Why are people so upset about Common Core?
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Anonymous
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Can someone please explain "local level" to me? Because the way I see that is:
You either want each school to determine which is right for their kids, which could change with the population on fairly routine basis and be complete chaos. AND/OR You're okay with whatever so-called local level means because your kid is not the one in Texas or Kansas with bad science textbooks that the "local" school board pushed through. AND/OR You want YOUR way and your children catered to. |
Anonymous
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I looked at that worksheet expecting to be horrified based on the comments here, but I didn't think it was that bad.
A young student (around 1st or 2nd grade) won't necessarily have all of their addition and subtraction facts memorized, so they need a way of doing subtraction problems in their head. So they're taught to break the 'big' numbers into pieces, in this case chunks of 10. Most of us probably do this instinctively, but little kids need to be taught how to do it and then gradually it will become quick and natural to them. The worksheet literally just asks the kid to explain what the picture shows. Solve 13-7 by getting the numbers in groups of 10 and going from there: Start with 13, in a group of 10 and and an 'extra' three in their own group. Take away (subtract) 3. Now you have 10. Take away (subtract) 4 more. You have subtracted 7 total, and the answer you have left is 6. So 13-7= 13-3-4 = 6 The last answer choice is the correct answer. I agree kids should memorize addition and subtraction facts, but they should also know how to break apart numbers to subtract if it's not one they've memorized. For example, how would you guys solve 152 - 18 quickly in your head? Probably the way the worksheet described, just without explicitly thinking about what you were doing. |
Anonymous
Ok, all other things notwithstanding, what the FUCK does Barack Obama have to do with this? Are you insane? |
Anonymous
It's not funny at all. It's entirely predictable. They see that word "welfare" and they're all "hell no, blackie's not a gonna get shit for free." |
Anonymous
Sure, I'll take a stab at it: "I need to answer 13 - 7, but I don't know what that equals. How should I start solving the problem?" 1: Break 13 into its parts - "13" is one group of 10 and three ones, which is what is shown in the picture under step 1 of the worksheet. 2: Take away the 3 ones from thirteen. Now you're left with 10. This is shown by the circled and crossed out part of step 1 of the worksheet. 3: You've taken away 3 and you need to take away 7 total, so you need to take away 4 more. Take away 4 from the 10 you have left. This is shown in step 2 of the worksheet 4: The answer is 6. You have 6 remaining if you start with 13 and take away (subtract) 7. What math sentence or process do the two pictures on the worksheet show? It shows 13 - 3 -4. The last answer choice is correct. To answer your second question, I do think this is appropriate for six year old students because it is showing them step by step how to break apart a subtraction problem when they may not know the answer off the top of their head. However, I don't have a background in elementary education or child development, so my assessment that it's appropriate is just a gut feeling based on the kids I know. If others think this is an inappropriate question for the age, I would be interested in hearing that and why they think so. Maybe someone else can point out something I'm missing. |
Anonymous
The following textbook companies have published math curriculum that they say will cover Common Core state standards. Holt Mc Dougal: Carson Delosa: Every Day Math Houghton Mifflin Saxon Math Dimensions Math (Singapore math) Pearson ... and the list goes on. Since SO MANY states will be adopting Common Core State standards, every single textbook publishing company WILL BE saying it meets Common Core State Standards. How they go about it, how well they go about, and how well they succeed -- remain to be seen. But at least now they will all be trying to cover the same math standards at each grade, not have some textbooks for NY state standards, some for Tennessee state standards. Now, I could publish a textbook and I could printe COMMON CORE at the bottom of each workbook page, and on each workbook page I could say: Add 5 + 7. Do i while standing on your head. Add it using base 2. Do it in Russian..... Does the fact that I put COMMON CORE at the bottom of each page mean that COMMON CORE requires you to do the math problems while standing on your head? No. |
Anonymous
Well, last I checked he was the commander in chief. And the Feds are hooking common core adoption to funding so I guess he's kind of involved. |
Anonymous
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What all of you are doing by saying 'they are just standards' is forgetting that those standards need to be implemented in order for them to be used.
The problem is HOW they are being implemented. Common core affects math and language arts a major part of the day. And for the person that says anyone can just stamp common core on the bottom of a worksheet, what does that tell you about implementation? Is that what you want for the children of this nation? For the other person who is questioning local level, think of the structure of a large corporation and how work is delegated down to departments. When someone too high up is trying to get a result much farther down, you need intermediate supervision and worker bees closer to the end result. Those closest to the end result see the problems are in the best position to correct them and/or report back. If they don't have that power, the end result is poor. |
Anonymous
Are you naive? The Feds are involved. |
Anonymous
Super simple for a six year old who had been instructed in the make ten method. If you have never been introduced to this of course it looks weird. But my 1st grader would breeze through that problem and in fact did breeze through many of this type early in the year. Gregtangmath.com. Is a great site for practicing this type of thing. Education goes through fads in teaching methods. Just because this is the current fad and not the one I was taught under doesn't make it a poor method. My 6 year old has a pretty great grasp of this math. And he has memorized math facts too, but can use these types of strategies to add and subtract mentally with two and three digit numbers. I use this type of shortcut mentally all the time also , I just wasn't formally taught to do so. Formalizing this as an instructional method is no less valid than my teachers showing us to use our fingers to help do the nines times tables. ( hold up hands , fold the finger you are multiplying by, and " read" the number tens before the folded finger and ones after ). |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
What you are missing, is that what's right for YOUR child, might not be right for other children. A teacher and district (local level) can do that faster and more efficiently than state and fed. |
Anonymous
You're right, the Feds ARE always behind. And no, No Child Left Behind was NOT a wonderful idea. The individual states and being forced through the dangling of Federal money that belonged to the states in the first place. It's like your boss taking a third of your paycheck away and then saying "you can have it back if you simply follow my recommendations in your personal life'. If the Feds didn't take so much from the states to begin with, the states would have more leverage. And no, the curriculum and implementation is not very much local - look at how PAARC and the SBAC is funded - 346 million in Federal grants. Follow the money and your answers are there. Bits and bytes my friend, bits and bytes. http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/get-schooled/2013/aug/25/common-core-brand-name-who-making-money-new-standa/ |
Anonymous
The Feds ARE always INVOLVED, that's what I meant - SHEESH 
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Anonymous
In this city, historically, many educators have decided that reading is not something that is right for poor black and brown kids. That it was over their heads, or not something they needed. Yes, instruction and standards need to be tweaked for some individual students, but there is a body of knowledge that is standards and should be a goal for every child. |