All this said, here is the link to UDL so you can follow. If it makes better sense to you, by all means let me know http://www.udlcenter.org/. One issue, I would question, is found on the first link that students will “Know how to set challenging learning goals for themselves.” Do students really set learning […]
Common Core and Early Childhood—Got Music?
The implication of all this for early education is clear. Although a teaspoon of Mozart may not make a child a better mathematician, there is little doubt that regular exposure to music, an especially active participation in music, may stimulate development of many different areas of the brain—areas which have to work together to listen […]
Gifted Students are Short-changed with Common Core State Standards
Today I am going to write about gifted students and the Common Core State Standards. There is plenty to write about this neglected area of special education without discussing CCSS. The needs of gifted students have never been fully addressed because, in general, people think gifted students learn fast and school will be easy. Parents […]
Why Do Catholics Care About Common Core?
And every student deserves to be prepared for a life of the imagination, of the spirit, and of a deep appreciation for beauty, goodness, truth, and faith. Gerard Bradley and Catholic Scholars October 16, 2013 Valerie Strauss’s post about Catholic scholars rejecting the Common Core is an important read http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/11/02/catholic-scholars-blast-common-core-in-letter-to-u-s-bishops/. That so many Catholics find it necessary […]
Common Core and Students with Disabilities—What Now?
Not long ago children with disabilities were denied a free public education. Some were even institutionalized. Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC), in 1972, and the case that followed on its heels, Mills v. Board of Education (MILLS), helped open the door for exceptional learners to attend public school and receive an “appropriate” education. Here […]
Who’s “Dreaming Big”—Students or IBM?
Here’s the question.Is it helping disadvantaged teens to plug them into corporately-designed programs, starting when they are in ninth grade, steering them through six years of training where they will wind up with an Associate’s Degree related to a corporation? Should this be the purpose of all schooling in America? Is it right for teenagers? […]
Common Core State Standards—Ignoring Strengths and Differences in America’s Students with Disabilities and All Students
In America, one way of helping students with disabilities blend in with their non-disabled peers is to consider differences in ALL students. Every child has strengths and weaknesses. Even students who are multi-talented have areas they lean more towards than others. Lifting students up from their weaknesses is important, of course, but I would argue […]
Common Core State Standards–Private School and Homeschool–Here, There and EVERYWHERE
Many parents think if they put their children in private school or homeschool they will all be able to hide from the Common Core State Standards. Sorry folks. David Coleman, who said no cares about your student’s narrative writing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu6lin88YXU, wasn’t only the architect of the standards, he moved over to become president of the […]
Are they “Special Interests” or Voices of a Democracy?
The blogger buzz this past weekend concerned an angry audience voicing concerns about Common Core Standards (CCS). It took place at a Poughkeepsie, New York town hall meeting with the state’s Ed. Commissioner Dr. John King. Indignant parents and teachers listened to King for 1 hour and 40 minutes then, with their meager left-over 23 […]
Don’t Sit Alone and Cry in Your Soup! Let’s All Advocate for Students!
One of the pleasures of starting a blog is to hear from parents and teachers. Some post. Some don’t want to put information online, but they want to be heard. Others comment on Facebook. The stories are often heart wrenching. Teachers recognize they can’t teach the way they know they should because they are pushed […]