Planning Assessments

The objective for which you are writing assessments

A description of at least three types of formative assessments that will help you know that students are meeting the objective 

A rationale for selecting each assessment.

The Objective

The Objective I chose for this follows grade 9 Visual Arts Unit on Sequential Art. The standard is:

Criteria B - Developing Skills

ii demonstrate the application of skills and techniques to create, perform and/or present art. 

The students will use the techniques of sequential art portraying movement, change and transformation in a series of ordered sequential images.

Formative and Rationale

Written Reflection-

The students will write a reflection on the art form, the skills, and techniques. They will identify the skills and how they are used in the artwork by McCloud. They will then outline possible ways of applying them in a unique artwork.

Rationale: This reflection will identify whether the students understand the background, concepts, and context of the skills and techniques used. It will also show whether the students are ready to apply the skills/techniques by assessing their ability to plan and outline an artistic intention. 

Annotated Artist Study and Visual Plan-

The students will select an artist of their choice and research one skill and technique each. They will annotate the source material showing how the artist uses the technique/skill in the work. The students will then create a Visual Plan (sketch) showing how they would implement the techniques studied in their own work.

Rationale: This assessment shows the student as a researcher and an inquirer. They must be able to visually identify the skills in the artwork studied and incorporate them into a drawn Visual Plan. This involves both conceptual learning and practical application of skills.

One Page Abstract Comic -

The students will create a one page abstract comic with an emphasis on applying the skills learned from their first two summatives. The students identify the skills and apply them to their one page comic.
Rationale: This assessment scaffolds the skills learned in the first two assessments and gives the student the opportunity to apply the information to their work.

Reflection on Teaching Standards

Introduction

Through the process of working with some of the MYP Arts Standards in this unit I felt a certain sense of familiarity with the work and the subject as these are alright parts of my teaching practice. In my current school I work with the standards to design assessments both formative (learning engagements) and summative. I also use backwards planning to design the course in order to get the students at the necessary skill level by the end of the year. However, I did have some new clarity with understanding the standards that I already work with through these assignments.

Unpacking Standards

Through the analysis of the language in these standards I was able to clarify more fully the nature of the standards I've been working with in school. By looking at the verbs used I was able to create clearer expectations and write my assessments towards those actions.

Backwards Planning

Backwards planning is something that I already do in my current position and with my department. However, I liked having to think about it from the context of the standard. I usually think about first the course objectives, global contexts, and lines of inquiry when doing backwards planning.

Writing Objectives

Using the smart acronym was a helpful way to break down the objectives into something less conceptual and more practical. This way of expressing the standards gives a clear idea about the following tasks that will achieve the objectives.

Standards and Backwards Mapping

Introduction--Subject, Grade Level, Explanation

• The subject for the class is visual arts. The grade level is Grade 8 (MYP Year 5).
• The standards that I'm working with are International Baccalaureate Middle Years Art standards or the IB-MYP Arts Standards.
• I am going to look at is:
  Criteria B: Developing skills
  Year (5)
  i. demonstrate the acquisition and development of the skills and techniques of the art form studied       ii. demonstrate the application of skills and techniques to create, perform and/or present art.
• I chose this standard because my students tend to be weak in the development of skills area and I want to plan better lessons to help them and to help myself better meet the criteria.

Four Proficiencies

At the end of this unit students will be able to:

• demonstrate the acquisition of the skills of the art form studied
• demonstrate the acquisition of the techniques of the art form studied
• demonstrate the application of skills and techniques to create, perform and/or present art

Three Assessments

Assessment 1

Demonstrate the Acquisition of Skills 

The students use their class sketchbook to research a set of skills and techniques from an art form and develop these over time. The students will present a final portfolio of process pages showing their development with written annotations explaining how they acquired the skills.

Assessment 2
Demonstrate the Acquisition of Techniques

The students would select a technique from the art form studied and demonstrate it on a drawing or painting rubric with steps, spaces for annotation and written explanation. The final assessment would show the steps of the technique with written explanation clarifying using appropriate language and art terminology.


Assessment 3

Demonstrate the Application of Skills and Techniques
In a final summative artwork the students would apply the skills and techniques that they acquired into a summative artwork. The artwork would include a written annotation detailing the skills and techniques used and the process for applying them to their artwork using appropriate language and art terminology.

