Common Core.... someone please explain

[TAX GUY]

Can anyone explain common core to me? It's a hot topic locally (again) and I have tried to read about and have seen examples.... but I just don't get it (the math part). My son goes to a private school and they don't use it however lots of friends and their kids attend public and are struggling with it.

I have always enjoyed and did well with math, but these practices don't make ANY sense to me.

How is it in your area? Is there an easy(ier) way to understand this method? How are others in your area dealing with it? Like it? Hate it?

 

[ashleysev]

Check out this link for MA Common Core info: http://www.doe.mass.edu/candi/commoncore/

In very simplified terms, it dictates what students should know (and be taught) at each grade level. Here's another link: http://www.corestandards.org/

 

[mefordis]

It is supposed to promote a deeper understanding of math. The Common Core approach examines a problem multiple ways.

In my experience, going on the second year with Common Core, if you have a good math teacher who has embraced Common Core and KNOWS how to teach it, all is well. If you have someone who does not know the first thing about teaching math, or has not embraced the Common Core, well, things might not go well.

 

[sam_gordon]

Can anyone explain common core to me? It's a hot topic locally (again) and I have tried to read about and have seen examples.... but I just don't get it (the math part). My son goes to a private school and they don't use it however lots of friends and their kids attend public and are struggling with it.

I have always enjoyed and did well with math, but these practices don't make ANY sense to me.

How is it in your area? Is there an easy(ier) way to understand this method? How are others in your area dealing with it? Like it? Hate it?

Common Core is a set of STANDARDS schools should be teaching toward with the goal being a student in 4th grade (for example) in Michigan is learning the same theories/content as a 4th grader in Florida.

However, what has been discovered is the way schools are implementing these standards varies greatly. Some schools/teachers are looking at the desired result and creating their own lesson plan to teach. Other schools/teachers have purchased a "lesson plan in a box" and may/may not understand the lesson plan themselves. That of course makes it difficult to teach.

Since Common Core should be used from elementary through HS (I'm pretty sure), there's no one "right" answer to your question. My suggestion would be to give more detail to what concept you're having problems grasping. There are teachers on here who can hopefully help teach the method they're using.

Nothing in Common Core says "you must teach this way", so your question is very vague.

 

[gwynne]

Can anyone explain common core to me? It's a hot topic locally (again) and I have tried to read about and have seen examples.... but I just don't get it (the math part). My son goes to a private school and they don't use it however lots of friends and their kids attend public and are struggling with it.

I have always enjoyed and did well with math, but these practices don't make ANY sense to me.

How is it in your area? Is there an easy(ier) way to understand this method? How are others in your area dealing with it? Like it? Hate it?

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/

 

[TAX GUY]

A simple example given was this:

8+4=?

Answer is 12 (we all get that)

But, you need to add to 10....so 8+2=10
then 10+2=12

But WHY would you need to subtract first, to add? Take the 4 and figure out how many of it you need to get to 10, then add the rest.

So a simple basic addition problem is now subtraction and TWO addition problems?

 

[pryncess527]

A simple example given was this:

8+4=?

Answer is 12 (we all get that)

But, you need to add to 10....so 8+2=10
then 10+2=12

But WHY would you need to subtract first, to add? Take the 4 and figure out how many of it you need to get to 10, then add the rest.

So a simple basic addition problem is now subtraction and TWO addition problems?

Where did that example come from?

 

[sam_gordon]

A simple example given was this:

8+4=?

Answer is 12 (we all get that)

But, you need to add to 10....so 8+2=10
then 10+2=12

But WHY would you need to subtract first, to add? Take the 4 and figure out how many of it you need to get to 10, then add the rest.

So a simple basic addition problem is now subtraction and TWO addition problems?

Just my opinion, and I'm not a teacher, so take that for what it's worth...

I think it's teaching kids another way to solve the problem. No, you don't need it for 8+4, but I have used it for (even slightly) more difficult problems...

56+28... it takes 4 to get to 60, leaving 60 + 24 = 84.

No, 8+4 shouldn't need that method, but I think it's teaching the theory.

 

[TAX GUY]

Where did that example come from?

Slightly different but the same idea. Some of my friends have been discussing it and the one I gave was their example.

http://youngcons.com/this-kid-sticks-it-to-common-core-big-time-when-he-answered-this-math-problem/

 

[mefordis]

Can anyone explain common core to me? It's a hot topic locally (again) and I have tried to read about and have seen examples.... but I just don't get it (the math part). My son goes to a private school and they don't use it however lots of friends and their kids attend public and are struggling with it.

I have always enjoyed and did well with math, but these practices don't make ANY sense to me.

How is it in your area? Is there an easy(ier) way to understand this method? How are others in your area dealing with it? Like it? Hate it?

Also, if I were you and lucky enough to be able to avoid dealing with Common Core, I wouldn't even give it a moment's thought.

