Learned about this blog post via the Curriculum Matters column at Education Week. If you only read one of these Common Core links, read this one. A perfect blend of humor and insight.

Do you think the Common Core will lead to these types of questions in our classrooms? I certainly hope so.

What's that Olivia Newton John song? "Let's get political?" I can't remember. Either way, if you're planning to vote November 6 (and I desperately hope that you are), this is a must read. Getting the candidates to talk about education is always a challenge. 2012 is no exception. It's quite interesting to read Governor Romney's quotes on the Common Core, and specifically on standardized testing. President Obama is discussed briefly, too, although he doesn't seem to have too much to say on the education topic either. I'll leave it at that!

This grammar practice site was mentioned in the Huffington Post article above. Looks like a very interesting option. 

What is your school's plan for addressing the Language standards? Interesting article here.

We are all for critical discussion of the CCSS. This includes criticism. But when folks take a leap and just start bashing the Common Core, that seems...unproductive. Couldn't help but comment on this Washington Post article. Maybe you will comment, too. 

A quote from the article..."Adult literacy in 2012 means being able to synthesize information from multiple online sources to write a blog post or substantive email. It means analyzing which online tools will best serve your communications purpose. It means making smart decisions about what information is useful online, and how to curate and filter the endless stream of data coming in. It means reviewing your digital footprint and learning how to take some control over what information you broadcast to the world, from your tweets, profile pictures, and recommended links. While the common core addresses some of the above skills, its guidance is far too vague, especially for those teachers who are uncomfortable with new technologies." So true.

Two FREE webinars about the Common Core math standards are coming up. We're presenting, the great folks at TenMarks are sponsoring. It's going to be good. And practical. And informative. (This concludes our shamless self-promotion...did I mention they're FREE? Ok, now I'm done.)

If I could recommend reading one piece about how to implement the Common Core, it might be this one by Wiggins and McTighe. Their approach has framed a lot of what I'm working on with my own school, and I think other schools could benefit from knowing more about the role UbD can play in the CCSS transition.

I really like the approach of breaking down the process of creating book trailers into steps, and noting how each step aligns with the CCSS. This post offers a gold mine of ideas for going beyond trailer creation, too.

This well written article challenges in detail 8 concerns about the  CCSS that were raised in a recent Washington Post article.

If you love learning about the CCSS, this blog is for you. It has it all.

Looking for non-fiction texts for your classroom because you know you need to incorporate more of them in your teaching? This is a great place to start.

More on argument...this does a good job of clarifying the critical differences between persuasion and argument.

This issue features ways to integrate primary sources and how this can align with the CCSS.

This site, launched recently by ASCD, is one you've got to spend some time exploring. As you would expect from an ASCD production, it's incredibly well-designed and contains a wealth of useful resources and tools.

Dave (@davestuartjr on twitter) has a great blog that we've featured here before. This activity suggestion could be adapted for a wide range of grades, and it definitely puts the idea of argument in the spotlight from day one.

What do you think...is there something we can learn from this poll about common standards?

While this isn't technically a post about the Common Core, in it Bill Ferriter does raise some excellent questions about curriculum that I think educators need to think about as they make the CCSS transition.

If you live in a PARCC state, that organization is in the process of releasing item and task "prototypes." This is what educators have been waiting for. Is this what the tests will really end up looking like???