Okay, I know we've been in the midst of Common Core Curriculum, and I promise to get BACK to that ASAP. But I need to take a moment and talk about students. It seems sad that STUDENTS are 'off-topic' when talking about CCC or any other curriculum, but sometimes it seems like the students are a side story.
I opened my small local newspaper to a story about crimes committed in our town and some arrests made. Without giving any big details, I noted (as I, sadly, often do) that one of the students involved in this crime is an ex-student of mine. Now I know that doesn't do much for my credentials as a teacher, but the truth is, I see ex-students in the arrest record more often than I'd like to admit. The sad part is I am rarely surprised. When I knew these students many years ago, we all knew they were on negative paths. Sadly, we tried many interventions, many programs, many things to try and re-route these troubled children, but they all had ONE THING in common. Their parents were troubled and off-track, as well. For example, on one occasion, I had a young student whose mother clearly had major drug problems, to the point that we wouldn't let her drive her son home from a conference. Is it any surprise, fifteen years later, that her son is arrested for drug possession? I HATE that it is so predictable, yet we seem so impotent to stop these horrible family traditions. It breaks my heart. I could tell you two dozen stories like that one. All predictable. Sometimes, when I hear of an arrest and they give the age, I try to guess who it might be. I know these ticking bombs. I know these children, while they look like adults, are stunted and poised for bad decisions. It's a horrible and sad thing.
I have another ex-student whose mother was barely in her twenties when she came to the conferences. She was so proud of her smart, high-achieving daughter. You see, she had birthed this girl when she was only thirteen, and she was DETERMINED that her child would finish school and go to college. Yet, sadly, her daughter ended up having four children before she graduated from high school. I know that situation broke my heart AND her mother's heart. In this situation, EVEN THIS MOTHER wanted to break the pattern, she wanted to help her daughter so something different, and, of course, so did her support system of teachers, so WHY WASN'T IT ENOUGH?
Now, I do have some awesome kids who have broken out. One boy who works in the community had so much trouble in school, honestly struggled though he tried, so I always worried that he would be vulnerable to less desirable 'career' options in crime. However, he is a stand-up, hard-working, beloved citizen of our town. I wonder what he thinks when he sees classmates who made 'Easy As' grow up and go to jail while he struggled for a C, and now he's the most successful of that bunch. And why are they so often boys?
All I know is someone somewhere made a difference in the life of that last boy. Try to be that difference. Know the children in your world. I know some situations seem so destined for tragedy, but maybe a word from one person could change all that. DARE to speak up. DARE to have high expectations of our young people. Reach out with a smile, a handshake. Take the time to learn the names of the kids who hang out in your neighborhood. Ask them what they're reading. Ask them about school. Encourage them.
CCC is here. It's happening. It's something we all need to know about and be aware of. But no curriculum, no plan, no dynamic Federally funded ANYTHING will take the place of community. NOTHING can replace the power of expectation. RELATIONSHIPS will always yield power and influence in the lives of young people.
My Mission Statement
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Common Core Curriculum Kindergarten Unit 6 WONDERS OF NATURE: Plants, Bugs, and Frogs
We now enter the last unit of the Common Core Curriculum for Kindergarten Language Arts. What a run ride it has been! It ALMOST makes me want to teacher kindergarteners again. (Almost. Kindergarten, IMHO, is the HARDEST YEAR EVER to teach. The cuteness factor is a total distraction...so I applaud all the great kindergarten teachers out there --with a special shout out to June Proctor, Jennifer Bass, Lisa Leary, and Lori Willis).
When I read the title of this unit, I thought, "FINALLY!" The other units have all been terrific and can certainly be applied in a way that appeals to all students, but this title is the first one that I KNOW would excite my boys. What a wonderful way to end the year and start off a summer of self-exploration and independent play!
My boys have always loved nonfiction, from the very beginning, and this unit gives ample opportunity for children to fall in love with nonfiction. Of course, there are PLENTY of fiction tie-ins with "Plants, Bugs, and Frogs", as well. Teachers will reinforce CAUSE AND EFFECT and COMPARE AND CONTRAST---what better lesson to do with plants? Students will begin to 'dictate a narrative', re-tell through writing and/or artwork. Students begin to read more books independently while teacher continue to share read-alouds. This age is GOLDEN for picture books, and PB writers everywhere know that.
