Travis Dalsis--Reflecting on the Common Core Standards

Travis Dalsis

LITR 585

Eastern Michigan University

Dr. Daumer and Dr. Baker

4 March 2012

"The Common Core Standards: How to Interpret is the Key"

As an educator, I highly agree that reform in education is something that should be a "living document."  Like any other field, when progress is not being made, areas can begin to stangnate and be rendered ineffective.

However, the common core standards do not address pedagogical aspects of learning; it responds to the question: "What should my kids be learning?"  With that being said, I believe the more something becomes steamlined, the more vague it must become to be as inclusive as possible.

The old Grade Level Content Expectations addressed a very important element: metacognition--how should we teach students to think about their learning processes?  The new standards do not address this explicitly.  This then may be overlooked.  I know that when I teach my students "how to read critically," I refer back to the metacognitive standards in the GLCE's.

What are the metacognitive standards that are going by the wayside?

R.MT.08.01 self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to text by automatically applying and discussing the strategies used by mature readers to increase comprehension including: predicting, constructing mental images, visually representing ideas in text, questioning, rereading or listening again if uncertain about meaning, inferring, summarizing, and engaging in interpretive discussions.

As we start to examine the idea of reading, this eighth grade glce addresses a very important part of being a skilled, successful reader--strategies. 

-predicting

-teaching visualizing

-visually representing ideas (perhaps a group exercise or diagram)

-questioning

-rereading

-inferring

-summarizing

-interpreting and discussing interpretations

These are the key words and elements of this glce.  Doing away with this gcle means that these strategies will not be part of the state's benchmark for teaching.

As a teacher, I really like this glce because it helps me to see that having kids read and do the "textual evidencing" is a process that utilizes many of these strategies beforehand.

I think the new common core standards are missing an important element.