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Nhi Nguyen
Professor Rushing
English 510
22 May 2018
Assignment #3:
Meeting and Integrating The State Standards and Common Core
One of the things that future educators are not introduced to is the topic of
assessment and how to apply the New State Standards into their lesson plans. I have always
questioned and raised several concerns on to how, as teachers, do we assess to the New
State Standards and now with Common Core while upholding our own teaching ideals?
Which activities? Assignments? Books? etc. How, as educators, do we integrate the New
State Standard and Common Core into our teaching? Will the New State Standards,
Common Core and assessments better our teachings or create limitations?
After receiving a diploma and successfully completing the credential program, just before
stepping into the classroom, educators must be knowledgeable in the state standards. Whether it
is for reading, writing, oral presentation, etc. When becoming an educator, the topic of
assessment is not usually brought up. Our professors consistently remind us to stay true to our
teaching techniques but, they never mentioned to keep the state standards in mind. In addition to
the state standards, educators are now expected to integrate the Common Core into their
teaching. Educators have become comfortable in the State Standards and using the same
materials year after year, but now having to adapt to the Common Core elements might be
challenging for educators.
Many educators tend to believe that the lesson plans are created first and to find the State
Standards in the assignment, comes next. This can be the solution in keeping your own teaching
style within your classroom. By doing so, integrating your own teaching ideals can still uphold to
the State Standards (SS) and to the Common Core (CC). So of course, educators have the ability
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to choose what materials to present to their class and what classwork/ homework to assign to
their students. Once you find the in-class work and assignments you want to deliver, you can
look at which SS and/or CC you are working with. However, that is not to say that it is a freepass to do as you please and just randomly choose a SS element to integrate. Though, in being
knowledgeable in both, SS and CC, the elements can be kept in mind while planning a lesson
and this will actually make it easier to integrate the teaching ideals with elements of the SS and
CC. Usually, students are building through their education career. For example, kindergarten
builds off from preschool, second grade builds off of first, and ninth grade builds from eighth
grade. If you keep in mind the elements of SS and CC then doing a lesson plan you are aware of
what your students should have learned. With that being said, not every student will have the
knowledge of one-another. Thus, knowing your students individually will be a better way in
creating lesson plans and a better way to integrate SS and CC elements.
John C. Bean, the author of “Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating
Writing, Critical Thinking and Active Learning In A Classroom” mentions that even the small
classroom activities or online assignments can be used to have the students engage and by doing
so, also allows the teacher to reach some of the State Standards or Common Core. Bean mentions
in his book the Critical Incident Questionnaire. This is meant for students to complete weekly
questionnaires and approach the assignment using critical thinking. This allows the teacher to hit
some state standard criteria with mini assignments and also allows the students to build on their
learning ability.
Integrating the SS and CC elements into your teaching may seem challenging, but as
mentioned, you should not find a SS/CC element and begin planning a lesson around it. This will
make it difficult in creating your own techniques in delivering these elements to your students.
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As educators, you will know your students/class and be aware of the majority as to where the
average learning level is. After, you will be able to create lesson plans with the elements in mind
and when finalizing your lesson plan, you review to see which SS/CC elements it has integrated.
The elements of the Common Core in the New State Standards should be an inclusion to
teaching ideals. If the CC is stressed on educators, then each educator will be delivering the same
materials and using the same technique because of the pressure the state expects of their
educators. So, educators will unintentionally revolve their teaching ideals towards these
elements, when it really comes down, educators should learn to plan out their lessons first and
look over the elements to see which standards fit.
The usage of Common Core has been a controversial topic. Should we follow it? Is it
easier or more difficult for both the student and the educator? Many educators have argued that
the Common Core will limit their ways in how they plan their lessons and teach their student.
However, as mentioned before, inclusion of the Common Core can improve the learning of the
students by having these new elements. A lot of the times, educators tend to keep their routine
year after year, but they do not realize what was used then may not be as affective for the now.
