If you haven’t seen this video, Why We Need Common
Core: click on this “I Choose C” and
take the time to watch it:
When I first received the link to this video I must admit, I almost didn’t
click on it. Then I thought, “What the heck!”
and clicked. I’ve since watched it more
than two dozen times, each with different people who work in afterschool
programs, just like me. I must also
admit that I laughed hysterically the first time I watched—certainly because it
was humorous and well done, but also because had I not laughed, I would
probably have cried.
In this short video, K-12 education is laid
low. When the young girl interviewing
for a position was asked what her strengths were, she asked for answer
choices. When she was told there were no
answer choices, she considered and then said, “I pick C.” When asked why, she
stated that her fifth grade teacher had told her when she didn’t know an answer
to pick “C”. The man conducting the
interview comments sarcastically, “It sounds like your fifth grade teacher
really prepared you for your future.”
This makes me wonder how much damage we have done in
the name of becoming basic, proficient, and advanced to current students. Education is about teaching young people to
think critically, to access and analyze information, to work collaboratively,
think creatively, and communicate effectively.
Yet what we have done is create a generation of students who want to
pick “C” and think, pair, share their way to right answers. This needs to stop! You have an opportunity in your afterschool
program to create a space for learning, for hands-on experiences and review,
reflection, and debriefing to create a new style of learning—one that will
empower youth to only pick “C” when it makes sense.
Let us know what you think about this topic and
video. Respond to this blog or contact
us directly at support@consultfourkids.com
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