So what kind of books will the teachers need for this unit?
**NON-FICTION books for 5-6 year-olds to read INDEPENDENTLY. Librarians and teachers have long told me that there is a huge shortage in this category. The Common Core Curriculum will demand even more non-fiction texts geared toward our younger set. The opportunities abound for a nonfiction picture book that includes any aspect of 'Plants, Bugs, and Frogs'. The possibilities are endless. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this 'need', and I have a half-dozen ideas swirling around even as I write it. I KNOW my boys would have loved more books in this genre.
**FICTION (especially read aloud) books that include 'Plants, Bugs and Frogs', especially if the characters demonstrate some valid characteristics of the creature. For example, I'm sure it's fun for a frog to hang his clothes on a froggy clothesline. However, couldn't we come up with something that is instructional and fun? (and with a bit of authenticity?) Instead of 'fried rice' for lunch, couldn't a frog enjoy some 'fried lice'? It's a tiny thing, but it provokes curiousity, giggles, and even a bit of recall about the eating habits of a frog.
**NON-FICTION poetry. I love this genre. I think a rollicking, rhythmic poem peppered with facts and details about ANYTHING is a great way to learn. I'm a big fan of memorizing poetry, and wouldn't this unit be an awesome place to do it? This category is another one I can't wait to try.
Yahoo! We've now finished KINDERGARTEN!!! The Common Core Curriculum for Kindergarten exploded with needs and ideas for savvy writers. I hope you're taking notes and brainstorming because opportunity abounds!
When I read the title of this unit, I thought, "FINALLY!" The other units have all been terrific and can certainly be applied in a way that appeals to all students, but this title is the first one that I KNOW would excite my boys. What a wonderful way to end the year and start off a summer of self-exploration and independent play!
My boys have always loved nonfiction, from the very beginning, and this unit gives ample opportunity for children to fall in love with nonfiction. Of course, there are PLENTY of fiction tie-ins with "Plants, Bugs, and Frogs", as well. Teachers will reinforce CAUSE AND EFFECT and COMPARE AND CONTRAST---what better lesson to do with plants? Students will begin to 'dictate a narrative', re-tell through writing and/or artwork. Students begin to read more books independently while teacher continue to share read-alouds. This age is GOLDEN for picture books, and PB writers everywhere know that.
So what kind of books will the teachers need for this unit?
**NON-FICTION books for 5-6 year-olds to read INDEPENDENTLY. Librarians and teachers have long told me that there is a huge shortage in this category. The Common Core Curriculum will demand even more non-fiction texts geared toward our younger set. The opportunities abound for a nonfiction picture book that includes any aspect of 'Plants, Bugs, and Frogs'. The possibilities are endless. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this 'need', and I have a half-dozen ideas swirling around even as I write it. I KNOW my boys would have loved more books in this genre.
**FICTION (especially read aloud) books that include 'Plants, Bugs and Frogs', especially if the characters demonstrate some valid characteristics of the creature. For example, I'm sure it's fun for a frog to hang his clothes on a froggy clothesline. However, couldn't we come up with something that is instructional and fun? (and with a bit of authenticity?) Instead of 'fried rice' for lunch, couldn't a frog enjoy some 'fried lice'? It's a tiny thing, but it provokes curiousity, giggles, and even a bit of recall about the eating habits of a frog.
**NON-FICTION poetry. I love this genre. I think a rollicking, rhythmic poem peppered with facts and details about ANYTHING is a great way to learn. I'm a big fan of memorizing poetry, and wouldn't this unit be an awesome place to do it? This category is another one I can't wait to try.
Yahoo! We've now finished KINDERGARTEN!!! The Common Core Curriculum for Kindergarten exploded with needs and ideas for savvy writers. I hope you're taking notes and brainstorming because opportunity abounds!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Common Core Curriculum Kindergarten Unit 5
My son came home from school yesterday. He said, "Guess what, Mom, big news." I waited for the big news. "The End of Grade tests don't really matter this year. They can't grade them until October."
