Homework Help
Oct 10th 2014, 10:52 pm
#32
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: Homework Help
Where we are, they've gone to using the NY Engage common core system in the district.
It's open source content, online, so no books. They print the stuff out and photocopy the hand out sheets and they're so poor in quality that you can't see half the stuff.
She's only in first grade and really been put off maths since she started school, when she was quite interested before hand. It seems this and another, Oz system were the two out of three contenders that fitted the budget, but this was "free", so they're spending loads on printing shit out and having kids not understand it rather than the other system that was far more engaging, colourful and visually helpful where this one requires the kids to be able to read quite a lot and a lot of the kids are only just start to read properly.
It's open source content, online, so no books. They print the stuff out and photocopy the hand out sheets and they're so poor in quality that you can't see half the stuff.
She's only in first grade and really been put off maths since she started school, when she was quite interested before hand. It seems this and another, Oz system were the two out of three contenders that fitted the budget, but this was "free", so they're spending loads on printing shit out and having kids not understand it rather than the other system that was far more engaging, colourful and visually helpful where this one requires the kids to be able to read quite a lot and a lot of the kids are only just start to read properly.
Oct 10th 2014, 10:58 pm
#33
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Re: Homework Help
Oct 10th 2014, 11:32 pm
#35
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Joined: Nov 2002
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Re: Homework Help
Our school district went to this system because Singapore ranks way up there among the best in the world at maths. What they forgot though was that Singaporean kids have even more pressure, even less spare time, no time to do sports or socialize or whatever - their lives totally revolve around academic achievement. I could wear the same trainers as Hussain Bolt, but he's still gonna beat me every time...
Oct 10th 2014, 11:51 pm
#36
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Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Homework Help
Target goal is being able to get through and teach 50-70% of the first years content...so that's leaving a lot of content not taught before they get to second grade or whatever the kids are in
Oct 11th 2014, 1:15 am
#37
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: Homework Help
What makes it worse, they only decided in June, so the teachers haven't had long to figure it out and they're still training in it and supposedly having a final push later in the month.
Target goal is being able to get through and teach 50-70% of the first years content...so that's leaving a lot of content not taught before they get to second grade or whatever the kids are in
Target goal is being able to get through and teach 50-70% of the first years content...so that's leaving a lot of content not taught before they get to second grade or whatever the kids are in
Oct 11th 2014, 1:18 am
#38
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: Homework Help
Have you seen the Singapore Math?
Our school district went to this system because Singapore ranks way up there among the best in the world at maths. What they forgot though was that Singaporean kids have even more pressure, even less spare time, no time to do sports or socialize or whatever - their lives totally revolve around academic achievement. I could wear the same trainers as Hussain Bolt, but he's still gonna beat me every time...
Our school district went to this system because Singapore ranks way up there among the best in the world at maths. What they forgot though was that Singaporean kids have even more pressure, even less spare time, no time to do sports or socialize or whatever - their lives totally revolve around academic achievement. I could wear the same trainers as Hussain Bolt, but he's still gonna beat me every time...
Oct 11th 2014, 1:23 am
#39
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Joined: Dec 2006
Location: WA
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Re: Homework Help
This one is near me.
Oct 12th 2014, 1:29 am
#40
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Joined: May 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 369
Re: Homework Help
She's only in first grade and really been put off maths since she started school, when she was quite interested before hand. It seems this and another, Oz system were the two out of three contenders that fitted the budget, but this was "free", so they're spending loads on printing shit out and having kids not understand it rather than the other system that was far more engaging, colourful and visually helpful where this one requires the kids to be able to read quite a lot and a lot of the kids are only just start to read properly.
Oct 12th 2014, 2:39 am
#41
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Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Posts: 8,933
Re: Homework Help
I'm also concerned that my 4th grader who is a math wiz will be put off by the methods introduced based on the common core standards. What's worse is the parents cannot provide that additional support because we have never gone through this type of learning. For my son he learnt addition, subtraction and multiplication the normal way and now division is a long winded mess. Can't wait to see what the tests look like.
Oct 12th 2014, 2:42 am
#42
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,157
Re: Homework Help
Hrmm. The Common Core is a set of standards; it doesn't dictate how specific concepts or tools are to be taught, just when.
For what it's worth, as an educator, I think the actual standards are very mild and sensible. HOWEVER. I interviewed for a job implementing the math CCSS in upper high school and that is the only time I've ever withdrawn from a search immediately after interview. I know how much of a hot potato this was politically and that the roll-out would make it or break it. If the example I've seen of the people who will be delivering materials and professional development to teachers is in any way representative, all I can say is... errr... everyone here has another passport, right?
For what it's worth, as an educator, I think the actual standards are very mild and sensible. HOWEVER. I interviewed for a job implementing the math CCSS in upper high school and that is the only time I've ever withdrawn from a search immediately after interview. I know how much of a hot potato this was politically and that the roll-out would make it or break it. If the example I've seen of the people who will be delivering materials and professional development to teachers is in any way representative, all I can say is... errr... everyone here has another passport, right?
Oct 12th 2014, 2:55 am
#43
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Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Posts: 8,933
Re: Homework Help
I don't think it would be possible/realistic to set a common method of how to teach something across the whole country, state or even county. We don't even have much commonality on teaching methods between schools within the same school district. My kids campus (plus a couple of others) were "trialling" the Singapore Method for the district a few years ago - their campus is still on it, but few of the others have followed, so my friends kids at the next school over are on a totally different set of methods. I suppose it doesn't really matter as long as the message gets through...
Oct 12th 2014, 3:22 am
#44
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Posts: 1,157
Re: Homework Help
I feel bad for the teachers who get stuck in these impossible situations.
Oct 12th 2014, 3:33 am
#45
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Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Where bad things rarely happen in movies
Posts: 8,933
Re: Homework Help
Indeed. We've been at the elementary since it opened 9 years ago, and I do a lot of volunteering there, so know some of the staff quite well - some of the "old timers" are tearing their hair out. The thing is, the school always turns in "top of class" results in all the standard measures, but even some of the teachers admit that they wouldn't be doing so well in an area where the parents were less involved......