During my last NYIT course, Curriculum design, I spent a great deal of time exploring the new Common Core Standards. In comparison to the basic NY state standards, I feel as if the common core standards illustrate that the bar has been raised and the expectations are higher to meet the skill sets necessary to be successful in the 21st century.
The emphasis on not only learning how to read but reading across the curriculum is imperative for students. Mastery of English and Language Arts skills is the backbone for success in all subject areas and this begins with strong reading skills.
Writing is a component of ELA that I feel is undergoing an intensive period of change. During my first NYIT course, we had a discussion about handwriting and whether or not is a lost art on the way towards being phased out of education. Would the time spent teaching handwriting be used more effectively by focusing on the writing process itself? It’s an interesting question, especially when technology/digital media are becoming an educational focal point. The Common Core Standards clearly spell out the sequential skills needed to mastered become a strong writer. The key to mastery of writing is to foster a love of writing, starting at an early age.
In our digital world, speaking and listening are skills that have to be emphasized, educationally, now more than ever. Face to face communication is falling to the wayside on a social level and education now plays a stronger role in building these skills. Language, and specifically grammar, also must take center stage in the educational arena. The Common Core standards do a great job of clearly laying out the sequential skills that need to be mastered for students to be successful in college and beyond.
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