Before we even begin, I need to remind you of something, because I know many of you are still confused by Facebook Parent Propaganda (FPP) and ill-informed educators. The Common Core does not dictate curriculum. Let me repeat: THE COMMON CORE DOES NOT DICTATE CURRICULUM. It says what you have to know, but not how to get there. So I don’t want you getting all mad at my beautiful daughter, who is now a video spokesfirstgrader for the new standards over at greatschools.org. I will not refute that, due to the new system, many companies have jumped on this opportunity to make money and have released all new textbooks and learning systems with the words “common core compliant” all over them, but that is not common core’s fault. That is the fault of the evil capitalists of the world, most of whom reside in Texas. Your school did not need to buy those new books.
So with that out of the way, I am so excited to announce to you all that my daughter was selected to star in some videos that demonstrate what the 1st grade requirements are for writing. There are three different videos:
Can your 1st grader research and discuss a topic?
Can your 1st grader write a simple essay?
What does 1st grade writing look like?
We were contacted about this possibility last year, when she actually was in first grade, and my wife and I asked Ruby if she was interested in doing something like this. It would mean missing a few days of class with her friends, and she would have to pick out a few shirts and bring them to school to wear on the filming days for editing continuity, and she would have to be comfortable writing, and then sharing that writing with, well, the internet. Ruby was game to try it, so we sent her off to school and then waited anxiously to hear how it went.
She seemed to have a great time doing it, but then all we heard for a long time was, “When can I see the videos I made?” And we would tell her that she could see them very soon, we were quite sure. And then, eventually, we forgot about them. A year later, yesterday afternoon to be exact, she came home with the school newsletter in her backpack, and it mentioned that the videos were now online and available at the Great Schools website. A few clicks later, and there she was, my little internet superstar. I couldn’t be more proud. And if you are still angry about the common core, talk to your school district. They generally make the decisions about curriculum, and I’m sure they would be more than happy to hear your angry rant.