|
joether -> RE: Students Revolt over Common Core Testing (3/3/2015 2:23:32 PM)
|
I think some of you are not stopping and thinking about Common Core's purpose, and pushing to a final 'judgement' of what its suppose to accomplish. Or insert a belief of how its suppose to accomplish things. Common Core can be many things but its not a good substitute for adults helping students succeed nor making them think independently.
The schools in my area do very well on Common Core related concepts. But then, each of the towns pushes a high degree of funding in to the school systems. Its not about 'throwing heaps of money away' either that makes successes. Its investing intelligently and wisely. Hiring educators that are not just intelligent and studied in their field, but whom have the behavior and demeanor to attract students to succeed. Investing in good infrastructure helps. Most make the mistake of just improving the class room itself; but improving if not creating other structures is equally important (more on that later). Likewise, parents will (if they want their kid to succeed) will get involved with the process; to bridge the gap of formal schooling with 'the rest of life'. Education does not take place in a vaccuum, its contiunous.
Most people believe the learning of 'thinking for ones self' resides within the class room. And those would be wrong. The class room is were one learns the skills, to think independently, but is not the location to develop them for future use. Investing in band rooms, theater, athletics, and multitudes of after school activities is were to spend some of that budget. Students begin developing 'tactical' skills in team athletic games such as football, soccer, and field hockey. Likewise, they develop interpersonal skills in theater for example; allowing them to test behaviors without being scutinize in the hallways. The various language clubs (french, russian, spanish, and even Vulcan), art clubs (from music to paintings), and conceptual views (chess club, D&D club, LARPing, etc). Finally, the school I was at had a limited 'outdoors club'. It exposed those students whom were not in the Boy Scouts to stuff like wilderness survival, backpacking, camping, and even rock climbing.
The students learn the skills in the class room, but then test how to make use of these skills outside in activities. They figure out what works and what doesn't. But it doesn't work without parent support and encouragement, and a school system that is headed in the right direction. Common Core is mean to give a standardized amount of information to educators, parents, and town/city government on the effectiveness all these people are having on children. People want to scapegoat Common Core because they dont have any decent excuses for why they are fucking up.
In the real world, TKman117 ask a question of sorts: "So tell me when was the last time you took an exam of 150 questions where you needed a 50% average to keep your job or get over 80% to get a raise?"
I do know for certainty that if you fail to understand warfare 101 by as much as 50%, its not just you getting yourself killed, it could also mean a few members of your squad. Failing half the time in most professions could mean anything from jail time to being fired. Likewise, those that not just work hard, but work smart, often get raises. As a business owner, if I have two employees whom work hard, they'll get a raise. But if one of them does more to bring in more business, higher net profit, and develop the company in better ways; they'll get a better bonus. That has been a common business practice for decades!
So in ending, the focus of getting students to think for themselves, does not rest with the classroom itself, but in areas outside the classroom. Giving them moments to test ideas on the spur of the moment and weigh the outcome as good or bad, gives them experience when the next issues comes up. When you do that, Common Core is not that big of a monster to to handle.
|
|
|
|
