The Common Core

I have been absent from my blog for a little bit of time. We have been very busy here at school. One thing that has kept me busy is the new Common Core Standards. I have been to a three-day conference to prepare teachers in the Archdiocese for the implementation of the Common Core Standards. I know it is a hot topic for debate right now with politicians, but I wanted to express my thoughts about them. I like the Common Core Standards and what they ask of the students. The old Indiana Academic Standards were good standards, I am not saying they were bad. Their focus was on being able to memorize details of a story, facts, and information.With the growing presence of technologies, these pieces of information are readily available to most kids. It is very easy for someone to look up an answer to a question on a smart phone. The Common Core Standards take a different approach to the students thought process. The standards may not ask the kids to memorize information, but it does ask them to be able to explain answers, analyze, problem solve, and show how they know what they know. I believe the standards will prepare the students for the demands of the college and real world. The standards are not easier. It is a different way of approaching learning. We ask a lot of "Why is that your answer?" and "How do we know that?". Sometimes it is explaining how they solved a math problem, showing exactly where in a story is the answer to a question, using their inferencing skills to draw conclusions throughout a story, and being able to logically solve a math problem. I like the way the standards are asking the kids to think.