"What?" I asked. Sadly, EOGs are all parents hear about this time of year, so it seemed odd that the whole thing was derailed. "Are you sure?" He seemed sure, but I still haven't heard anything officially, so who knows. But this is what really caught my attention, "Mom, how will they know whether or not I can go to the fifth grade?"
Yikes! This kid really thinks that no matter what he does ALL YEAR, it is only the EOG that matters? I explained to him that his hard work all year will surely take him safely to the 5th grade. "What about all the kids who don't try until the EOG? Lots of kids just rely on the EOG."
Wow. So believe you me, I know your skepticism. I know your concerns. I know your reluctance to invest your time and energy into yet another educational 'trend' like the Common Core Curriculum. But here's the thing--the children need our BEST EFFORTS. All the time. No matter what happened last year or last month or who isn't going to grade the tests until October (???? This is probably a rumor). So let's take a look at the next Kindergarten unit for Language Arts.
THE GREAT BIG WORLD In this fifth six-week unit of kindergarten, students focus on the difference a setting can make in the creation of a story.
Writers and illustrators everywhere are trembling with excitement at this unit. We know setting is IMPORTANT. We also know setting can be fun and interesting and educational and thought-provoking---all before the story even begins.
Students will learn to identify the parts of a story--characters, settings, and major events. They will be able to compare and contrast characters, events and settings. They will connect events with their own experiences. They will utilize conventions of Standard English and spelling in order to tell stories of their own.
I am currently working on a nonfiction picture book about a significant historical figure. The setting is EVERYTHING. If he had been born earlier or later or in another region, his life would have been completely different. This unit is a great opportunity to learn the relevance of the parts of the story. What if the THREE LITTLE PIGS had lived in condos? What if LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD had taken the subway instead of an obscure path through the woods? What if George Washington had cut down a cherry tree TODAY in a historic district? What if the Wright Brothers had performed their top secret flight research in today's media culture? What if Anne Frank had a cellphone or twitter?
The possibilities for wondering are ENDLESS. What fun!
To me, this unit is particularly well suited to the following kinds of books:
1. Historical fiction/nonfiction. Necessity IS the mother of invention.
2. Books will simple story lines that can be 'retold' as an exercise in a different setting. Fractured fairy tales. Unfortunately, our children don't seem to know the old fairy tales so well, so the fractured can fall flat. Be careful there.
3. Stories and books that show how technology has changed lives--for good and otherwise.
4. Books that take a common childhood theme and twist it, especially if it is the setting that is twisted.
I don't know about you writer friends, but this unit makes me want to write, write, write! So get to it, friends.
"What?" I asked. Sadly, EOGs are all parents hear about this time of year, so it seemed odd that the whole thing was derailed. "Are you sure?" He seemed sure, but I still haven't heard anything officially, so who knows. But this is what really caught my attention, "Mom, how will they know whether or not I can go to the fifth grade?"
Yikes! This kid really thinks that no matter what he does ALL YEAR, it is only the EOG that matters? I explained to him that his hard work all year will surely take him safely to the 5th grade. "What about all the kids who don't try until the EOG? Lots of kids just rely on the EOG."
Wow. So believe you me, I know your skepticism. I know your concerns. I know your reluctance to invest your time and energy into yet another educational 'trend' like the Common Core Curriculum. But here's the thing--the children need our BEST EFFORTS. All the time. No matter what happened last year or last month or who isn't going to grade the tests until October (???? This is probably a rumor). So let's take a look at the next Kindergarten unit for Language Arts.
THE GREAT BIG WORLD In this fifth six-week unit of kindergarten, students focus on the difference a setting can make in the creation of a story.
Writers and illustrators everywhere are trembling with excitement at this unit. We know setting is IMPORTANT. We also know setting can be fun and interesting and educational and thought-provoking---all before the story even begins.
Students will learn to identify the parts of a story--characters, settings, and major events. They will be able to compare and contrast characters, events and settings. They will connect events with their own experiences. They will utilize conventions of Standard English and spelling in order to tell stories of their own.