Three Learning Engagements

Demonstrating Skills

The students would look at the artwork for the unit and break down the skills that the artist uses in a class discussion and written exercise. They would then observe a practical demonstration of the art skill by the teacher. The students would then participate in individual practice exercises utilizing the skill.

Demonstrating Techniques

The students would watch a video demonstration of an art technique and take notes on the process. The students would then work in groups with teacher feedback to recreate the technique. After the group work and feedback, the students would then recreate the technique individually.

Applying Skills and Techniques

The students would create a small scale artwork using the skills and techniques developed and apply them to their overall work. The teacher would provide a finished sample with steps on how to use and apply the skills and techniques into the final artwork. The students would follow the steps and develop and artwork with the skills and techniques from the artwork studied.

 

  

              

Applying Classroom Rules and Procedures

Recognizing Positive Behavior

When students are following the classroom procedures properly, adhering to the rules and abiding by the expecations, there are certain strategies a teacher can use to positively reinforce their behavior.

Initially for adhering to rules a teacher may use verbal or non-verbal acknowledgement such as commenting on a job well done or giving the student a smile, thumbs up, or pat on the back for working well. Both of these options allow the teacher to comment on the students work, reinforce good behavior, and acknowledge following routines.

The teacher may also use tangible recognition in which a student receives points for modeling good behavior. The teacher can use apps such as Classroom Dojo to manage points for behavior and plan for rewards. There are many ways of organizing the point system and linking it to student behavior. This can be used something for both positive and negative behaviors. Positive behaviors earn and maintain points, while negative subject from the total. The point system has draw backs in that students can begin working for the points rather than for the thing itself.

The teacher can also involve the home in recognition of positive behavior. The teacher can call, email or send notes and certificates home to discuss and recognize positive developments in student behavior. This shows that the teachers values the home-school connection and wants to acknowledge to the students family the positive behavior in class.

Strategies for lack of adherence to rules and procedures

The number one strategy for dealing with classroom problems is "with-it-ness." The teacher uses a general alertness, being proactive, and using the whole space to solve and deal with problems as they emerge. Being "with it" is essential being present and actively working to manage the classroom behavior.

Creating High Performance Learning Environments

Third Grade Chinese Math

Academic expectations

Do you think the teacher holds high performance expectations for students in each of these scenarios? Why or why not?

In this video, students can be seen studying math in the traditional Chinese way. They are chanting rhymes in unison, working in unison as a group and following set procedures with precision and attention. This short clip shows a well-engaged, disciplined and organized classroom.  However, apart from observing student behavior, it is difficult to assess the content as all of the instruction is in Chinese and there are no subtitles. Based solely on student behavior and engagement, one can see the students are very engaged in the process.("3rd grade Chinese--math class.avi", 2011).

According to Kan Wei, the Chinese system of math education is based on repetition and routine practice. The system implements a series of rhymes, chants, and practices. The students study math usually about 15 hours a week including homework. The Chinese system also utilizes differentiation in the form of different levels of difficulty for problems. The students work to solve the problems in front of the class using previous mathematical concepts (Wei, 2014). The emphasis of a considerable amount of math hours per week and the social learning environment in which all of the students must be performing to high standard of both understanding and action, shows that the teacher sets very high performance expectations. The group rhymes and problem solving requires that the students be paying attention and working in tandem with one another.

If this class is indicative of mainstream Chinese culture and approach to math education where students are regularly expected to do homework until 10:30 at night ("Inside of Chinese High Schools - An Exclusive Interview (Uncut)", 2012). This combination of high standards, rigorous classroom work, and regular extra work communicates that there are very high standards.


Behavior expectations

Do you think behavior expectations are high for students in each scenario? Why or why not?

In this video of the third grade Chinese math, in order for it to function, behavior has to be impeccable. The students are all participating. There is no disrupting. No talking out of turn. Everyone in the class is performing their role and doing so with precision and attention to the task. The students seem excited and energized by the process. While it's not apparent in the video, it is clear that the teacher has spent a considerable amount of time establishing the proper behavior and classroom expectations. However, one can see certain behavioral expectations. During the video before the teacher asks questions the students must place their hands behind their backs and then raise their hands to answer. There is a clear set of standards between the chanting and the individual answering. The students must work in unison in the form and follow a set of behavioral procedures in the latter.

Norms and Procedures 

What are the norms and procedures in these scenarios that support high student performance?

