Visualizing the Common Core Curriculum

By Rena Silverman –

Rian Dundon had to go back to high school for nine months last year. Mind you, he was already a working photojournalist. His assignment was to create a visual narrative for the Common Core, the educational initiative that has generated as much controversy as it has expectations.

There are so many buzzwords associated with the Common Core — career readiness, deeper learning, critical thinking — that it’s hard to know what it all even means. Adopted by over 40 states, the educational initiative that is now in its fifth year, aims to prepare students from kindergarten through high school for entry-level careers, training programs or college.

But, what does that actually look like? For some parents who are unable to engage with teachers directly in the classroom, either because of work or language barriers, it can be a pile of papers, a confused child struggling to decipher math problems, strange new tests, or maybe a website with some Frequently Asked Questions.

Source: Visualizing the Common Core Curriculum – The New York Times