Did Virginia adopt the common core?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I thought Virginia didn't accept the common core. My daughter has a teacher from another state and she's a common core robot. She spews out endless insane and inane worksheets and tests the kids constantly using tests with strange wording that don't even seem to measure if the child has a basic understanding. I asked her why kids so young need to be tested so often in every single subject and I questioned the use of these common core worksheets that make simple problems into a nightmare that would send an accountant screaming in the street. I said it can suck the love of learning right out them. This did not compute. She went right back to churning out worksheets that address varies aspects of common core and she keeps testing.

Not officially, but it sure seems like it sometimes! I am fed up with third grade math. My child has had at least two homework worksheets that had a math problem that couldn't be answered correctly. There was no answer. What's the point of this for a third grader? To show them that math is hard? To waste their time? To aggravate the parents who have to try to explain this to their kid? My kid isn't learning anything at school this year. He comes home tired, and completely overwhelmed by the amount of homework he has to do. What are they doing all day in school? He's there 7 hours a day and then he's supposed to come home and spend ANOTHER hour on homework? And he honestly seems like he has no clue what to do most of the time.

Can you post the unsolvable math problems? I am really curious.

I no longer have the worksheets, but I can tell you about what the problems were. One of them was multiple choice and there wasn't a correct answer provided in the answers. It was #+#= a, b, c, or d but none of them were the right answer!

The other one was even more infuriating. It was a lesson in greater than, less than and equal to. The question asked you to find the tree that's length was less than this tree but greater than that tree and it had the names of the trees and their lengths on a table. It was super confusing for me, so when I determined there was no solution, I handed it to dh (he's an engineer, so he's pretty good at math) and he even looked at the stupid thing for five minutes and tried to explain this bs to our ds.

So there was an answer (that your DH was trying to explain) but you and your ds didn't understand it? Just trying to get how this correlates with common core.

I have had the no correct answer on a worksheet thing happen. They don't get vetted the way books do, so I'm sure it happens a little more. Not a big deal, though, unless it was a common problem (has happened once in 2 years so far).

There was no way to solve the problem. There was no answer. Common core sucks. Just admit that you love it. I'm not sure why though.

+1
Not sure why the PP keeps rushing to defend Common Core. The many, many complaints about it show how ridiculous it is. The kids are the ones winding up confused, upset, and discouraged because they think they "can't do math" - when the reality is this is no way to teach math at all. Computation knowledge is critical, but the CC mumbo-jumbo is a disgrace.

[Anonymous]

I have to laugh. You are all obviously young people because common core is really how math was taught in the 50s and 60s. It actually works better because it teaches the relationships of numbers, beginning with the relationship to 10. It works the same way you use an abacus.

The way they taught math in the late 70's, 80's and 90's, and as far as I know into the 2000's was screwed up. That's when this country started to lose their advantage in math.

Instead of complaining, educate yourselves.

Where in the world did you get that? I was a student in fifties and sixties and took teacher training on New Math in late sixties. This is not the same.

[Anonymous]

The problem with "experts" in education is that they go to extremes. The answer is in "balance." Any good teacher knows this.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why the PP keeps rushing to defend Common Core.

Pretty sure that she's the one who has been saying not to blame the standards. She sees no connection between standards and curriculum.

[Anonymous]

I think most on this topic are missing the true point. This is not an issue of whether common core has been adopted but rather this new agenda of using the flipped classroom where the kids are asked to do worksheets (homework) during class time while no real instruction is taking place during the school day.

[Anonymous]

I think most on this topic are missing the true point. This is not an issue of whether common core has been adopted but rather this new agenda of using the flipped classroom where the kids are asked to do worksheets (homework) during class time while no real instruction is taking place during the school day.

What makes you think that? The procedure is confusing whether at home or at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Not sure why the PP keeps rushing to defend Common Core.

Pretty sure that she's the one who has been saying not to blame the standards. She sees no connection between standards and curriculum.

There's more than one of us defending Common Core. Of course there is a connection between standards and curriculum, but poor implementation of curriculum does not necessarily mean the standards are bad.

[Anonymous]

As 15:18 to add to my point, now there is no accountability from the teacher as they can pass out these worksheets without actually having to teach. If they did have to teach on these issues, they would quickly realize how nonsensical the assignment really was and would look as foolish as the kids and parents spending time trying to finish unsuccessfully an elementary school worksheet. If teachers had to teach it would put an end to discussions like this one.

[Anonymous]

As 15:18 to add to my point, now there is no accountability from the teacher as they can pass out these worksheets without actually having to teach. If they did have to teach on these issues, they would quickly realize how nonsensical the assignment really was and would look as foolish as the kids and parents spending time trying to finish unsuccessfully an elementary school worksheet. If teachers had to teach it would put an end to discussions like this one.

