CCSS-K12

Useful tip sheets provided and summarized here for school boards, superintendents, principals and teachers for implementation of the CCSS. I wonder how many schools/districts haven't even started yet. Hopefully not many.

Interesting 14 minute video from Teaching Channel. Worth a look if you are a K-5 teacher.

great intro to CCSS

Are you following the Burkins & Yaris blog yet? You should be. Every post is an insightful look at some aspect of the ELA Common Core. This post asks whether shorter texts should play a part in reading instruction. Their answer? A resounding "yes."

I haven't explored this a great deal. But from what I can tell is that they've collected resources, games, and hands on activities. Also looks like printables are available, too.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.)

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. 

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!

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

This looks potentially awesome. A rubric creation tool that's fully customizable and CCSS aligned. Check this out and let us know what you think!

Hat tip to Vicki Davis for bringing this article to my attention. More proof that ALL voices from all sides need to be heard as we move forward.

Yet another collection of high quality, well organized resources from a state department of education. This math toolbox is not to be missed, whether you live in Twin Falls or beyond! (That's in Idaho.)

This is a pretty hefty read, but an important one. Regular readers know how concerned we are with issues regarding the achievement gap. If the Common Core widens the gap...that's not good, to say the least.

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???