Students in art classes often no longer paint or draw - they read complex texts about art and write argumentative essays about what they've read.
Students in career and technical education classes often no longer work in their chosen vocation - instead they read complex texts about that vocation and write argumentative essays about what they've read.
This is the magic of the Common Core as practiced in many schools these days - with nearly every class turned into the worst English Language Arts class you can imagine, with students "challenged" to read complex texts with words and terms they don't understand about subjects they don't care about because the powers that be have decided that the only knowledge of value is that which is complex, abstruse and arcane.
And now they've come for physical education classes - only this time, it's math that's being pushed along with physical activity:
When Judy Schmid, a gym teacher at Jacobsville Elementary School in Pasadena, Md., teaches her students how to bowl, she has them score games manually, even though most modern bowling alleys have automatic scoring. Kids count fallen pins, show their calculations on worksheets, play number games, and by the end of one 30-minute gym class, they’ve done a lot more than knock down a few pins—they’ve knocked off several Common Core math skills too.
Hey - when do the kids just get to play a freaking game?
Seriously - why does physical activity have to be combined with Common Core math skills?
The above excerpt comes from a Slate article that's pro-CCSS - it criticizes only when physical education teachers aren't "trained" to implement Common Core properly into gym class, not the underlying absurdity of turning PE into math too:
Peter Terbuska, a veteran phys-ed teacher in Wyoming, N.Y., initially had mixed feelings about teaching the Common Core in his classes. He wanted the best for his students academically, but he didn’t want to cut down on time they spent being active. Also, “there was no preparation for it whatsoever.” Slowly, though, after talking with other teachers and learning what kids were doing in other subjects, Terbuska came around to the idea.
Since students were studying multiplication tables in math, Terbuska started asking them to count by twos or threes while stretching in gym. “At first it was like pulling teeth,” he said. Now, though, the kids are used to it and even excited about leading the group stretch.
Hey - you know what's a great skill for students to learn?
How to focus on one activity for a set period of time.
Like if they're doing some stretches, how about they just stretch?
If they're playing basketball in the gym, how about they just, you know, play basketball, instead of having to count the lines in the gym floor as they play?
We live in a culture that promotes distraction - nobody ever in one place doing one thing anymore.
In many schools, administrators are running around with their hair on fire, screaming at teachers to make art class into ELA class, writing teachers up for not having complex text or math skills being taught alongside the CTE content.
And now PE has turned into PE-Math.
The damage that is being done to children in the name of Common Core cannot be overstated.
A culture already infected with the disease of distraction imposes even more of it on children in school.
And they wonder why everybody's on ADHD medication these days.
Can't wait to see how they implement Common Core into the meditation period.
The question is, Who's telling them to do this? Isn't Common Core only for Math and English Language Arts?
ReplyDeleteNo. Math and ELA skills, as they are used in all other subjects fall under the CCLS. I teach science, and there are specific sections in the CC that require me to incorporate more writing into my curriculum. I was doing most of it already, so it wasn't much of a change for me, but that wasn't the case for other science teachers.
DeleteThis CC Math for PE? All part of the hole the CCLS is. (No. Math and ELA skills, as they are used in all other subjects fall under the CCLS. I teach science, and there are specific sections in the CC that require me to incorporate more writing into my curriculum. I was doing most of it already, so it wasn't much of a change for me, but that wasn't the case for other science teachers.
This CC Math for PE? All part of the hole the CCLS is.
Common Core will break the public school monopoly.
ReplyDeleteBeen a PE teacher for over 15 years. Yes, common core is destroying PE. Administrators now want written tests, math concepts, complex learning rubrics incorporated into lessons. The problem is not that these things are bad. (They can in fact be a positive addition to PE units) The problem is that PE teachers are getting written up for not implementing these things to the likings of admins who know nothing about PE. Incorporating language arts and math should be at the discretion of the PE teacher, not some suit who has no background in PE. Lastly, PE teachers should not have to reinvent their programs to fit the desires of the hedge fund goons who are pushing common core. Kids spending their PE classes writing, reading and doing math makes about as much sense as playing kickball during an algebra class. We need to let kids be kids and let PE teachers be PE teachers who work with these kids so they can learn to PLAY better!
ReplyDeleteThe subject is PHYSICAL EDUCATION not reading or writing skills. I have been teaching Physical Education for over 25 years and I was not trained to be a reading or writing teacher. At the present time when cardiovascular disease and diabetes are on the increase as are other chronic disease an emphasis should be placed on Physical Education, Our students should learn lifetime activities that can help them to naturally combat these problems. Yes there is a place for writing and reading and its in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThis is a plan against all Physical Education teachers and Art and Music teachers to include them in the rating process when the test grades drop in their school.