Our post 5 Questions for Closely Reading the Reading Standards was the first in a series dedicated to providing probing questions to help readers discover new insights into the Common Core and its contents. Today’s post continues the series by providing five questions to support your explorations of the writing standards.
1. How do the standards emphasize the writing process?
How are the practices of gathering and collecting ideas, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing reflected in the ten standards for writing?
2. What can we expect our students to change as writers after a year of work aligned to the Common Core?
Look at the grade level achievement standards for the grade you teach and the grade that precedes the grade you teach. What do you notice? What do you wonder?
3. How do the standards emphasize the writing quality?
As you work to answer this question, we suggest you read the standards across each grade level and note how the descriptors change from grade level to grade level. What do these changes communicate about the Common Core’s expectations of students as writers?
4. How do the standards emphasize writing across all disciplines for real purposes?
The category titled “Text Types and Purposes” outlines the different kinds of writing expected of students. Notice if you are able to identify threads of these expectations in the remaining seven standards and if any particular type of writing is emphasized more than others.
5. In what ways do the Common Core standards align with your purposes and beliefs about teaching children to write? What are the implications for you and your students?
Think about your vision of students as articulate participants in a literate society. Look for places where the Common Core supports or interferes with your paradigms for literacy instruction.
As per our suggestions for reading the Reading Standards, we encourage you to work through them in whatever way works for you. Most importantly, please share your suggestions for revisions, your discoveries, and your insights, as we will in upcoming posts.
To what extent does our current state writing test negate the direction the Common Core Standards in writing? To what extent does it validate aspects of the Common Core?
Why is there no mention of creativity or engagement in the Common Core Standards when these are skills and qualities sought after in the workplace and in the world?
What are the dangers of having everyone strive for the same standards?
What are the advantages?
Which textbook / testing company will make the most money from Common Core Standards movement?
Will the profits they make translate into better student learning?
If you reject the Common Core Standards are you rejecting Literacy itself?
If you embrace the Common Core Standards are you embracing literacy or a narrow vision of literacy?
Is asking these kinds of questions important for workplace literacy, or will they get you fired?
Wow! Thanks Barry! These questions give our readers a lot more to think about an us a lot more blog fodder!