Opinions of Common Core experience

[Anonymous]

My daughter is learning a lot in her DCPS PS3, but I'm not sure about keeping her in public school because of the Common Core. The public-school classrooms I visited last year had a lot on their walls along the lines of, "Here are our strategies for analyzing non-fiction" and "Here is how we make predictions," and it felt so overly process-focused to me. I understand that many students, especially if not from learning-focused backgrounds, need to have these processes articulated for them, but at some point, shouldn't the focus turn to the discussion of the actual reading, history, science, etc., at hand? I thought the purpose of classroom postings was to inspire, excite, and encourage. What about dioramas and book covers and diagrams? If I were a student, I'd be bored senseless by having to talk about process all the time.

I know it sounds like I have foregone conclusions about Common Core--and perhaps I do. But if your child is in, say, 3rd grade or beyond, can you tell me what it's been like, from your vantage point? And how awful are the intrusions of tests? As they said on the X-Files, I want to believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is learning a lot in her DCPS PS3, but I'm not sure about keeping her in public school because of the Common Core. The public-school classrooms I visited last year had a lot on their walls along the lines of, "Here are our strategies for analyzing non-fiction" and "Here is how we make predictions," and it felt so overly process-focused to me. I understand that many students, especially if not from learning-focused backgrounds, need to have these processes articulated for them, but at some point, shouldn't the focus turn to the discussion of the actual reading, history, science, etc., at hand? I thought the purpose of classroom postings was to inspire, excite, and encourage. What about dioramas and book covers and diagrams? If I were a student, I'd be bored senseless by having to talk about process all the time.

I know it sounds like I have foregone conclusions about Common Core--and perhaps I do. But if your child is in, say, 3rd grade or beyond, can you tell me what it's been like, from your vantage point? And how awful are the intrusions of tests? As they said on the X-Files, I want to believe.

What you are describing isn't really Common Core. Common Core doesn't prescribe or specify process. It's just a minimum content standard. Schools and teachers are perfectly free to do whatever they like, however they like, as long as they can demonstrably meet that minimum standard.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. When's the last time, OP, you finished a good book and said, "let me go make a diorama!" or "I want to design a new book cover!" No, we read good books and talk about them. We process our conclusions, make predictions, analyze, synthesize, etc. Dioramas, book jackets, and book reports are not the authentic actions of readers.

[Anonymous]

Ok I feel the same way. But the only way out, in the US, is private school. some of us just don't have that kind of money.

[Anonymous]

As others have stated, Common Core is not a curriculum. They are standards. The curriculum is developed by your district to meet the standards, and the teachers probably put together the lesson plans to meet the curriculum guildelines.

So, how DCPS implements the standards can be different than how other districts do it.

That said, CC seeks to focus on critical thinking skills earlier on in the grades. I do see this in my DC's work. Some of it is pretty challenging. It requires a lot of writing - explaining your thought processes, etc.. not just in Arts/Languages but in math as well. There's good/bad points about all the writing in math, IMO.

The other day I was reading how AP and SAT tests will be changing in the future due to the upcoming ES kids learning under CC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh. When's the last time, OP, you finished a good book and said, "let me go make a diorama!" or "I want to design a new book cover!" No, we read good books and talk about them. We process our conclusions, make predictions, analyze, synthesize, etc. Dioramas, book jackets, and book reports are not the authentic actions of readers.

I am all in with common core as implemented at my children's school. My 4th grader has long been an amazing reader and she reads at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day on her own initiative. She still has to log at least 30 min a day and part of that log is what she is working on with reading. She is always reading with a goal for school and it has only made her more articulate about what she reads. Her only limitation on reading level is what is appropriate content for a 9 year old.

There is an article in the wapo today about how they teach math under the common core. I have been to two presentations at our school about what they are doing and I think it is great. They are teaching an understanding of concepts before they get to the streamlined processes we learned growing up.

I also have a child in 1st grade and I see a difference between how the Older was taught in K and 1st and what is happening now, it is all for the better (and my older child did make diaoramas which were not particularly rewarding for her.

As long as your kids are at a school that is doing it well I think it a great. I cannot speak to the testing unde cc because it has not happened yet. My older child had near perfect DC CAS scores in 3rd grade while taught under the cc method.

[Anonymous]

There is no joy in making a diorama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no joy in making a diorama.

Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no joy in making a diorama.

Seriously?

Seriously. Do schools really do that shit any more? I never understood the point. They are pretty, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no joy in making a diorama.

Seriously?

If you, the parent, need a crafty outlet, I can point you in the right direction. No need to torture another generation of readers with aimless assignments: Great. You recreated a scene from the book the size of a shoebox. Where's the inference? The analysis? The point?

[Anonymous]

How about reading for depth and content? Novel idea.