I think that the idea of Common Core standards would be a valid
idea if everyone was on the same page. I like the idea that if everyone in the
country adopted the standards, then every student would be expected to know the
same thing. This would (in theory) make it easier on kids who move around a
lot. I also like the idea of every teacher being able to teach the standards in
their own way. We often hear that what works for one student might not work for
another. Well, if you think of it like that, the same could be applied to
teachers. Not every teacher is going to have the same teaching style. Allowing
teachers, especially veteran teachers, freedom to teach in their own way would
be more beneficial to student learning.
The article states that the common consensus among the
public is that common core is a dysfunctional system. It isn’t easy to adopt
standards overnight, but of course the public thinks that schools should become
perfect overnight. I have heard many people in my community grovel about the “stupid
common core math.” When I mention what common core is and that it applies to
English Language Arts as well, they tell me I (an English education student)
know nothing, it’s just another way for the government to mess with the public
youth. I think without the public knowing what Common Core truly is, they will
always find a way to argue against it. As teachers we will just continue to do
our best educating our students and trying to inform parents what the standards
are and why we use them.
Common Core wants to focus on better learning for the person
of the 21st century. I think that is a great idea, new ideas for a
new century. Better learning also means better schools and classrooms for our
students to have proper growth. I can’t help but think how cool it would be to
be able to create my own classroom around my curriculum. (I want to teach in a
rural area, so that is highly unlikely, but a girl can dream!)
I think that it is important for us to not only focus on the
good ideas of Common Core but also the problems that might arise because of it.
Problems that can arise are fragmented curricula, overly specific standards,
teaching to the test, and failure to acknowledge cultural diversity. All of
these are problematic but the most interesting to me is the fragmented
curricula. (Cultural diversity is also an issue but so many other classes talk
about it I’d prefer to focus on something new.) I never thought about how my
curriculum will have to flow together. If it is all broken up and jumbled no
one is going to understand the point of learning what we did. Units should be
connected and bring a higher level of thinking to each new unit.
(Beach, Thein, and Webb’s “The Common Core
State Standards for English Language Arts Instruction in Grades 6-12: Origins,
Goals, and Challenges” )
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