I liked reading the article that showed us that there is some difference of opinion on the CCSSI, or, more accurately, that there is some difference of opinion on how much preparation the transition will take. I thought it was interesting to note that the article says there is some push back against CCSS adoptions, but that usually this isn't coming from teachers and parents, i.e. the educational community. Teachers and parents seem to be largely in support of Common Core, though many think they may need some more time to develop their new curriculums and resources. Detractors seem to be from camps that are concerned about 'looking bad' -- since CCSS will (ideally) reduce ratings inflation among schools (not every school can be 'above average'!).
One of the most interesting things mentioned in the article is some speculation on how students will react to this transition and how they will initially perform. There is some fear that students will have difficulty with the new, rigorous, in-depth approaches to material presented under CCSS after having been acclimated to the drill-and-kill approach to material under NCLB. I can understand this fear, as I see it in my students every day. The transition has not been kind to these children; being constantly asked 'why?' and 'explain' is totally foreign to these kids. They're used to being able to pop out a numerical answer and then move on with their lives. It's a shame that a there will be whole grade levels of students who are thrown under the bus b y this transition, because I think that in the end, after we're fully ensconced in CC, it'll be work it.
No comments:
Post a Comment