Will the Common Core Widen the New Digital Divide

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...in the context of the new Annual Professional Performance Review (Teacher Evaluation) system, there is a real danger that in a race to teaching to the test to preserve one's livelihood, as teachers will do, our disadvantaged students will lose out. Here's a piece that addresses some of these concerns and poses some important questions.

Will the Common Core Widen the Digital Divide?
SchoolBook.org 9/12/2013
by John Elfrank-Dana

Ever since the advent of Web 2.0, users of technology are no longer just spectators and consumers of web pages but content providers and active participants. The implications for teaching and learning are enormous, especially now as teachers focus on the new Common Core standards that demand more critical thinking skills.

As a high school social studies teacher, and observer of new technology, I've seen whole new skill-set emerging with concepts such as Collective Intelligence enabling people to work together in new ways, Transmedia Navigation (story telling through various media) and Networking to name a few. This skill set necessitates problem-based and authentic learning and often significant tracks of time from standard curriculum scope. (Read full article)