VitaLearn Common Core

What schools really need isn’t more nonfiction but better nonfiction, especially that which provides good models for student writing

teachers can find complex, literary works in collections like “The Best American Science and Nature Writing,” on many newspaper Web sites, which have begun providing online lesson plans using articles for younger readers, and on ProPublica.org. Last year, The Atlantic compiled examples of the year’s best journalism, and The Daily Beast has its feature “Longreads.” Longform.org not only has “best of” contemporary selections but also historical examples dating back decades.

student choice in the product and caters to different modalities. And each highlights the ability to communicate content over the simple regurgitation of learned information.

The Common Core standards don’t just suggest novel technology use as a way to “engage students,” but rather requires learners to make complex decisions about how, when, and why to use technology–something educators must do as well.

While the long-term impact of these standards on learning is obviously unknown, the impetus—and potential—of meaningful technology integration into learning in K-12 schools in the United States has never been higher.