Nov
2014
Common Core
If you’re a teacher in the United States then you know that there is a lot of focus and debate on the Common Core lately. Proponents of adopting the Common Core State Standards say an introduced shared national assessment system may be more beneficial in determining how schools are performing across the nation. This would in turn benefit students overall. Opponents of a national assessment system believe that if the federal government becomes involved states will have less control, certain topics will be left out and funding will become an issue. Whether or not you’re a proponent of the CCSS, I feel that they still have a place in education. Since I teach internationally I am not held to the same accountability as teachers in the U.S. However, I use he CCSS as a frame of reference along with the PYP when using backwards design to write a unit or lesson plan.
Achievethecore is a great resource for lessons that align with the CCSS. The site also provided professional development sessions and research.
Sarah
November 28, 2014 at 4:21 pm (9 years ago)As a teacher in the US, I like the Common Core, as it creates a general sense of uniformity in curriculum among the states. What many people don’t understand is that the standards are only general guidelines, and do not provide fleshed out curriculum. Individual states, schools, and teachers therefore have a lot of control over the “what” and “how” of teaching, merely using the standards as guidelines. It’s been interesting to hear my nephew, who is in fourth grade, use the language arts terminology that I teach to seventh graders. I look forward getting kids coming into the seventh grade who are well-versed in the CCSS terminology and standards. I just hope that the CCSS ideology stays in fashion until that happens!