According to the Common Core standards that have been implemented in schools across the United States, children are now required to demonstrate a greater and deeper understanding of math concepts. These new standards no longer rely on memorization and regurgitation of addition and multiplication tables, but rather on having students figure out solutions to problems using more universal problem-solving approaches.
Under Common Core, teachers are allotted more time to expand on each mathematical concept and explore their underlying concepts. Due to this, some lessons are moved to later grade levels, such as multiplication being pushed from second to third grade. Although lessons are becoming slower, students are now able to more completely understand how and why concepts work rather than just learning and repeating processes.
Despite the benefit of greater understanding and higher proficiency in problem solving, Common Core is depriving students of mathematical efficiency. Instead of being able to answer a problem with speed using a single, simple method, students are now asked to solve problems using a specific method out of the numerous methods taught to them or choose the most appropriate way to go about solving the problem. It is more difficult for a student to recall an answer to a simple multiplication or addition problem because they are overwhelmed with different methods to get the same result.
In all practicality, there must be a balance between problem solving and memorization in the classroom. It is quite important that children learn problem solving skills in order to take on challenges outside of math class, such as in other classes or in circumstances outside of school, but it is necessary that they are able to recall simple solutions in order to improve the speed of such problem solving and allow for fast mental math in practical situations.
Common Core is a collection of standards that aim to better the education of children in the United States, but does require some tweaking in order to maximize student ability.
Sources:
http://edsource.org/2014/common-core-standards-bring-dramatic-changes-to-elementary-school-math-2/63665
http://hechingerreport.org/content/common-core-math-problem-hard-supporters-common-core-respond-problematic-math-quiz-went-viral_15361/
I agree with you, Common Core does not teach kids to be efficient. From personal experience, the Common Core way of thinking about math does feel like a waste of time. Pushing the curriculum upwards would be a step backwards. What tweaks or adjustments would you suggest to reform Common Core?
ReplyDeleteCommon Core definitely can hinder the speed at which individuals are able to perform. Yet, I think keeping the standards that we have in schools already will be inefficient for students in the future. It would be best to build upon the "efficiency" of the current standards with some added Common Core concepts that will incorporate a mixture of both. Aside from Common Core possibly limiting a student's math speed, I think that Common Core can still be beneficial for the rest of the curriculum. It would allow for more in dept thinking and perhaps increase processing speeds of students. Common Core is a change in our learning system that will hopefully keep changing to meet the needs of students.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how your opinion would change if you had always learned in this manner? Would the efficiency come eventually?
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