Are you sure the teacher is not teaching it? Or, maybe the teacher knows it is nonsensical but is required to use these worksheets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As 15:18 to add to my point, now there is no accountability from the teacher as they can pass out these worksheets without actually having to teach. If they did have to teach on these issues, they would quickly realize how nonsensical the assignment really was and would look as foolish as the kids and parents spending time trying to finish unsuccessfully an elementary school worksheet. If teachers had to teach it would put an end to discussions like this one.

If teachers really aren't teaching and are doing nothing but passing out worksheets, that's not what the flipped classroom is supposed to be and is a problem that should be addressed with the district. Lack of accountability is a management problem, not a flaw in the flipped classroom.

[Anonymous]

VA's SOLs and the common core align:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/common_core/

I don't think the principal would care because most admin are well aware of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As 15:18 to add to my point, now there is no accountability from the teacher as they can pass out these worksheets without actually having to teach. If they did have to teach on these issues, they would quickly realize how nonsensical the assignment really was and would look as foolish as the kids and parents spending time trying to finish unsuccessfully an elementary school worksheet. If teachers had to teach it would put an end to discussions like this one.

If teachers really aren't teaching and are doing nothing but passing out worksheets, that's not what the flipped classroom is supposed to be and is a problem that should be addressed with the district. Lack of accountability is a management problem, not a flaw in the flipped classroom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipped_classroom
"Flipped classroom is a form of blended learning in which students learn content online by watching video lectures, usually at home, and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done in class with teachers and students discussing and solving questions more personalized guidance and interaction with students, instead of lecturing. "

In a 1 hour class, how many of the 30 some kids in each class can the teacher possibly tutor individually on these worksheet handouts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As 15:18 to add to my point, now there is no accountability from the teacher as they can pass out these worksheets without actually having to teach. If they did have to teach on these issues, they would quickly realize how nonsensical the assignment really was and would look as foolish as the kids and parents spending time trying to finish unsuccessfully an elementary school worksheet. If teachers had to teach it would put an end to discussions like this one.

If teachers really aren't teaching and are doing nothing but passing out worksheets, that's not what the flipped classroom is supposed to be and is a problem that should be addressed with the district. Lack of accountability is a management problem, not a flaw in the flipped classroom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipped_classroom
"Flipped classroom is a form of blended learning in which students learn content online by watching video lectures, usually at home, and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done in class with teachers and students discussing and solving questions more personalized guidance and interaction with students, instead of lecturing. "

In a 1 hour class, how many of the 30 some kids in each class can the teacher possibly tutor individually on these worksheet handouts?

It shouldn't be passing out worksheets and then tutoring them individually if she has time while the students work in silence. Again, that's improper application of the flipped classroom. There may be some individual work, but it should be combined with group work where kids can help each other (which reinforces understanding even for the students who already get it) and the teacher can work with small groups to resolve confusion in a more efficient way than working with each child individually. It also can allow most sophisticated applications of the lessons when the teacher can come around and work with each group for a few minutes to help give them clarification and guidance. I'm not saying it's a flawless model, it's one that has to be implemented well to work (which is the case with any educational model), but it has a lot going for it.

[Anonymous]

It shouldn't be passing out worksheets and then tutoring them individually if she has time while the students work in silence. Again, that's improper application of the flipped classroom. There may be some individual work, but it should be combined with group work where kids can help each other (which reinforces understanding even for the students who already get it) and the teacher can work with small groups to resolve confusion in a more efficient way than working with each child individually. It also can allow most sophisticated applications of the lessons when the teacher can come around and work with each group for a few minutes to help give them clarification and guidance. I'm not saying it's a flawless model, it's one that has to be implemented well to work (which is the case with any educational model), but it has a lot going for it.

This may be a good model in middle or high school. NOt so sure it is the best model for primary or middle elementary.

[Anonymous]

It shouldn't be passing out worksheets and then tutoring them individually if she has time while the students work in silence. Again, that's improper application of the flipped classroom. There may be some individual work, but it should be combined with group work where kids can help each other (which reinforces understanding even for the students who already get it) and the teacher can work with small groups to resolve confusion in a more efficient way than working with each child individually. It also can allow most sophisticated applications of the lessons when the teacher can come around and work with each group for a few minutes to help give them clarification and guidance. I'm not saying it's a flawless model, it's one that has to be implemented well to work (which is the case with any educational model), but it has a lot going for it.

I guess no one wants to be part of a system that fails but a teaching system reliant on the parents teaching at home and kids teaching each other in school is going to do just that...Fail. No amount of marketing propaganda is going to change that.