Working with iO this and last week has been interesting. I’ve met some really great people and recently I’ve started to dig my teeth into research on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) which will be implemented in 44 states, the District of Columbia, and 4 other U.S. territories. Needless to say, these standards are causing a bit of a fuss. Implementation may be difficult, and right now the task might seem overwhelming, but on the whole CCSS are not curricula they are standards, and as such they do actually allow creative and flexible lesson planing. A few community minded and motivated teachers might second that statement. Overall I think their implementation will be worth the bother. The standards are fairly basic and after doing a bit of research I’m surprised at the harsh reaction some educators and policy makers have intimated. A standard generally addresses a skill students should acquire in school through the implementation of a lesson plan created by the teacher. One such standard, which would not make many teachers jaw drop is; to be able to identify key ideas in a text and be able to explain how those ideas are developed throughout the text. I might have a more optimistic outlook on the Common Core than some, but based on research, I don’t think my view is unwarranted. The Common Core State Standards are research based standards, grounded in research, and created by teachers and standards experts to teach skills which are internationally competitive and prepare students for success in college, career, and life.
I’ve also been looking at the development needs for young adolescents and how tailoring education to those needs is extremely important for their success. The education system may be in trouble, but by no means is there nothing we can do about it. Community mindedness and developmentally aware teachers can set the stage for more receptive and involved students. Also, particular “meaning systems” can have an impact on education. Such as, whether the student believes in a fixed entity intelligence (that intelligence levels are set at birth and effort does little to affect success and intelligence) or incremental intelligence (which relies on constant effort and perseverance). The incremental view has been shown to have an affect on student success, strategy, and empowerment. In the time I spend with iO I hope to help develop ways which iO resident writers can meet CCSS and create lesson plans that are grounded in the awareness of developmental processes and beliefs which affect young adolescent behavior and learning.
Inside Out already does a fantastic job in respecting and helping to develop brave student voices conducive to social change and awareness. The iO office library attests to that. The poetry anthologies are comprised of powerful voices from elementary to high school students. IO’s fosters creativity and curiosity through literary self-expression. The project’s manifest function is first and foremost, to transform student lives with poetry, but perhaps the latent function is transformation of community through the development of powerful voices and the awareness inspired through poetry and the power of the written word to change minds and connect people and communities. However, as any successful organization stands the test of time, they also must be flexible to accommodate new standards and research which could affect how they operate. Through my research this summer I hope to help iO accommodate change.
Well done Nate!