Comments for Common Core

Comment on I ♥ “Curriculum Matters” by Alysia

Alysia — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 03:25:36 +0000

I love this post! Who knows if Common Core will work or not, but I think the overall goal is to “up the anty” in what is expected of children. And although I agree with a lot of teachers that what we are expecting may not be developmentally appropriate anymore, at least we are having high expectations for the students rather than crummy expectations that they could skim right by passing with out even trying.

Comment on How Vincent van Gogh Can Help You Teach to the CCSS by Melissa Weinman

Melissa Weinman — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:52:39 +0000

Ms. Munson, I would like to get involved. We need to do more than familiarize students with works of art. I agree with Shlain that “iconic information” has huge cultural influence, and yet, we are not taught visual literacy in K-12. I was a Full Professor at the University of Puget Sound for 14 years and taught the language of art to my students combining design, art history, theory, and studio practice. I am working on a visual literacy curriculum for K-5 and would appreciate your opinion on the role of decoding visual works of art for their meaning in the CCSS.

Comment on How Vincent van Gogh Can Help You Teach to the CCSS by Liam Bayer

Liam Bayer — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 23:13:03 +0000

This is one of the most intriguing articles that we have read because it targets the arts, something many schools feel that they do not have the ability to implement. The Common Core helps us implement art education in our schools and you have provided plenty of justification for it. Art is the perfect medium for the 4Cs - Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity. Thank you.

Comment on How Vincent van Gogh Can Help You Teach to the CCSS by Mrs. Summers

Mrs. Summers — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:25:28 +0000

What an EXCELLENT resource for authentic/integrative instruction and learning!

Comment on How Vincent van Gogh Can Help You Teach to the CCSS by James

James — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 19:34:34 +0000

I love the idea of incorporating visual media into the Common Core. We have moved from a culture where alphabetic print was dominant to one in which images play the most important role. Author Leonard Shlain points out that “Iconic information has superseded alphabetic information as the single most significant cultural influence.” Our students need to have the necessary analytical skills to reflect critically about our image-laden culture. This activity is an excellent way to prepare students for 21st-century discourse.

James, synthesizingeducation.net

Comment on How Vincent van Gogh Can Help You Teach to the CCSS by Angela Penticuff

Angela Penticuff — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:21:40 +0000

I am a K-6 art teacher and have been wishing for years that their would be more Art Critiscism in our GLE’s or state standards. I am THRILLED to read this on your web-site. I feel validated professionally but I also feel so strongly that students have such a limited understanding about our world and this type of emphasis will be a tremendous way to increase their knowledge about so many things. Thank you!

Comment on I Can’t Read My Watch! Algebra Is to Blame. by Collins

Collins — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:23:08 +0000

Education starts at home! We cannot blame everything on teachers or the state. But we can certainly help them by giving them the necessary tools to help your child in school. Even though we need to realize that your child eventually ends up at home after school. Parents can continue their education and pickup where the teacher left off!

That is why I decided to home school my children. I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Comment on UPDATE California Dumps Arts, Foreign Language—Now Science by stephanie henry

stephanie henry — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:43:21 +0000

I was reading up on the Core Curriculum and came upon this article…
It is very disturbing.
The public wonders why our children are not being challenged-because of politicians and educrats expanding the layers of bureaucracy and administration and ‘accountability’ while at the same time denuding educators of creativity and self direction and dumbing down standards…

It use to be that a fifth grade education meant something…where algerbra, geometry, calculus was taught a hundred years ago…classics such as Julius Caesar were read and discussed….the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States, The Federalist Papers, and other historical documents were learned and dissected… we are lucky if high school graduates have studied any of these.

We need to be setting the bar higher-while for standardized testing and graduation rate inflation we are lowering the standards…

I apologize for the raging against the machine…
Here are the graduation requirements for Cobb County School District year 2012-2013:

English: 4 Units
Mathematics: 4 Units
Science: 4 Units
Social Studies: 3 Units
Health & Fitness: 1 Unit
Foreign Language & Or Fine Arts: 3 Units
Electives: 4 Units

If I were a California parent-I would be outraged….

Comment on Three Cheers for Core Knowledge! by Darin Mend

Darin Mend — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 04:44:34 +0000

Like your post about speed reading! Thanks!

Comment on Taking the Fun out of Reading by bsobczak

bsobczak — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:34:59 +0000

I would think the relevance of this would depend on the grade level addressed. My aunt taught first grade for years, and the part of the day her students enjoyed most was reading because she made it fun and interesting. Incidentally, she did not have a student leave her class who could not read.

I on the other hand teach high school and like Heff said, I do not view myself as an entertainer. However, I do try to show the excitement for reading that I feel. I try to maintain an environment full of print in my classroom, and to have discussions with students about the pieces that they enjoy as well as explain texts they find difficult. To categorically state that reading is not fun is a sad thing. Perhaps what should be said is that reading can be fun, and it can be work. Teachers should share pieces that they have read that they found to be both.