The norms seem to follow a set procedure. First chanting Chinese math rhymes to work on rote learning and memorization. The group chant uses language, social learning, and good behavior to drill the mathematical concepts and figures into the students heads. After this the students transition into solving problems. The teacher use transitional chants and rhymes to end a chant, has the students clasp their hands behind their backs, and raise their hands to volunteer. Then the students work to solve the problems on the board with the teacher. This combination of group drilling, individual questions, and group answers keeps the class engaged and moving through the information. The expectations seem to be very clear.

Roller Coaster Physics

Academic expectations

Do you think the teacher holds high performance expectations for students in each of these scenarios? Why or why not?

During this project the fifth grade students use physics to create a roller coaster. The students are challenged to create a roller coaster that is both fun and safe. The teacher incorporates Newton's Laws, Kinetic and Potential Energy into the project. The project incorporates group work, individual work and student/teacher critiques. The students test their projects for safety making sure that the marble stays on track at all times. The students also are challenged to create the longest ride. The teacher also incorporates reflections and group planning. The various tasks, assessment tools, and learning engagements creates a learning environment in which the students are problem solvers. The de-centralization of knowledge in this classroom and the emphasis of student led learning, shifts the responsibility of problem solving from the teacher onto the students. This is an invaluable skill allowing them to collaborate, offer feedback and solver problems collectively. The learning uses multiple learning styles (interpersonal, kinesthetic, oral linguistic) making the classroom more engaging for all kinds of learners.

Behavior expectations

Do you think behavior expectations are high for students in each scenario? Why or why not?

The behavior expectations are very high in that students must be the directors of their own learning. If they are off task, disrupting, the students will not be able to function in this kind of environment. Also the variety of tasks and the student-led learning contributes to making an environment in which the students are engaged and not off-topic.

Norms and Procedures 

What are the norms and procedures in these scenarios that support high student performance?

The class uses small tasks such as group sketches of designs, building tracks, group reflections, and discussions. The teacher facilitates the timing of these learning engagements by giving instructions and time periods to complete them in. The students after testing their designs use written reflections to analyze how their track worked. These norms and procedures keep the students engaged in the processes and tasks. The individual groups also have individual roles such as the organizer, recorder, and accountant.  A recorder records ideas and modifications to the track as they progress. The students use their learning styles. Whereas the accountant tracks the budget that they must work with(Migdol).

Whole Brain Teachers

Academic expectations

Do you think the teacher holds high performance expectations for students in each of these scenarios? Why or why not?

The Whole Brain Teaching in this classroom has a similar approach as the Chinese math teacher. Chants and hand gestures are used to transition the class, focus behavior, and reiterate rules and expectations. Like the students in the Chinese math class, the students seem to be enjoying the chants in unison the work using hand gestures in tandem with talking. However, the education model is still textbook based, top down instruction, but with chanting and hand gestures added on top. The technique as a whole claims to activate different parts of the brain and create an environment of active classroom learning. However, the learning engagements visible in this video do not show a classroom that is producing learning engagements that are at all remarkable. Rather it seems to be a complex behavioral management system without the phenomenal pedagogy.

Behavior expectations

Do you think behavior expectations are high for students in each scenario? Why or why not?

The behavior in this is excellent. The students are all working in tandem, following rules (that they know by heart), and consistently on task. The use of prescribed rituals and a high energy classroom keeps the students engaged.  

Norms and Procedures 

What are the norms and procedures in these scenarios that support high student performance?

The teacher uses attention getters, call and response, reciting rules and student rituals for certain actions such as calling out the page they are meant to turn to turn in unison as they open their books. The use of hand-gestures, attention getters, and student rituals cements the procedures in an active and energetic set of norms.

Summary

• Compare how you would create learning environments for your students that are similar or in contrast to the three teaching situations illustrated in the above videos. 
• Provide a brief context for your summary in terms of grade level and background of your students.

In terms of the learning engagements that I found most compelling in this group, I would have to say the Roller Coaster Physics project appealed to me the most. The Chinese method I found two teacher centered, and the procedures of the whole brain learning class I found to be unnatural, too regimented, and stifling. As an art teacher, my hope is to have a classroom that is creative, fun, and engaging. In order for that to happen it needs to engage the students using multiple learning styles, a variety of group roles and activities. My art classes are already project-based, but I want to adapt the use of reflections integrated into the weekly schedule as well as group roles and responsibilities. My students are from 4th grade up to 12th grade. In upper primary, fourth and fifth, the students have transitioned from a smaller gender integrated campus in third grade to a larger boys only campus in 4-12th. The students are all Muslims, Arabs, and mostly Saudis. For the upper primary, I would organize them into groups like this with responsibility for supplies, materials, and reflections. The whole brain classroom and the Chinese math have interesting models for behavior and routine, but the one that fits my situation the most is the project based learning.

