Summer Vacation from School Schedule Only
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July 26, 2012 By: Cheryl Steele Oakes
Jul
26
Written by:
7/26/2012 2:24 PM
Some
of us are FREE from school schedules during June, July and August, in
the northern hemisphere. But this same idea will work year round,
whenever you are not tied to your school or work schedule.All
of us can participate in reviewing and commenting on the Common Core
Science Standards, including Science and Engineering. Then if you are so
inclined, you can be on the ground floor of developing classroom
connections, classroom lessons, connections to English and Math
standards, and finally, connections to the Social Studies standards as
well.Why
is this important? Many of us have education happen to us or happen
around us. However, at this time, we can be instrumental in the R&D,
the research and development of how the Common Core Science Standards,
including Science and Engineering, will impact our schools, our
students and our lives.I
love the opening paragraph in the Framework for K-12 Science Education:
Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, Reports Brief. Science,
engineering, and technology permeate every aspect of modern life. Some
knowledge of science and engineering is required to understand and
participate in many major public policy issues of today, as well as to
make informed everyday decisions, such as selecting among alternate
medical treatments or determining whether to buy an energy-efficient
furnace.
Just
that paragraph alone should have everyone running to download the FREE
pdf on their tablet, or laptop, or desktop. This should be required
reading for all communities of learners because without knowledge we are
powerless to make effective decisions in this changing society and
information age.The
framework is the first step in a process to inform state level
decisions for improving science teaching and learning across the
country. As of July 2012, 45 states and 3 territories have formally
adopted the Common Core State Standards. If you are interested in
specifics about the Common Core check out their Frequently Asked
Questions. This is a comprehensive list of the most important talking
points which will be informing the next generation of informed citizens
as well as talented scientists.There
are 3 dimensions involved in the Framework. Dimension 1: Scientific and
Engineering Practices, Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts that have
Common Application Across Fields and Dimension 3: Core Ideas in Four
Disciplinary Areas. All of this can be accomplished by introducing our
earliest readers to non-fiction and providing the building blocks of
this Framework throughout their K-12 school experiences. What
pleases me the most is that “throughout grades K-12 students should
have the opportunity to carry out scientific investigations and
engineering design projects related to the disciplinary core ideas”.
This means that our students will practice scientific problem solving
throughout their school years and NOT just read about great scientific
ideas and solutions. Every day I am a scientist. Every day I must solve a
problem. Every day I must be creative and look for patterns in order to
find a solution. No longer should our students be asked questions with
one answer. Rather our students should be smart about problem solving,
trial and error, data management and collaborating to find their
solutions.Check out the Framework, we should all be thinking like a scientist, everyday.Resources:FAQ Common Core http://www.corestandards.org/frequently-asked-questionsA Framework for K-12 Science Education http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165