My Sunday slice is short; just a few comments and questions rolling around in my head about Common Core---
I have been reading about the Common Core on Twitter lately and I am trying to wrap my head around this idea of deconstructing text in the very intellectual way the writers of the standards expect our students to do. I don't know if it's just me, but I'm afraid I see a clinical dissection of text that leaves scant room for the emotions of the reader and writer. As a writer, I am passionate about what I write. I want my reader to be passionate about it as well. How does that passion fit into the Common Core? How do the emotions of readers connecting with well written text work with the new standards? I know I have a lot of work to do to better understand what my students and I are expected to know and be able to do independently at the end of a school year. As a workshop teacher, I feel better prepared to tackle the challenges given in the Common Core for which I am thankful. As long as I believe the individual needs of my students come first, regardless of what standards I am following, my students will be successful!
Excellent questions - how do we merge the idea of common standards and individual learning styles and passions?
ReplyDeleteI have those same thoughts. It makes me sad and a bit stressed. I hope it all works out for us and our students in the end.
ReplyDeleteThis question resonates with me: How do the emotions of readers connecting with well written text work with the new standards? I admit it, I'm a bit workied
ReplyDeleteI have had the opportunity to hear Tim Shanahan speak about this creation of CCS standards about a month ago. Two hour lecture...21 pages of notes...interesting insight and much about disciplinary literacy. I follow Krashen and O'hanian and their comments about it. I have heard Kylene Beers and Bob Probst speak about it. Still as worried even more so as I think about the testing related to it.
ReplyDeleteA very interesting post. I think that what makes us good teachers is that our fear lies in losing passion. I think that being so aware of it also means that it won't happen... we will find a way to maintain the individuality that keeps us strong...
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