Works Cited:

T. (2011, June 13). 3rd grade Chinese--math class.avi. Retrieved November 11, 2016, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7LseF6Db5g

Wei, K. (2014, March 25). Explainer: What makes Chinese maths lessons so good? Retrieved November 11, 2016, from http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-makes-chinese-maths-lessons-so-good-24380

Inside of Chinese High Schools - An Exclusive Interview (Uncut). (2012, May 25). Retrieved November 11, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdcJeshbB-4&feature=youtu.be

Migdol, D. (n.d.). Roller Coaster Physics: STEM in Action. Retrieved November 11, 2016, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-stem-strategies

Shayne, R. (2011, May 31). Whole Brain Teaching Richwood High - The Basics. Retrieved November 11, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXTtR7lfWU&feature=youtu.be

The Caring and Concerned Classroom

Fostering a classroom environment that is caring and concerned for the well-being of the students is very important. A classroom that fosters mutual respect between the students and the teacher minimizes bad behavior and positively effects academic performance. By being concerned for the well-being of all students and creating a culture in which bullying is treated as a community problem to be solved by all involved, the students behavior and academic performance with improve.

Beginning with the issue of bullying. Teachers now are more aware of the gravity of bullying and cyberbullying. In order to combat bullying, teasing, or harassment without using authority and punitive measures, schools rely on a variety of techniques. One such technique that I thought was very effective from the reading was to monitor at risk students with daily check-ins from a staff member. This creates a connection of trust and relationship between the teacher and the student. Other strategies include taking immediate action, teach the students to be allies against bullying, and integrated anti-bullying learning activities into the curriculum. By creating steps to combat bullying, the teacher will ensure a more cohesive classroom community in which the emotional well-being of all the students will be protected and safe-guarded.

Teaching in an environment where I am the minority in all ways has given me a sense of the real need for understanding and empathy inside of the classroom. My students are all native Arabic speakers, Arabs (95% Saudi), Muslims, and part of the same extended family and tribal groups. They have a very different cultural, linguistic, and religious background from me. To them, Religion permeates and dominates their lives. The very society that they come from has only recently curtailed the power of the religious police and still mandates the closing of all businesses for prayer. My students believe differently in all manner of issues and behaviors from me, yet together we have been able to find common ground through mutual respect and empathy.

One way that I've shown the students that their concerns and priorities are important to me is by learning about their religion. I am at best an agnostic with atheistic tendencies and I've never been religious. Teaching boys whose whole identity, nationality,  culture, and language is predicated upon the tenets of Islam made me decide to learn more about the religion itself. I reasoned, that if I knew more about their religion I would be able to understand their priorities and values better. Through discussing religion and asking informed questions, I've shown the students that I take their priorities and faith seriously and respectfully.

Another step I've taken is familiarizing myself with the families, parents, cousins, and uncles of the students. By knowing their families I am able to show the students that they are not simple some nearly anonymous figure in my class. Rather, I am taking the time to learn about them and their families while simultaneously strengthening the home school connection.





Sources:
References:
Marzano, R. J. (2007). The art and science of teaching: A comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Schibsted, E. (2009, May 13). Bookmark How to Develop Positive Classroom Management Evantheia Schibsted. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from https://www.edutopia.org/classroom-management-relationships-strategies-tips

Building Relationships: Share Passion with Students. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2016, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teacher-student-relationship

McClure, L. (2016, October 10). Bringing Restorative Practices to Your School. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/bringing-restorative-practices-to-your-school-laura-mcclure

Stansberry Brusnahan, L., & Neilsen Gatti, S. (n.d.). Impact Newsletter: Where Does Social-Emotional Well-Being Fit into the School Curriculum? Retrieved October 28, 2016, from https://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/241/5.html 

Change Attitudes Toward Bullying: Be An Ally. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2016,

from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/be-an-ally

Manna, R. (n.d.). What Can I Do About Bullies? | Scholastic.com. Retrieved October 27, 2016,

from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/what-can-i-do-about-bullies

Language Learners and Stages of Language Acquisition

Next unit, I will be teaching a unit on literature and creative writing in fourth grade. We will be reading poetry, learning about poetic forms, performing poetry and writing our own poems.

