{"id":1637,"date":"2013-03-21T06:00:50","date_gmt":"2013-03-21T13:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/education\/2013\/03\/21\/infusing-purpose-and-inspiring-action-isnt-that-what-education-is-about\/"},"modified":"2013-03-21T06:00:50","modified_gmt":"2013-03-21T13:00:50","slug":"infusing-purpose-and-inspiring-action-isnt-that-what-education-is-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/education\/2013\/03\/21\/infusing-purpose-and-inspiring-action-isnt-that-what-education-is-about\/","title":{"rendered":"Infusing Purpose and Inspiring Action"},"content":{"rendered":"

Common Core State Standards in Education<\/h2>\n

The Common Core State Standards<\/a> (CCSS) are making their way into education and districts across the nation at different speeds.\u00a0 While some districts are steeped in units of study and\/or curriculum mapping, others are choosing to wait and proceed more slowly.\u00a0 With either approach, I believe it is important to use this as an opportunity to infuse purpose in our teaching.\u00a0 The CCSS standards are about how we teach and how students learn.\u00a0 They highlight the need to develop skills of communication, collaboration, and the integration of content in a way that allows students to more critically contextualize their learning.<\/p>\n

Recently, I read an article heralding Common Core\u2019s emphasis on cross-content integration.\u00a0 This interdisciplinary approach is often achieved through a thematic approach, which can also include authentic assessment opportunities. \u00a0While I am excited about this opportunity, I think it is important to avoid promoting learning as a series of activities that loosely connect to essential learning.\u00a0 I fear we will make \u201creal-world\u201d applications that are trivial.\u00a0 For example, graphing M&M candies by color variety sounds like a fun thing to do and can easily relate to our students (Who doesn\u2019t love candy?). \u00a0But why not take the opportunity to learn about graphing by examining local and global issues that require informed action?<\/p>\n

If we consider a recent problem about the manufacturing of candy containing lead, our students could examine this practice and use graphs to illustrate their findings.\u00a0 For example, the incidence of lead poisoning- locally and globally, the number of local stores selling the tainted candy, and further investigations related to other products associated with lead contamination.\u00a0 This in turn would create an opportunity to consider ways in which to address the issue through action.<\/i><\/p>\n

We must capitalize on the potential this academic shift now affords us and carefully plan learning opportunities that matter- opportunities to clearly demonstrate to our students the value of knowledge.\u00a0 For too long many of our students hungered for purpose.\u00a0 CCSS is not perfect, but it does allow teachers to create learning experiences again.\u00a0 Let\u2019s be sure those experiences really matter.<\/p>\n

Connecting standards, inspiring minds<\/h2>\n

Consider these inspiring integrated education projects that came to fruition:<\/p>\n

Connecting service, science education, early learning and the arts was exciting for young students of the new April Woods school, in Haiti. The children collected trash from the hillside where their school sits. Next, they sorted the trash into colors. After it was clean, they used the bits of paper to study geometry and to make colorful mosaics.<\/p>\n

North American students in a new education program surprised their cosponsors with the extent to which they were able to evoke change in a short time this summer. Participants in the Habits of Heroes summer program in Marina Park, San Leandro, California, dedicated their summer to the goal of diabetes prevention, applying Vision Seeking, Advocacy and Selflessness. The program reached out to schools where both children and adults were at high-risk for diabetes.<\/p>\n