I have decided to start this blog not only for those I am leaving behind while I'm student teaching in Australia but also as a journal for myself. So with that in mind, bear with me when I go into more day to day adventures rather than the larger Australia adventure.
With that in mind, we will begin in Chinook. This is my student teaching for the next 4 weeks which means early mornings and a 20 minute drive. Today was my first unofficial day and it was comprised of a presentation of the basics of the new common core standards. These standards are meant to prepare children for college because, surprise surprise, teaching for the test is failing our future generations. According to the new standards, students are two years below what was once consider normal! Let me give you an example: If a 5th grade student was reading at a 5th grade level by the old standards this was considered normal, by the new standards they are consider at what is expected of 3rd graders. Terrifying isn't it! The new standards are all about focusing on skills and content needed in higher education in order to succeed. These are to be taught by applying them to life, which to me seems like it should have to be pointed out. To me it feels like common knowledge that students learn better if they can see the bigger picture, beyond the classroom and they become interested when they learn that this material applies to their lives directly. This entire meeting was a bout the new common core standards and it seemed rather daunting until I realized that I have been taught to teach science by inquiry, so this should be a breeze. Right? Guess we will have to wait and see about that.