 

[disykat]

No,it is still a simple addition problem. However, the idea is that students should be able to understand how the numbers work together rather than simply memorizing that 8 + 4 = 12.

For anyone who has taught math before, this is not a new concept.

If someone who doesn't speak English can parrot back the words 8 + 4 = 12, does it mean they understand it?

There have always been deeper levels of understanding to math that lose some of us. Nothing new.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

The Common Core State Standards are a set of educational standards adopted by most states.

These standards need to be assessed yearly (just like the old state standards were).

The companies that sell their own curriculum are the same companies that create that tests and were involved in the creation of the standards.

Lazy school administrators buy the curriculum, which include ways to teach math that some people don't like or don't understand (including the teachers).

The controversy arises from poorly written curriculum, poorly written tests, and, in some cases, the standards are either more rigorous or less rigorous than the state's previous standards.

Mostly people focus on the crappy curriculum materials sold by Pearson and others.

If it was just the list of standards and the yearly test, there wouldn't be nearly as big of a hub-bub.

 

[TAX GUY]

Also, if I were you and lucky enough to be able to avoid dealing with Common Core, I wouldn't even give it a moment's thought.

Normally I wouldn't (since we currently don't have to deal with it) BUT, we were considering our local public HS for our son after he's done where he is (only goes to 8th grade). I'm having serious second thoughts now, because of common core.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

No,it is still a simple addition problem.

I agree. Except it is worded extraordinarily badly.

"When adding 8 + 5, show how to separate the numbers in order to simply the problem with turning it into 10 + 2"

or...

"Why does 8 + 5 = 10 + 2".

 

[TAX GUY]

Here's another one I didn't understand:

 

[sam_gordon]

Slightly different but the same idea. Some of my friends have been discussing it and the one I gave was their example.

http://youngcons.com/this-kid-sticks-it-to-common-core-big-time-when-he-answered-this-math-problem/

There are people (and whoever runs that website looks like some of them) who are against Common Core no matter what. They will pick and choose examples of how bad CC is and try to get people riled up.

Some articles regarding CC in my state, Kentucky, the first to implement CC:

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2014/08/25/ky-schools-chief-calls-common-core-review/14562627/
http://www.kentucky.com/2014/06/15/3293616/educators-say-kentucky-is-on-the.html
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/13/common-core/6375683/

 

[mefordis]

Normally I wouldn't (since we currently don't have to deal with it) BUT, we were considering our local public HS for our son after he's done where he is (only goes to 8th grade). I'm having serious second thoughts now, because of common core.

Hmmm... I'd always choose private over public school if money were not an issue. However, in our situation we just don't want to give up the things we'd have to give up in order to send them (out here it would be 50k - 60k a year for both kids). If things got very bad we would make sacrifices and send them.

This year, so far so good.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Just my opinion, and I'm not a teacher, so take that for what it's worth...

I think it's teaching kids another way to solve the problem. No, you don't need it for 8+4, but I have used it for (even slightly) more difficult problems...

56+28... it takes 4 to get to 60, leaving 60 + 24 = 84.

No, 8+4 shouldn't need that method, but I think it's teaching the theory.

I add, subtract, and multiply large numbers in my head in this manner. But you know what? I've always been very strong in math - like 99+ percentile strong. And I've always had jobs that were math centric, so I've had many years to practice this.

Trying to explain this to someone like my wife - who has always struggled in math - is pointless. She looks at me like I have 2 heads. I think it's a useful tool under the right circumstances. And it may help some who struggle with math. But I also believe for some others who struggle with math, this method only makes it harder.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Here's another one I didn't understand:

That's actually how most retail clerks are taught to make change, if you really think about it.

Clerk: "The total is $3.37"

You hand clerk a 20.

Clerk hands you 63 cents: "That's 4."
Clerk hands you a dollar bill: "That's 5."
Clerk hands you a 5 dollar bill: "That's 10."
Cleark hands you a 10 dollar bill: "And that's 20."

Bam. There's you $16.63 change.

 

[TAX GUY]

There are people (and whoever runs that website looks like some of them) who are against Common Core no matter what. They will pick and choose examples of how bad CC is and try to get people riled up.

Some articles regarding CC in my state, Kentucky, the first to implement CC:

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2014/08/25/ky-schools-chief-calls-common-core-review/14562627/
http://www.kentucky.com/2014/06/15/3293616/educators-say-kentucky-is-on-the.html
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2014/03/13/common-core/6375683/

I agree there is ALWAYS for and against with everything. I don't visit that site and paid no mind to the comments. I was using it as a visual only.

If its truly to offer other thinking methods, isn't that pretty much the same as what's being discussed here? It's all in how the teacher presents it? There were MANY alternatives and "short cuts" that I learned. I still remember most of them and that's what I use to help our son (6th grade) with his math homework. If I had to use the methods I've seen used around Common Core, I'd be lost. I'm just trying to get a better understanding of the methods being implemented now. It seems to go against everything I was taught, and all others before me were taught too.