Common Core: For or Against?

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   Alison Shanahanposted 9 years ago

   Calling all teachers!   What do you think of the Common Core?  Like it?  Hate it?

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      Titiaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I'm a Dutchie, I don't know what the common core is.

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         Alison Shanahanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         The Common Core Standards are guidelines for teachers in the USA.

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   LindaSmith1posted 9 years ago

   I am not a teacher. I saw news story about this one.  Looks like it stinks!

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      Alison Shanahanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Ha!  Why do you say it looks like it stinks?

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         Barbara Kayposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I don't like how there are so many steps to figure out a math problem that is simple enough to figure in a few seconds in your head. I've been amazed before this with the young people that can't do simple math at cash registers etc. I think it will make it even worse.

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   psycheskinnerposted 9 years ago

   I think the media coverage of it has been terrible. I mean, can you really say what about it you object to and how the previous curriculum was better?

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      brakel2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I read an article from a father about the Math part. He said that children must do extra reasoning that does not teach Math properly. I hated Math, but I had great teachers who just taught from the textbook. I had one teacher who got up on the desk to prove her points. She was so funny, and everyone passed. It is a whole different world out there now. Let the teachers teach and not have a federal mandate that rules the nation. Each child has his own way of learning with the guidance of a good teacher.

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         Rochelle Frankposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         "Extra reasoning" could be a good thing if it leads to deeper understanding. Teaching how to think critically applies to all kinds of learning ( except for rote) and is vital to a true education.

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   Rochelle Frankposted 9 years ago

   I think everyone hates to change the way they do things,-- even  maybe, especially-- teachers. As a former teacher and former, former student, I think it might be a good thing.  I struggled with math, but some lights went on once I hit geometry class. I think I might have done better under this system.
   The trouble is, one way does not work well for all students, there needs to be enough flexibility for a teacher to see that one system is  usually better for each individual.
   The tendency is for a district or system to say: "This is the way we do it now."

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   clivewilliamsposted 9 years ago

   illuminati world order teachings

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      Alison Shanahanposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Funny!  What is the connection between the illuminati and Common Core?

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Its a global system attempt. NWO types are instigating it … so I have heard.

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      Shades-of-truthposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Not only that, Clive, but the Common Core being foisted on our education system tends to create a "lowest common denominator" outcome. I homeschooled for a while, and frankly detest the Common Core curriculum.

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   Kylyssaposted 9 years ago

   The math appears to be made artificially more difficult.  It's just my impression from looking at work sheets a child I know brought home but it looks as if the focus in common core math is on the symbols for numbers rather on the values of numbers.  It results in what looks like a whole lot of unnecessary work and memorization of rules rather than an understanding of relationships between numbers to me.  It doesn't mesh with visual math at all.

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   Cari Kay 11posted 9 years ago

   Homeschool Mom here who made the mistake of using a math book last year aligned with Common Core.  It...Was...Awful!  She was so frustrated.  It took her four to five lessons just to learn how to do something new when other math books would have had it done in one lesson.  In our experience, it made everything so confusing including skills she had already acquired.  We threw it out part way through the year, got a normal math book and ran with it.  My daughter was in fifth grade.  She took the state's standardized test at the end of the year and her math scores were between 10th and 11th grade level.  Had she continued with CC, her scores, no doubt would have been much lower.  She has dyslexia and Common Core is a miserable mess for children who learn differently.  After I shared my experience, many more people shared theirs with me.  Common Core stinks.  It's a 'one size fits all' approach to education that might work if all kids learned the same.  They don't.

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   Richard Paulposted 9 years ago

   Its to my understanding that, for math anyway, Common Core is teach students "number sense", i.e. being able to do math in your head by using simple tricks.  I used to tutor for a company that used this to help students, and from the few problems I've seen of the new math, its basically the same.
   
   I think the biggest problem, though, is that while its a good thing to give students as many techniques and methods possible to solve problems, forcing them to do each one is not very optimal.  Trying to have them explain "why" they're doing what they're doing instead of justing showing them "how", while noble, is counterproductive as well given how convoluted the methods currently are.
   
   I think, for math, students should be given multiple methods to learn material and allow them to solve problems using the ones they're most comfortable with.  Forcing each method down their throats, including the overly complicated ones you see in "worst of" common core articles, isn't accomplishing this.
   