This class has a variety of levels of acquisition.

Student 1:

Stage II: Early Production

This student is a new immigrant and new to the class and school. He has some English. The student is beginning to speak in short phrases. He asks regularly, "I write?" or "I do?" And points to writing prompts, or the daily bulletin projected on the screen in the morning. He can copy words and sentences but he cannot produce much writing or comprehend what he's copying. 

Some of the strategies for working with this student (Haynes):

• Ask yes/no questions.
• Allow the student to give one or two word answers.
• Allow the student the chance to participate in whole class conversations.
• Use pictures to support student learning.

Student 2:

Stage III Speech Emergence

This student is a native Arabic speaker and is still learning English. He is newer to the school than some of the children. He is also of a more middle class background and is raised directly by his parents. He doesn't have a nanny or a driver and thus at home the language is solely Arabic. He is speaking in short phrases now and can complete some writing work with teacher support. He is also now checking out simple reading books from the library.

Some of the strategies for working with this student (Haynes):

• Read shorter modified texts
• Complete graphic organizers with word banks.
• Understand and answer questions about charts and graphs.
• Match vocabulary words to definitions.
• Study flashcards with content area vocabulary.
• Write in dialogue journals.
• Compose brief stories based on personal experience.
• Understand teacher explanations and two-step directions.
• Write and illustrate riddles.

Student 3:

Stage IV Intermediate fluency

This student is a Native Arabic speaker with behavioral problems and a learning disability that have delayed his progress in language acquisition somewhat. However, in the last year he's made substantial progress and is now beginning to use complex sentences in his writing and speaking. He readily shares his opinions with class. He also is now using questions to make his learning clear.

Some of the strategies for working with this student (Haynes):

• Focus on making inferences in writing and reading
• Work on developing student grammar
• Move student's away from translating from their native language towards composing in second

Student 4:

Stage V: Advanced fluency

This student is writing at grade level and reading chapter books independently. He is able to read, write, and express himself without much difficulty. He still needs some support in English and humanities.

Some of the strategies for working with this student (Haynes):

• Provide extra support in writing and reading skills

Works Cited

Haynes, J. (n.d.). Stages of Second Language Acquisition Pre ... Retrieved October 21, 2016, from https://www.vsra.org/HANDOUTS2010/ELL 1/02 HAYNES L2 ACQUISITION.pdf

IEP Referral Process Interviews

I interviewed the school counselor and one teacher who had referred students to special education. At our school special education is a need as we have a large amount of learning disabled students. The school has a referral program place and a Special Education learning support teacher.

During my interview with the boys counselor he talked about how the referral process involved taking into account concerns of teachers or parents. Once the concern has been identified the teacher must complete a referral form. Once the child is referred, the learning support specialist is responsible for the child's progress, but works closely with the counselor, principal and vice principal. The students are then given additional support classes, usually taken from non essential subject times (mostly French language). The counselor mentioned that during this process that parents are involved up until the point of referral, but that they are also often involved in providing additional tutors and shadow teachers.

The teacher that I interviewed described the ways in which struggling students are identified through behavior issues, social/developmental delays, low performance in class, low test scores, the inability to focus, and the inability to follow either written or verbal instruction. The teacher also discussed things to do before referring a student such as observations, differentiated assignments, using individual instruction, and checking for social problems that could be interfering with the student's learning.

The process that the counselor described reminded me of a less involved version of the student Welfare Team used in the Finnish model of education. The student Welfare Team is a committee comprised of Principals, Teachers, and Psychologists that meet regularly to discuss and identify student issues that could pose problems for teaching and learning. At our school there is a similar committee that meets once the student has been referred. However, in the Finnish system the meetings are regular and focused on identifying problems as the emerge, rather than waiting until a child has already been struggling and referred. The preventative nature of the Finnish model is unique. What's more, the Finnish model also makes an intentional shift towards focusing on the general wellness of the students, not merely learning and learning difficulties.

While our school is lacking in the impressive technology of schools like the School of One, it does incorporate individual instruction, varied presentation, involving parents in the referral process, and differentiating instruction. The technological tools of the School of One are incredibly impressive in their functionality. The use of an algorithmic assessment tool to guide student learning of skills is truly impressive. I think implementing it would a fascinating and valuable experience.

