Common Core...It's Not a Bad Word!

In recent years months, there has been a lot of debate about Common Core, especially math.  People have referred to it as "new," confusing, or even evil.  I've heard sentiments such as these come from parents, teachers, policy makers, politicians and social media "experts" to name a few.  On a day to day basis, I find myself engaged in conversations about this "new" math and these "new" standards.

The thing is, Common Core is not new.  It is what's best for students.  If you take the name away and still implement the major components, you'll still see best practices at the heart of teaching and learning.  Common Core is not some terrible, alien curriculum shift that's out there to scare kids and frustrate teachers.  Personally, I don't see it as something that's soley in place to change the way we teach standards or the way we use learning materials.  I see Common Core as a movement with a bigger purpose...to change the way we think. 

As a parent, I want my children to be challenged, engaged in purposeful struggle, encouraged to think critically, immersed in experiences that matter to them, and pushed to think flexibly as well as freely.  I did not give birth to robots, but I sure want my children as well as all of America's children to have the knowledge, skills and abilities to be able to build one (if they wanted to).  If dittos, worksheets and practice books can be bought from a Dollar Store, then shouldn't kids be experiencing something different in their educational settings? Cars, homes, medicine, commerce, technology, and yes...EDUCATION has evolved.  Let's get going.  The rest of the world is not waiting for us.

Please take a quick minute to read this article from USA Today entitled, "Common Core Math is Not Fuzzy."  It's a quick, simple and to the point.  Enjoy!

*Special shout out to Thomas Gumes for sharing this article with me, as well as to Wenonah Wells for sharing the resource of the week (link on the right)!