   I understand they're in place because there have been studies that show the US has fallen behind most other first-world countries in academics, math especially, but I think the difficulties in that are more than just the content or material from before, and trying to fix it by forcing students to fully understand every little thing they learn is just not going to work.
   
   tl;dr: common core is well intentioned, but poor executed and implemented with.

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   Shades-of-truthposted 9 years ago

   I am against it. Some of the literature I looked into, that is included in the Common Core curriculum, contained reading material that was considered acceptable for middle school students that I would not read as an adult.
   
   There is simply not enough room here, to list the reasons that I do not believe it is good for our students, or our society.

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    lafleurdeplumeposted 9 years ago

    I'm not against the fundamental idea behind instituting a national Common Core curriculum... the problem comes in the way the standards are evaluated.  Tests that are written specifically to demonstrate a bell curve are inherently flawed measurement tools for what is happening in the classroom.  If we truly want to show the world what our students are learning on a daily basis, the assessments should be an opportunity to showcase what the teachers are accomplishing.  Instead, questions that are answered correctly too often are discounted and questions that have little to no correlation to direct instruction are left in.

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    wrenchBiscuitposted 9 years ago

    Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
    
    The historical record reveals the following:
    
    "At the age of ten, Einstein was accepted into the Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich, a respected institution that emphasized Latin and Greek over mathematics and science. Einstein quickly became bored with the educational program at school,and turned to a course of personal study outside of school. His Uncle Jakob lent him a book of algebra and sent him math puzzles to solve. In addition, a twenty-one-year-old medical student named Max Talmud, a friend of Einstein's family, lent him books on popular science and philosophy that the young boy eagerly devoured."
    
    Although Einstein went on to earn a doctorate from the University of Zurich, we can clearly see that early on Einstein embraced " The Natural Law of Anarchy". Whether he defined his approach to learning in such a manner is beside the point. His methods, and his achievements, prove that a structured and rigid approach to learning is not a prerequisite for genius.
    
    Common Core Standards may or may not help improve the mathematical skills and and reading comprehension of the general populace. But at best, such efforts will only lead to a more efficient goat herd; a labor force of wage slaves  better suited to fulfill the needs of the ruling elite. As can be seen in the case of Einstein , and many other great thinkers, The Natural Law of Anarchy provides us with the means to reach our full potential. Analogically speaking: The backward civilization that exists at this point on the timeline is attempting to create the perfect artificial plastic flower, when the best flower can be created by simply planting a seed and letting it grow naturally. The fundamental problem with formal education is that the human mind is either seen by the state as a commodity to be manipulated;  by the individual as a god to be worshiped, or a means to an end.To treat human intelligence in one way, or the other, places unnecessary restrictions upon human creativity.

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       Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       I hate the mention of anarchy which I still have limited understanding of, but I agree with everything you have said!!

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          Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

          From what I have observed as a substitute teacher, common core does not encourage creative thinking or even self-thinking. For instance, I noticed that literary topic discussions seem indoctrinating.
          Also, from what I have seen, it does not facilitate math concepts and applications in a progressive way from simple to complex, concrete to abstract.  The younger students do not understand the most basic math concepts in favor of memorizing ways to write math concepts.
          
          I agree that teachers and students must think for themselves. Intrinsic motivation and learning through understanding must be valued by teachers. I believe that respect and regard for every individual must be fostered in all schools on a common sense level, despite the expectations of the STATE.
          
                                              "No child is an automaton." 
          
          This should be our new mantra.

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             Cari Kay 11posted 9 years agoin reply to this

             Yes!
             
             I have to admit, I almost feel like Common Core is a deliberate attempt to  dumb down our children.

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                Shades-of-truthposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                I agree. The name says it all.

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                Doodlebirdposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                The next in a long line of attempts to dumb things down...unfortunately.

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                   brakel2posted 9 years agoin reply to this

                   With Common Core, our children may become like robots just following along without the ability to think for themselves. They are government pawns, a government that does not encourage creative thinking. They will memorize and may never remember the material again. It is so sad that our government wants to be in charge of the country.

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    Sarah Browneposted 9 years ago

    As a teacher I am absolutely against the Common Core. I think it stifles creativity. I find that more and more of the time children should spend finding out about the world and how it works is instead focused on test prep. It does not cater to any type of "out of the box" thinkers at all.

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