Last weekend, my husband's favorite Canadian cousins were visiting. They came off the Celebrity Summit after a week-long cruise to Bermuda and then they drove from New Jersey to visit us here in Melville. We had a great time with Cousins Nick and Linda (as we always do!) we went out East and visited the wineries and the farm stands and Claudio's in Greenport. We shopped and ate and ate and ate! One thing we always do when they visit is go to Costco. My husband and I are nothing if not the ever accommodating hosts, so we have no problem doing something so banal, but always wonder why Linda, in particular, a Canadian educator herself, now a principal in one of Toronto's elementary schools, simply says, I want to see what's different - what you've got here that we don't have in Toronto! We have different stuff?? We do? Interesting. So aisle by aisle she points out and occasionally grabs and puts in her cart, things she can't get at home, because they are new, "cool" or just "different." So human. So shopperly. I was proud.
Difference. Different. Those words have had me thinking about something that worries me and bothers me and confuses me all at once. Now you see, I like the idea of Common Core. According to corestandards.org, High standards that are consistent across states provide teachers, parents, and students with a set of clear expectations to ensure that all students have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life upon graduation from high school, regardless of where they live. I like the idea that our 50 (okay, 43 right now) United States, plus all of our territories and protectorates and whatever else it will extend to will have the same basic set of skills, knowledge and information on which our children can base their lives. The roll out was pretty poorly done, the testing is kind of scary, but the central idea is still one worth having and working towards. However, I do not think that means that we have to homogenize and can "lessons" and "modules" down to scripted daily nuggets. Lock-step teaching never made a very creative classroom or very happy teachers or students.
This also made me consider the Costo-ing of America or, if you'd rather, the Bed, Bath and Beyond-ing of America. Today if your kid is going off to college in St Louis or Alaska or Michigan or any school at all, you can bop into your local BBB and do all of your shopping in this zip code and then magically pick it up in the zip code of your student's college. Unreal. The schlepping my parents did in 1985! Speaking of 1985 and before, I used to drive to Vermont for ski holidays with friends and we'd stop at all kinds of fun and unique places to stay, eat, and visit on the way. Today, when my husband and I do the same trip, from the same general locale (yes, I live about 15 miles from my undergrad alma mater) we see this: a massive shopping center that contains Home Dept or Lowes, TJ Maxx (or Marshalls or Homegoods) a Bed Bath and Beyond, Michael's Crafts, one Petstore (Pet Smart or Petco), Staples, and other more regionally recognized stores. Usually there will be a freestanding Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, Red Robin, Houlihans or Chillis possibly a Cracker Barrel. These "shopping centers" are spaced with some regularity along the highways and there are signs for other, less visible ones as well. Don't forget the ever present Target, Wal-Mart or K-Mart-anchored centers as well, which are similar but usually have less high-end stores that complete their "mall package." Oh, and this doesn't include the Macy's-Bloomingdales-Nordstroms-Neimans-Saks "super malls" with high-end stores that are also sandwiched in there.
This also made me consider the Costo-ing of America or, if you'd rather, the Bed, Bath and Beyond-ing of America. Today if your kid is going off to college in St Louis or Alaska or Michigan or any school at all, you can bop into your local BBB and do all of your shopping in this zip code and then magically pick it up in the zip code of your student's college. Unreal. The schlepping my parents did in 1985! Speaking of 1985 and before, I used to drive to Vermont for ski holidays with friends and we'd stop at all kinds of fun and unique places to stay, eat, and visit on the way. Today, when my husband and I do the same trip, from the same general locale (yes, I live about 15 miles from my undergrad alma mater) we see this: a massive shopping center that contains Home Dept or Lowes, TJ Maxx (or Marshalls or Homegoods) a Bed Bath and Beyond, Michael's Crafts, one Petstore (Pet Smart or Petco), Staples, and other more regionally recognized stores. Usually there will be a freestanding Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, Red Robin, Houlihans or Chillis possibly a Cracker Barrel. These "shopping centers" are spaced with some regularity along the highways and there are signs for other, less visible ones as well. Don't forget the ever present Target, Wal-Mart or K-Mart-anchored centers as well, which are similar but usually have less high-end stores that complete their "mall package." Oh, and this doesn't include the Macy's-Bloomingdales-Nordstroms-Neimans-Saks "super malls" with high-end stores that are also sandwiched in there.
Now, I confess, I am a shopper. I enjoy shopping. Shoes, clothes, bags, house stuff, HBA, groceries, knick-knacks, craft stuff, birthday presents, dog stuff, baby clothes for friends, wedding gifts, I don't care. My husband will tell you two things about my shopping. One, if shopping were an Olympic event, I'd undoubtedly win the gold medal; and two, I would never, ever say a bad word about shopping. (Possibly, maybe, a third thing, "that if a thief stole her credit card, he or she would spend less than Audra does" - if he were paying bills the day you asked him about my shopping.)
Whew! Are you still reading?
Whew! Are you still reading?
All of this brings me to an actual point. As much as I like teaching, as much as I like the Common Core, and for that matter, as much as I like shopping, I don't like homogeneity. I like diversity. In thoughts, music, books, art, decor, stores, design, food, people, friends, colleagues, students. I am concerned that in our effort to make everything politically correct, or equal and fair, we are draining our society of it's ability to be unique and funky. We are disabling our students' ability to find creative outlets for their abilities by cramming them into the one size fits all mold of tests and modules. Can't they be "judged" on their beautiful art projects or that amazing game they coded in my SCRATCH class? What about the solo they sang in the chorus concert or that amazing trumpet solo for band? Can't we teach the same topics and the same curriculum without the need to make it scripted like the layout of a US Costco or one of those wacky malls? The answer is my hopeful squeak of a "Yes!" I see teachers in the schools in which I work taking those state scripted math modules and turn them upside down with creativity. I see our teachers teaching like pirates by writing on the floors, doors and windows of their classrooms! (Literally, with markers!)
I know that with the institutionalization of Common Core it would be easy for many educators to rest on their laurels and follow the modules and the scripted lessons and whatever other guides are available to them, and beyond that, nothing. Simply teach to the test that is composed of questions,as is the case on any standardized test, questions which vary widely in their difficulty and are not created by the people who teach the students day in and day out. These points make it hard to fight the machine that has become the face of Common Core. This could be defeating and depressing. But I see it another way: the Common Core is just another framework within which a teacher can show his or her genius of craft. We have survived other education methods (remember whole language and multiple intelligences, and so forth - we still use pieces of these) and framed them with our creativity and experience, we will do the same with the Common Core. Making it less common and more crafty, less Costco and more trendy boutique.
I know that with the institutionalization of Common Core it would be easy for many educators to rest on their laurels and follow the modules and the scripted lessons and whatever other guides are available to them, and beyond that, nothing. Simply teach to the test that is composed of questions,as is the case on any standardized test, questions which vary widely in their difficulty and are not created by the people who teach the students day in and day out. These points make it hard to fight the machine that has become the face of Common Core. This could be defeating and depressing. But I see it another way: the Common Core is just another framework within which a teacher can show his or her genius of craft. We have survived other education methods (remember whole language and multiple intelligences, and so forth - we still use pieces of these) and framed them with our creativity and experience, we will do the same with the Common Core. Making it less common and more crafty, less Costco and more trendy boutique.