You may have heard the rumblings of panic recently over the new K-12 curriculum standards known as the Common Core. You may have read laments about how great literature will soon be dropped by American schools in favor of informational texts, intended to prepare students for the workforce — such as “Invasive Plant Inventory” by the California Invasive Plant Council.
It’s an irresistable story: a tale of mindless bureaucrats, shortsighted goals, and absurd educational fads. But it isn’t true.
Comments
Is the confusion over the standards an indication that even teachers don't read all the way through a document before commenting on it? Kind of ironic, if that's the case, because my take on this is that the language arts standards propose a framework by which students read increasingly complex texts, and learn how to evaluate, discuss and present their thoughts both orally and in writing.
You don't have to look too far to see that there are a whole lot of people who have trouble articulating their opinions and end up regurgitating those of others (without proper attribution). We need to make sure our children know how to use and apply critical thought processes, as well as how to present their opinions logically, and backed up with a with solid rationale.