. One thing that could serve teachers better is if Metria allowed teachers to share units and data with one another, as it is just set up to share data with administrators and parents. Particularly in the case of curriculum mapping, it is important for teachers to be able to share and coordinate lessons with one another. Lastly, I believe that if students and parents were able to see their progress, they would need a little education on Common Core standards and what being “proficient” in any given topic means. There should be support for parents on the Metria website so they can better understand the program the school has chosen to use.