CCSS-Mind Control

CCSS-Mind Control

Just heard some NPR converage of CCSS yesterday.  http://www.npr.org/2013/07/23/204516709/teachers-hit-the-books-to-master-new-education-standards

They were reporting on the East coast teacher development.  It scared me a bit.  They said teachers were planning to teach fewer titles and go more deeply into them.  Also that they weren't going to spend so much time in prereading activities.  I think they are getting away from the idea that teachers can choose how to reach the standards.  This sounds like heavy handed control of curriculum & instruction.  (Also--somewhat in direct opposition to what we know about the importance of background knowledge to comprehension.  Starting students cold in a book with only widen the achievement gap!  The kids who don't come from white upper/middle class homes are going to sink in this approach to CCSS)

Right now my Advanced Content Literacy course is reading some YA books related to an inquiry unit on media effects on society.  The books we're using probably wouldn't make it into the curriculum if we only had 2 books to teach in a semester.  I'm pretty certain "they'd" choose ​The Great Gatsby ​instead!

The books we're using are  

• The Carbon Diaries:2015 , by Scai Lloyd
• The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
• Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray

One of the things I am pretty convinced of is that too often we bore students by taking too long with particular books or units.  Our students are used to fast-paced lives.  I can't imagine being forced to tear apart a book that I hate for months!

I suppose I should add a comment to the NPR website on this!