Common Core State Standards

Last semester I had a class that looked into issues affecting elementary school classrooms, and one of the issues that we looked into was Common Core standards. We looked at how they differ from the current standards, how they are already being integrated into our classrooms and curriculum, and what it means for the future.

From my understanding, the main idea behind CCSS is to focus on enriched knowledge and learning as opposed to rote learning.  The current state standards focus on students memorizing large amounts of facts and then taking high stakes tests at the end of the year that require them to regurgitate the knowledge.  CCSS focus instead on the student learning proper research and learning schools on more broad range subject manner which will help them understand in the future how to find the answers to questions and how to learn more about the answers instead of the basic facts. (ie - knowing that the Civil War happened in the late 1800s versus learning that the Civil War was between the northern and southern states in the Union and was fought primarily over slavery and who won the war and the impact it had on our nation.  The second concept gives a much broader view of the Civil War not a focus on the date.)  CCSS standards also focus on greater writing and language arts skills and the use of writing in all subject areas.  There will still be high stakes testing involved with CCSS, but instead of the focus being on memorized knowledge, it will instead be on the students ability to reason, make inferences about facts given, and draw conclusions to find the correct answers.

I love the ideas behind CCSS, and I hope that this becomes a great change to the way that our educational system is run.  NCLB did incredible damage to our school systems in the early years of the 21st century, and there will more then likely be a generation of students that hate school, hate testing, and will not further their education as much as in the past because they do not have a good view of schooling.  CCSS appears to help students find the long term needs for life long learning and learning skills that will be used throughout their life.  I worry how well it will be implemented into our schools however.  Those currently in teacher prep programs that are being taught how to teach to CCSS standards will transition seamlessly.  However teachers that have only taught under a rote learning system will have problems transitioning and helping their students understand how to make the transition.  Also students who are in high school and have spent their entire lives in a rote learning atmosphere will suddenly be forced to rethink the entire way that they learn.  This system can only be effective if it is properly received and implemented into our schools, and I believe that the shift to 21st century classrooms will help make this easier.

I am excited to start teaching in the schools and to use the ideals behind CCSS.  I think that the lesson planning and time spent in the classroom working on projects will be more time intensive then in the past, but since I do not have the past to influence me I will not know the difference.  I think we have the opportunity to show students how fun learning can be and to greatly enrich their experience in school if we do this effectively.