Because I am a math teacher affected by the introduction of Common Core and I do care about all of my students, I felt compelled to understand the reason behind the newest reform movement in education. I learned that the movement behind Common Core began with an initiative written in 2008 by former Gov. Janet Napolitano that focused on improving math and science education.
http://www.usnews.com/news/special-reports/articles/2014/02/27/the-history-of-common-core-state-standards?int=9e0208
We need to provide a better education for our students and we need to enable them to be ready for the demands of the 21st century. Our youth need to be able to think outside the box and they need to be able to communicate their knowledge through collaboration with others in our global society. It is crucial that our students be able to think critically and creatively in order to meet the demands of our ever changing world.
The creation of the Common Core standards in math were devised as a way to ensure that all children in the United States would be college and career ready in any of the 50 states. Prior to the introduction of Common Core, each state created and implemented their own standards. Unfortunately this strategy left some students behind if they moved or tried to apply to colleges in other states. All children deserve the right to an education that will provide opportunities for further college or career success in the real world.
This initiative has created new expectations in the math class that expect students to do more than complete math skills that prove the ability to follow given sets of instruction. It requires students to understand why these math skills work and be able to apply these concepts in real world problems.
As we all are aware, there is a tremendous amount of controversy with the implementation of Common Core. It is important to read multiple sources of information from all sides in order to understand the reasons and realities of what Common Core will do for our students. It is not just about the testing, it is about the learning processes and creating a consistent math program within the United States.
http://www.usnews.com/news/special-reports/articles/2014/02/27/the-history-of-common-core-state-standards?int=9e0208
We need to provide a better education for our students and we need to enable them to be ready for the demands of the 21st century. Our youth need to be able to think outside the box and they need to be able to communicate their knowledge through collaboration with others in our global society. It is crucial that our students be able to think critically and creatively in order to meet the demands of our ever changing world.
The creation of the Common Core standards in math were devised as a way to ensure that all children in the United States would be college and career ready in any of the 50 states. Prior to the introduction of Common Core, each state created and implemented their own standards. Unfortunately this strategy left some students behind if they moved or tried to apply to colleges in other states. All children deserve the right to an education that will provide opportunities for further college or career success in the real world.
This initiative has created new expectations in the math class that expect students to do more than complete math skills that prove the ability to follow given sets of instruction. It requires students to understand why these math skills work and be able to apply these concepts in real world problems.
As we all are aware, there is a tremendous amount of controversy with the implementation of Common Core. It is important to read multiple sources of information from all sides in order to understand the reasons and realities of what Common Core will do for our students. It is not just about the testing, it is about the learning processes and creating a consistent math program within the United States.