Wk 7 Reading, Chapter 4

Explain how media the media literacy activity described in the chapter are examples of literacy practices support by the Common Core.

Chapter 4 focused on showing students how to take their own experience and apply that in their overall learning processes.  And in our way of uncovering and addressing our own experience, the chapter asks students to uncover the process of analyzing, comparing and synthesizing texts to form meaningful interpretations.   Common Core also asks students to be involved in experiencing the world and learning from it, but its main focus if to prepare students for college and provide them with the tools to comprehend deeper meanings in what students read and analyze that information in a more critical and informative way.  Common Core is very structured and hones in on future career readiness preparation. 

•   What do you like about the Common Core? 

            I like that common core has the same goals that every objective in a lesson plan involves.  Learning and mastering skills.  We want to teach our students how to do something and why that something should be important to them.  It is hard for me to absolutely give a pro opinion for common core, because I am a related arts teacher, these standards don’t effect my instruction.  I have standards my students strive to master, but our art standards are more moldable and open-ended. 

I can appreciate the need for specific common objectives, but I often get lost in the details of those goals in the common core written explanations.  They do not keep my attention, because like many students, I cannot see the relevance to me personally to be invested in the entire process. 

•   What concerns do you have?

I am concerned that in education we are beating students to death with objectives and content benchmarks.  Yes we want them to achieve as much as they can, but I feel we are often losing crucial support along the way when we focus too much on the statistics and the “chart progression.”  I think we are losing a lot of them from personal plight and individual learning needs that aren’t being met for various reasons.  I’m worried we are just setting the mark to high frequently for them to make manageable goals.  Life is about progression to goals and the steps you take to achieve them.  It isn’t a process that happens overnight and I think that is the problem.  Expecting too much too soon without providing the proper groundwork to make it there. 

•   Find another media text that supports your stance.

Use the critical questions to deconstruct this media text. 

http://officeforedpolicy.com/2014/06/18/what-can-we-learn-about-the-common-core-from-political-cartoons/

Who produced this document, and for what purpose? 

University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy Blog and their purpose is to address concerns of the common core in creative ways through cartoons and imagery.

When was this produced, and what was it's historical context?

June 18, 14 - addressing the concerns of common core implementation.

Who is the target audience?

anyone interested in education and the future

What are the messages communicated?

The messages are that common core isn't going to work, it is a mistake.  It is taking valuable learning opportunities from our children.

What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?

Colorful and humorous illustrations with messages about Common Core

How might people interpret this message differently?

Some people may not agree with common core being a concern, others may.

Who might benefit from (and who might be harmed by) this message?

Those who are fighting for common core might be harmed by these illustrations, others amused.  Those who are not on board with common core entirely are the ones that benefit from viewing these illustrations

What information on perspective is left out of this message?

Those who are on board with common core and support it in its entirety.

Is this an accurate and credible representation?

Id say these illustrations are accurate representations of concerns for common core standard implementation.  The information is credible, but based on one groups opinions.

How does this reflect the perspective or bias of its creator?

The illustrators obviously have a negative perspective, so their illustrations depict that.

Text - Apples, Tests, tests, and more tests.  Common Rotten Core.  Illustration depicting the negative focus in our educational system.

Subtext - The common core is rotten, it is wrong, common core is only worried about testing children and testing them again.

Persuasive technique - Fear, Humor & Bandwagon.