The education system then, has changed encountering a diverse classroom and having students
come from all around the globe. In the older times, there was not as many foreign exchange
students or immigrated students as we now have. Thus, we encounter students with different
start points; different cultures, different social classes, different backgrounds and different
lifestyles. With all the differences, we cannot expect them to learn the same. The Common Core
has given educators multiple path to take and teach to their students to help improve the learning
of more students.
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In addition, the Common Core will allow the teachers to engage with their class and
integrate critical thinking and analytical-based learning. To say it will be easy to integrate and
adapt to this is an understatement and completely left field. Adapting to the Common Core
requires more engagement not just from the students to the lessons but from the teacher to the
students. Integrating the Common Core calls for the knowledge of the students in the classroom.
Knowing who you have to work with would be the first step of approaching the keys in the
Common Core. When you have students that were comfortable and used to learning one way
from the State Standards, many fear that it will be difficult for them to suddenly switch to the
Common Core. Suddenly does not necessarily have to be the case. As mentioned before, slowly
integrating the Common Core can build from one grade to another. After taking a look at the
State Standards and the Common Core, they differ in engagement with the students. So, in other
words, the only way to receive engagement from the students, there must first be engagement
from the teacher to the classroom. This is important to mention because if there are no guidance
to critical thinking and analytical-based learning then that is when it becomes difficult for
students to conquer these standards alone. Both teachers and students must work together to
conquer the Common Core elements because of the complexity of the Common Core.
Most of the time, both the Common Core and the New State Standard could be integrated
through one assignment and hitting multiple standards. So, if you create your lesson plan and
also an assignment, most likely, there will be more than a couple state standards being
accomplished in that one assignment. For example, in the Common Core, for sixth grade, they
are expected to “analyze in detail how a key individual, event or idea is introduced, illustrated,
and elaborated in a text (e.g. through examples and anecdotes)”. So, creating a writing
assignment that talks about the author of a text does this can also hit another Common Core
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Standard like, “analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter or section fits into the
overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas”. These two standards
could be integrated in an essay prompt that students could build on one-another.
Assessment are made for both teachers and students to reach for the bigger academic,
learning. For example, CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam), SAT/ACT, Benchmarks,
etc. These assessments are created for students to prove that they have met the state standards
that the teacher was expected to present to them. Does this strengthen or weaken students’
learning ability? How can we approach these assessments with confidence instead of
discouraging? Many students may argue that the pressure of these assessments does not help
their academic standings but weakens them. For example, the CAHSEE has been cancelled due
to the change of the State Standards that were then taught, but now no longer in the classroom.
These assessments should be general and easy-going for the students to look back on instead of
being tested or pressured upon on. The idea of having these assessments are to have the students
prove that they have achieved the learning of the state standards. What happens if the state
standards continuously change? Do the assessments begin changing as well? Then, all students
will be on a different track. These assessments are approach as a separate entity. What educators
teach in classroom is a different approach to the state standards than the assessments that are
given. Educators may drift away from their teaching ideals because of these assessments.
In conclusion, it is difficult for any educator to attempt having their own teaching styles/
teaching ideals but also, have these expectations that may limit or alter their teaching. For
example, an educator may have many ideas for their students but with the limitations or the
Common Core and the New State Standards, it may be challenging. However, as great educators,
the ability to adapt and adjust is a skill that may take a while to perfect. Educators must keep in
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mind these standards because it sets a start/finish line for each student and help educators keep
track of every students’ level. The Common Core and State Standards may feel like there are
limitations to teaching but having them in mind helps us have a finishing goal as well; as it does
with assessments. The Common Core, State Standards and assessments are for both students and
teachers, to remain on a path and build on one-another from one grade to the next. Regardless of
the Common Core being the new standard, it may set back educators in adjusting but our
students’ and the generation are changing as well, so to branch out in teaching skills is needed.
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Works Cited
Bean, John C., “Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical
Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom”, San Francisco, Josey Bass, 2011.