Common Core Standards

Common Core Standards

The National Education Association in its article, 5 facts: Making Sense of the Common Core, details the ways in which the Common will mark a beneficial change in American education. Before this investigation, I only knew that Common Core was an attempt by the American educational system to re-do the educational standards and begin to effect meaningful change. However I must confess, my knowledge besides that was rather limited. In this five facts article Cindy Long breaks the Common Core down into five essential facts, but we could just as soon call them tenant. The five facts according to Long are (Long 2016):

1. They Will Deepen Problem-Solving Skills and Critical Thinking
2. They Promote Greater Opportunity for All Kids
3. They Bring Back Flexibility and Creativity
4. They Call for Collaborative Decisions
5. Implementation is the Key to Success

The fact that Common Core standards are attempting to address the same issues others have called the challenges of the 21st century learn seems by promoting problem solving, flexibility, and creativity seems entirely positive. Furthermore, moving away from previous policies emphasis on testing and teaching to the test also seems like a step in the right direction (C. The standards seems to be setting a system that is opening up the possibility for teaching and learning, rather than limiting them or constraining them to merely meeting the standards of testing. This renewed emphasis on standards, teaching and learning, and real skills that have applications in careers, education and life is an improvement to the educational system in the US.

This initial article also differentiates Common from previous acts such as NCLB, which emphasized testing and produced an educational model in which teachers and schools were teaching to the test.  

The added emphasis of creating a standard that promotes equity while allowing for collaboration (with teachers, parents, students, and communities) shows that this is a flexible framework aimed at real reform in the educational systems in the US.

The CCSO site refers to the Common Core Standards as (CCSO 2016) "Common Core [as an] ambitious reform ...  [with] transformational potential to significantly improve student outcomes and equity for all students."

The Core Standards site outlines the Common Core standards as follows:

1. Research and evidence based
2. Clear, understandable, and consistent
3. Aligned with college and career expectations
4. Based on rigorous content and the application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills
5. Built upon the strengths and lessons of current state standards
6. Informed by other top-performing countries to prepare all students for success in our global economy and society

Each of these six points further contributes to the CCSO's statement that these standards are not just educational benchmarks, but truly a reform aimed at making students competitive in an increasingly changing and global world. The emphasis on research and accessibility with real world applications fits in with the greater concept of the 21st century learning.

Further examination shows that this is not just empty rhetoric, but the standards are in fact a detailed and dynamic framework that integrate multiple subjects into previously isolated ones. For example according to the Core Standards English Language Arts standards site (English Language Arts Standards 2016):

The Common Core asks students to read stories and literature, as well as more complex texts that provide facts and background knowledge in areas such as science and social studies. Students will be challenged and asked questions that push them to refer back to what they’ve read. This stresses critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that are required for success in college, career, and life.

The common core is creating a standard which is flexible, allows for the integration of subjects, and "stresses" the development of critical-thinking, problem solving, and analysis as integral parts of Language arts. This shows that the standards are in fact dynamic and focused on creating reform that is truly ambitious. There is also space for the students to reflect and inquire within this framework. The site further outlines how the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening have been developed as "anchor standards" in the core subject of English Language Arts as well as supplemental literacy standards in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. The designers of the Common Core have a parallel in Vygotsky who noted that (Vygotsky 1978) "that language is the main tool that promotes thinking, develops reasoning, and supports cultural activities like reading and writing."

In an article about project learning on the American Federation of Teachers, Nell K. Duke writes:

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, one of the anchor standards for reading calls for students to “integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words,” as students are likely to do in projects.

As a teacher, who teaches both language arts and visual arts, this is actually exciting to read. Not only are these standards well suited to project learning as Nell points, but they also incorporate a variety of learning styles and intelligences. Rather than isolating the skill set into a narrow subject, language arts becomes a malleable set of skills with far reaching applications, able to be translated into a variety of forms and uses.

Works Cited

Long, C. (n.d.). 5 Facts: Making Common Sense of the Common Core. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.nea.org/home/56587.htm

CCSO (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Publications/Teaching_to_the_Core_Integrating_Implementation_of_Common_Core_and_Teacher_Effectiveness_Policies.html

English Language Arts Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978) Mind in Society:  The development of higher psychological processes.  Cambridge, MA.:  Harvard University Press.

Duke, N. K. (n.d.). Project-Based Instruction. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.aft.org/ae/fall2016/duke