So, the new core (aka the Common Core) has been implemented this year in the school district I teach in. The standards for Language Arts have not changed that much from what we had previously, but apparently, the standards for math and science are very different. From the math I have seen for my own daughter it is more challenging, but I have heard arguments that the standards are too easy or too weird for some students. My confusion comes with all of the arguments against the common core, and the parents who do not want their children to take the SAGE tests, which are basically the end of level testing that the students have been completing for years.
The tests this year are new and different in the sense that they are computer adaptive. The students are given a question and then the next question they get is easier or harder based on whether or not they answered correctly. Apparently some parents are concerned with this type of testing because they feel their students are too young to be tested in this way. My question is, at what age should we start testing them? I feel that kindergarten is a young age to start, but when do we start? When do we expect our students/children to become critical thinkers and start thinking on their own? How long do we continue with the traditions we have and not try new testing methods or challenge our students to think on their own?
For years I have felt that I am simply spoon-feeding my students, and it seems to be getting worse. They want the A without the work that goes with it. If I tell them to read a chapter in a book as homework and complete study questions to go along with it, I am lucky if I get 1% of my students who complete the assignment. The others just figure that I'll go over the answers in class with them so they don't need to do the work on their own. They also don't want to give support for their answers. They want to say "Because" and that should be good enough for me. Heaven forbid that they cite a source that supports their reasoning, or that they even find a source that supports their reasoning.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love teaching, but I really feel that change is necessary, and the Common Core is pushing our students to that change. They can no longer just take a guess on a multiple choice test and get the answer right. They have to actually read the material on the tests and think about their response In fact, they actually have to type in some responses and explain their reasoning. In short, we are making them think and explain their thinking. We are teaching them to be critical thinkers, and to be prepared for something beyond high school. There are problems with the test; for example, it is very subjective, and I'm not sure that a computer can really grade a subjective test. However, I like that it is asking the students to explain and support their answers. I like that they have to look at multiple sources and use those sources to support their answers. I like that they are being challenged, and they have to think about what they are reading before they respond.
In short, I am in favor of this change in education and testing. The Common Core is not the evil that some people are making it out to be. The Government is not trying to collect data or DNA from our students. They are not asking how much money we make, how many toilets are in our homes, or what kind of music we listen to. They already know all this any way. The Common Core is supported by the Government, and funded by the Government, but it is not some conspiracy to turn our students into robots. It is a movement to prepare our students for higher level education and careers. Because of what we are doing in our schools now, our students will be better leaders in the future.
