Summer and after-school programs provide a jump on Common Core
A.J. Joaquin, right, started his own band at Horace Mann unproblematic schoolhouse in San Jose. From left, 5th grade bandmates Steven Le, Salina Truong at pianoforte, and Bao Le. Credit: Susan Frey, EdSource
Middle school English instructor Kellie Madden already has a good grasp of the new Common Core Land Standards. In fact, she has been teaching to those standards for the past two years without realizing it.
Madden teaches each summer in a program where students collaborate on projects that require critical thinking, communication skills and the power to take charge of their ain learning – substantially a design for how to apply the new land standards. Adopted by California and 44 other states, the new standards emphasize an in-depth arroyo to subjects, the development of verbal and analytical skills, teamwork, and student-centered learning focused on real-world examples. Hands-on projects and robust discussions among students supervene upon lecture-style pedagogy.
This school twelvemonth, Madden is using almost every lesson she developed for the summer programme to assist 7th and 8th graders struggling with English language in the intervention class she teaches during the regular school year at Katherine Edwards Middle Schoolhouse in Whittier City School District in Los Angeles County. In both programs, the students focus on "close reading," in which they pay attention to how an writer uses individual words and how his ideas unfold and build to a climax.
No statistics are available on how many California school districts are discovering that their summer programs may have already been using didactics methods that align to the Common Core standards, which are being implemented in most schools for the kickoff time this bookish yr. But a recent study from the Oakland-based nonprofit advocacy grouping Partnership for Children & Youth, Getting a Caput Start on the Mutual Core, indicates that a number of districts are relying on summertime programs to introduce and reinforce the new standards.
"The educators and staff at these programs emphasize learning that excites students in new ways almost reading, science, writing and math," wrote report author Mary Perry, an education consultant. "Schoolhouse agencies are finding that these summer learning programs … are consistent with instructional strategies recommended for the Common Core."
Another written report, released January, contends that expanded learning time, whether in summertime or afterwards-schoolhouse, is essential to give teachers and students enough time to exercise and principal the new standards.
"The bear upon of the Common Cadre on classrooms – for both teachers and students – volition be pregnant in many ways, not least of which is how time is used and the quantity of fourth dimension needed to allow learning to flourish," according to the report, Redesigning and Expanding Schoolhouse Time to Support Mutual Core Implementation, from the Washington D.C.–based think tank Center for American Progress and the Boston-based National Centre on Time & Learning, an advocacy group for expanded learning.
'Free' thinking
Domani Kem, a social studies teacher who besides teaches in Whittier's summer programme, has begun applying Common Cadre strategies this year in her regular classroom, encouraging students to explore, analyze and talk about issues.
She said the summer educational activity experiences helped her with the transition away from a more lecture-based instruction in her regular classroom, making the process much less intimidating.
"The summer allows you to costless yourself from thinking of how it should be traditionally," she said.
From left, Jade Lara, Nina Rodriguez and Katelyn Hinkel like to work together on projects in Horace Mann'due south after-school program. Credit: Susan Frey, EdSource Today
The accent on students having some choice in what they are learning is central to the Mutual Core approach. Eric Richards, who teaches a course for incoming high school freshmen each summer, never knows what he is going to teach.
"Each yr the kids pick a project that involves social justice or community service," said Richards, who teaches special education students at Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School in Sacramento Urban center Unified during the school year.
"I've been doing Common Core stuff for years," he said.
The service project last summertime — a entrada nearly litter — integrated English and math. Students delved into statistics about the amount of litter in Sacramento, looked up a history of other litter campaigns and created a multimedia presentation.
Integrated learning is some other element of the Common Cadre approach. "When English and math are tied together, students believe if you can exist expert at one, yous tin can be good at the other," Richards said.
Although he has but anecdotal evidence – "I get nothing simply good reports from other teachers nearly the summer service kids" – he believes the program helps prepare students for loftier school and beyond.
"Summertime service is essential because it sets them up with this skill set," Richards said. "There is a level of cooperation and collaboration that goes into it."
Common Core after schoolhouse
THINK Together, California'south largest provider of subsequently-school programming, is implementing Mutual Cadre strategies in both its summer and later on-school programs in districts such equally Santa Ana Unified and San Jose Unified.
Second grader Natalie Gonzalez works on improving her bookish vocabulary at a THINK Together after-school program in San Jose. Credit: Susan Frey, EdSource Today
Santa Ana Unified has been focused on "every student answers every question every time," said Amy Reede, who is in charge of supporting Common Core strategies for THINK Together. "Everyone talks about the effect. It makes students feel heard, that their opinion matters."
This approach is specially useful for English learners, she said, considering they hear the answers to a question multiple times then they feel better able to reply it themselves. Students, however, have to back up their opinions with evidence.
Subsequently-school staff participate in district Common Core trainings, Reede said, and as well are enlightened of what students are learning in class. They ask students to choose to focus on something they take learned in class for their after-schoolhouse projects.
For example, first graders in ane class were eager to go on their study of weather and temperature. "What they really were interested in was thermometers – that mercury could kill you lot," she said.
Afterward-school staff got the kids thinking, request them questions like, "What do you notice well-nigh temperature and fourth dimension of day?" Kids would respond with their evidence: when the dominicus goes downwards, information technology gets colder.
2d grader Brandon Olguin of San Jose already learned an important scientific principle: information technology's OK to fail considering you learn from your mistakes. Credit: Susan Frey, EdSource Today
At San Jose Unified, the after-schoolhouse supervisor works with the school's primary years programme coordinator in the International Baccalaureate Program to ensure that students have a smooth transition between school and after-school. Site supervisor Peter Reyes is trained by Call back Together in Common Core methods and also attends parent-teacher conferences to discuss the progress of the students in his care.
Fun and learning
The approach seems to be working. Students enthusiastically discuss new vocabulary words with each other, trying out using the words in sentences.
"I similar learning new words and what do they mean," said 2nd grader Natalie Gonzalez.
Students also consider an result, such equally why homework is important, and discuss it among themselves. "When you get to college, they don't remind you to practise your homework," reasoned Katelyn Hinkel, 9. "It'due south important to remember to do it because you might have a test."
Reyes is an accomplished musician, and music is an of import component in the programme. Students interact and study the subject in depth — a Common Core learning style. For case, A.J. Joaquin, a 5th grader with long, jet-black hair, has started his ain band at school, Fast Tune, and has composed his own music.
"He wrote a song this year based on a progression in a Red Hot Chili Peppers vocal he learned two years agone," Reyes said. "He transposed it to the pianoforte in a different key."
A.J., who plays lead guitar, also composed the office for the bass guitar. He and his ring members are still working on the words.
The students too collaborate on scientific discipline experiments. Virtually expressed enthusiasm near the lava lamps they had made, but 2d grader Brandon Olguin was impressed with a failed experiment that taught him something. He was given a balloon and told to apply the balloon to brand a can move, but the balloon wasn't allowed to touch the can.
"Y'all blow in the balloon and popular information technology," he said, explaining that the air from the balloon was supposed to move the can. "I tried, merely I couldn't make the can move."
"Yous need a lot of air," he concluded.
Susan Frey covers expanded learning time. Contact her. Sign up here for a no-toll online subscription to EdSource Today for reports from the largest pedagogy reporting team in California.
To go more reports like this one, click here to sign upwardly for EdSource's no-cost daily email on latest developments in didactics.
Source: https://edsource.org/2014/summer-and-after-school-programs-provide-a-jump-on-common-core/58174
0 Response to "Summer and after-school programs provide a jump on Common Core"
Post a Comment