Are You Teaching Contextually? 

Take this self-test and see. These standards appear to some degree in almost all texts. But contextualized instruction is rich in all ten standards:

1. Are new concepts presented in real-life (outside the classroom) situations and experiences that are familiar to the student? 
2. Are concepts in examples and student exercises presented in the context of their use? 
3. Are new concepts presented in the context of what the student already knows? 
4. Do examples and student exercises include many real, believable problem-solving situations that students can recognize as being important to their current or possible future lives? 
5. Do examples and student exercises cultivate an attitude that says, "I need to learn this"? 
6. Do students gather and analyze their own data as they are guided in discovery of the important concepts? 
7. Are opportunities presented for students to gather and analyze their own data for enrichment and extension? 
8. Do lessons and activities encourage the student to apply concepts and information in useful contexts, projecting the student into imagined futures (e.g., possible careers) and unfamiliar locations (e.g., workplaces)? 
9. Are students expected to participate regularly in interactive groups where sharing, communicating, and responding to the important concepts and decision-making occur? 
10. Do lessons, exercises, and labs improve students’ reading and other communication skills in addition to mathematical reasoning and achievement?