Common Core does not allow for the differences we all have in looking at a problem. When we do math, we do not need to be writing long stories about how we got the results. The results are the end to choosing the right tool from our math “toolbox” that we have success and confidence in using.
The over-testing of our youth only pushes for the “teaching to the test” way too much. Our youth today need the teacher to be able to monitor and adjust to their needs. In the past, this was done almost daily by many in the educational field.
Too many tests take away from time that could be spent on hands-on projects using their new information and skills. Results could come from woodworking, art projects, drafting drawings for a house or fort, chipping arrowheads, and many other feel-good projects. Even outdoor and physical education time could be used to show measuring and observation skills.
Our teachers today are professionals, so why are they being used and treated as robots to administer the “leave no child behind” tests with poorly applied thinking?
Talk to engineers, architects, builders and designers and you will hear how they use their “toolboxes” wisely.
