<added after publishing> This article was submitted by Lori Liggins, a teacher in Memphis, TN.
“Good morning class, today we are going to learn a new set of vocabulary words. First, I will say the following words: gratitude, servitude, latitude, and altitude. Now class it is your turn to say the words.” Next, the teacher passes out a dictionary and instructs students to use it to write the definition for each vocabulary word. After students have written a definition, they are instructed to pick a partner and one partner calls out a word and the other partner states the definition. This strategy is used to help students memorize the vocabulary. Now, does this process work in most cases, yes but what have the students learn other than memorization?
Margaret Mead once said, “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” Now take a moment and reread the activity listed above. Does the activity promote teaching children how to think? What if the teacher would have written vocabulary terms on the board and asked to students to state a time they have heard the words written in a sentence. Then, ask the class to see they could state a definition based on what some of the other students said. The teacher could even ask the class “why do the words have the same suffix but different meanings? Now these are the types of activities that would foster teaching students how to think. Don’t you agree?
The United States’ educational system is going through a massive transformation. We are in the process of trying to implement Common Core in all states. Some states have rejected it and a few states are still unsure. You may be wondering why we need Common Core. The answer is simple, if you agree with Margaret Mead that all children should be taught how to think. Common Core is mostly about children using their critical and analytical skills. This process may be foreign to many, but is not it worth a try.
Even for those who are reluctant about implementing Common Core, we all can agree that the current curriculum is not preparing children for college or careers. This is evident because students are scoring historically low on state assessments and college entrance exams. The number of students who have to take remedial courses prior to college level courses are countless. Many say, “States are just pushing for Common Core just to receive more federal dollars.” There are pros and cons with everything. Let us stop and think what is best for the children. It should not matter about the money in this case, the only thing that matters is “does this better a child’s chance at life long success?”
So I pose the question again, “do you agree with Margaret Mead that all children should be taught how to think?” Teaching children to memorize words does not foster marketable employees. Teaching children how to think about a concept and apply it to the real world fosters marketable employees. Let us come together and support Common Core to ensure that children will have all the necessary skills needed for life long success. Margaret Mead also said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
By Lori Liggins
Categories: Common Core Implementation
Thank you for making a fantastic case for Common Core. People are so focused on dollars and political ties that they are missing the true revolution of instructional strategies and thinking fostered by CCSS. So well said Lori!!!
The examples you give of good education have already been used for years by experienced teachers, and have nothing to do with Common Core. And the example you gave of poor education has been shunned by good teachers for as many years. We don’t need a developmentally inappropriate curriculum to make teachers change. We need experienced teachers.
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I agree that we need experienced teachers. And true, the specific examples mentioned are not common core specific. BUT they are strategies encouraged by common core, so by extension the hope is that adopting the standards would encourage more of this type of teaching, thereby improving the quality of our teaching force.
“Now, does this process work in most cases, yes but what have the students learn other than memorization?” I am so glad SCORE is linking to this post. I hope SCORE’s readers can spot the many grammatical errors. This does more harm than good for the common core cause, I think- which is fine with me!
How exactly does grammar in a piece by a teacher damage common core?
I believe what you’re trying to imply is that poor grammar somehow negates the arguments of this teacher. If so I think your focus is off. Grammar aside, the actual nature of the argument is what we should discuss. If we’re going to judge a policy primarily by the grammar used to discuss it rather than the actual argument, we have truly regressed to a much lower level of public discourse than I ever though possible. Let’s laud those teachers that actually have the courage to express them self in writing rather than criticize their message for a couple of grammatical questions.
I might agree with you, if it weren’t for the fact that this is an English teacher.
So you’re sticking with your previous statement that grammar discounts the entire argument. Too bad that grammar discounts substance because I’m sure we’ve all made a similar mistake grammatically when making an argument. Guess we might have been wrong after all, albeit on a technicality.
A wise thought process in regards to a reader critiquing the ideas and actions of others, is to not attack the person but what they are saying, She is explaining the process of her classroom and strategies that she has been taught in order to effectively teach the common core standard. The ENTIRE point is that she has used the common core standards to change her teaching skills and adapt her student’s thinking in order to become an effective teacher and better herself and her students. And on a side note, she has 99% proficiency on state exams. No one says teachers are perfect in every aspect of their career.