I am currently working on a nonfiction picture book about a significant historical figure. The setting is EVERYTHING. If he had been born earlier or later or in another region, his life would have been completely different. This unit is a great opportunity to learn the relevance of the parts of the story. What if the THREE LITTLE PIGS had lived in condos? What if LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD had taken the subway instead of an obscure path through the woods? What if George Washington had cut down a cherry tree TODAY in a historic district? What if the Wright Brothers had performed their top secret flight research in today's media culture? What if Anne Frank had a cellphone or twitter?
The possibilities for wondering are ENDLESS. What fun!
To me, this unit is particularly well suited to the following kinds of books:
1. Historical fiction/nonfiction. Necessity IS the mother of invention.
2. Books will simple story lines that can be 'retold' as an exercise in a different setting. Fractured fairy tales. Unfortunately, our children don't seem to know the old fairy tales so well, so the fractured can fall flat. Be careful there.
3. Stories and books that show how technology has changed lives--for good and otherwise.
4. Books that take a common childhood theme and twist it, especially if it is the setting that is twisted.
I don't know about you writer friends, but this unit makes me want to write, write, write! So get to it, friends.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Feedback on the Common Core Curriculum from a master teacher
It’s a good time for us to hear from another teacher. While we are still ‘in kindergarten’, the following teacher survey is from a 3rd grade teacher in a public school environment. However, she has been very involved in CCC. As a former teacher myself, I notice all the rumbling about CCC. Lots of teachers have been very outspoken in their disdain for it. Or at least that’s how it seems, at first. Actually, I think teachers are expressing the same thing they have struggled with for years---too many responsibilities, too little time, too little help, and too many changes coming down the pike every few years. I was relieved to hear (not to spoil the ending) that this teacher seems to think the CCC is here for a while. IMHO, simply sticking with one curriculum and honing it will be an improvement over ANYTHING, as opposed to changing gears too often.
Read carefully. This teacher is truly a master teacher, and her opinion means a great deal to me. She is one of the many teachers that I worry we will lose due to frustration and overwhelming work load. She is brilliant, talented, and gifted in the classroom, and it would be an enormous loss to let someone of her caliber get away. Perhaps, the CCC will have some staying power, and that fact alone will give the teachers some relief and security.
Now let’s hear from this awesome educator.
Summarize the Common Core Curriculum in 1-3 sentences.
The Common Core State Standards initiative was designed to create college and career ready students. The majority of states have adopted these language arts and math standards.
What kind of training have you received and do you expect to receive on the Common Core Curriculum?
I have spent every workday this school year studying the Common Core Curriculum, especially for language arts.
Last year, I co-chaired the curriculum committee at my school and we studied math and language arts K-2.
I am currently reading Pathways to the Common Core and creating integrated units to address third grade standards.
How will the changes affect teachers, students and librarians on a daily basis?
The Common Core Curriculum, nor any other curriculum, is going to make a big enough change without us making some structural changes. We have students with extreme, diverse needs and one teacher is supposed to address the needs from students with severe learning disabilities to incredibly gifted.
I have a teaching assistant for thirty minutes a day!
How can writers of children’s literature help support the Common Core Curriculum?
There is a huge need for informational text rich in text features at early reading levels. Another genre we have difficulty finding children’s literature at an early reading level is mythology (and this is in the 3rd grade CCSS).
What new resources are needed to support this curriculum?
Schools, in our area at least, were not given textbook funds so there is little if any funds to order the literature to support the CCSS.
And with the increased focus on technology (insert eye roll), book funds, instructional supplies and resources, and professional development are often cut.
Most teachers I know spend a huge amount of their personal money on books for instructional purposes.
In your opinion, is the CCC just another passing fad, or do you think it will be around for a while?
They will be around for a while. The consortium creating assessments won’t even be in place until next year.
Do you have any recommended reading on this subject?
-ironically a recent post was about children’s lit
-under “Our Favorites” there are a couple different CCSS links
Pathways to the Common Core-Lucy Calkins,…
Thank you ALL for your participation in the surveys. MORE TO COME!
But first, back to kindergarten!
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Isabel by Donna Jones Koppelman
Major Bear at the Grove Park Inn by Donna Jones Koppelman
