News Brief
Charlotte Danielson on Teaching and the Common Core
Education Week (03/13/13) Rebora, AnthonyCharlotte Danielson, creator of the "Framework for Teaching," says under the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), teachers will have to adopt instructional strategies that allow students to explore concepts, discuss them with their peers, and question and challenge their classmates in a respectable manner. "I think the common core rests on a view of teaching as complex decision making, as opposed to something more routine or drill-based," she says. She notes that her framework has not changed much in response to the CCSS. "The Framework for Teaching has always been grounded in the same fundamental assumptions as the common standards ... I just called those things out," she remarks, while pointing out that her framework is generic, whereas the CCSS apply to two subject areas, literacy and mathematics. Danielson does not believe the CCSS will make it harder to evaluate teachers' practice, noting that she would look at what the students are doing and for common themes that run through the common core. She insists that teachers should be given room to experiment as they implement the CCSS, as they merely describe what students will learn and there are numerous ways for those goals to be accomplished. "I think implementation of this will be more productive if it's done through groups of teachers working together or with a principal or instructional coach or team leader - as opposed to having a principal say, 'This is the way it has to be.'" In regards to teachers currently transitioning to the CCSS, Danielson says they should determine how the standards are compatible with what they are already doing and want to do in their classrooms, keeping in mind that the standards call for "deep engagement" and "really teaching for understanding."
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