Creativity and the Common Core State Standards are both important to today’s teachers. Yet, for many educators, nurturing students’ creativity seems to conflict with ensuring that they learn specific skills and content. In this book, the authors outline ways to adapt existing lessons and mandated curricula to encourage the development of student creativity alongside more traditional academic skills. Based on cutting-edge psychological research on creativity, the text debunks common misconceptions about creativity and describes how learning environments can support both creativity and the Common Core, offers creative lessons and insights for teaching English language arts and mathematics, and includes assessments for creativity and Common Core learning. Featuring numerous classroom examples, this practical resource will empower teachers to think of the Common Core and creativity as encompassing complementary, rather than mutually exclusive, goals. Book Features: Shows how teaching skills mandated by the CCSS and teaching for creativity can reinforce one another. Helps teachers better understand what creativity is, how to develop it, and how to assess it in meaningful ways. Examines the many misconceptions about creativity that prevent teachers from doing their best work. Provides classroom examples, ideas, and lesson plans from successful teachers across disciplines. “This wonderful book makes the important point that teaching to well-designed standards is completely consistent with teaching for creativity. [It] is filled with practical advice for teachers about how to teach to Common Core standards, in both ELA and math, in ways that lead to creative learning outcomes.” —Keith Sawyer, Morgan Distinguished Professor in Educational Innovations, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “Beghetto, and Baer make a strong, nuanced case that knowledge for the sake of knowledge may be acceptable for immediate retention, but knowledge in the service of creating new possibilities has long-term consequences that can’t be ignored by educators and society.” —Scott Barry Kaufman, scientific director, The Imagination Institute and researcher, Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania

The Common Core State Standards-based lesson planning formats to use to develop creativity and thinking.

The author's second book combines English Language Arts Standards with fun in the classroom! Acknowledging the demands placed on today's teachers, the author has made this book extremely user-friendly. All 30 projects and activities, explained in the introduction, are ready for immediate use in the classroom. Student projects and activities include acting out skits, completing smartphone-styled worksheets and graphic organizers, flipping coins, rolling dice, and more! This book is a creative resource that keeps fun in the classroom while supporting skill development of English Language Arts Standards. At around 30 cents per project/activity, these are great activities at a great value! The book is comprised of 30 projects and activities that are standards-based and/or support skill development of the English Language Arts Standards as determined by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Many of these projects and activities may be used throughout the year as they are developing skills that students should continually practice and enhance. A special bonus section includes an activity from the author's first book, a classroom management plan, and a daily theme activity that adds fun and excitement to the classroom.

Launch a successful writing workshop with the help of a dynamic teacher who opens up her classroom to share clear steps in photographs.

The author's third book offers new creative, effective, and fun ways for students to develop skills related to the Common Core State Standards. The book includes 30 ready-to-go activities that are standards-based and/or support skill development of the English Language Arts Standards as determined by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Many of these activities may be repeated throughout the school year as they are developing skills that students should continually practice. Understanding the many hats that today's teachers wear, the author has made this book extremely user-friendly. The activities, explained in the introduction, are ready for immediate use in the classroom. Student activities include making and supporting claims in creative ways, challenging peers in a special edition of Four Square, completing road sign inspired worksheets and graphic organizers, flipping coins, rolling dice, and more. This book is a great resource by an educator familiar with Common Core. At around 50 cents per activity, this is truly a great value! A special bonus section includes activities from the author's first two books.

Essential reading for school leaders! With the Common Core State Standards adopted by the vast majority of U.S. states, educators face the challenge of translating the standards into successful, positive change within schools. Written for school leaders, this practical guide offers a blueprint for implementing and exceeding the new standards using very targeted professional development. Readers will find realistic strategies supported by examples from a diverse range of schools. Topics include Empowering teachers and staff as partners in planning for and implementing the new standards Adapting existing curriculum to meet goals for mathematics and language arts at each grade level Designing assessments that measure mastery of the standards Ensuring that the standards benefit learning for all students, including multicultural learners Lead your school or district in fulfilling the promise of the Common Core State Standards and preparing students for a competitive global economy. "This book looks at the implementation of CCSS within the context of all of the components that face public schools, and, in doing so, puts the CCSS in a proper perspective. This is a book that could actually help make a difference in the improvement of instruction in the public schools." —Martin J. Hudacs, Superintendent Solanco School District, Quarryville, PA "Making the Common Core Standards Work provides a detailed approach to systems thinking and how to manage a real-life paradigm shift." —William Richard Hall, Jr., Principal R. C. Longan Elementary School, Henrico, VA

How the Common Core standardizes our kids’ education—and how it threatens our democracy. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is one of the most controversial pieces of education policy to emerge in decades. Detailing what and when K–12 students should be taught, it has led to expensive reforms and displaced other valuable ways to educate children. In this nuanced and provocative book, Nicholas Tampio argues that, though national standards can raise the education bar for some students, the democratic costs outweigh the benefits. To make his case, Tampio describes the history, philosophy, content, and controversy surrounding the Common Core standards for English language arts and math. He also explains and critiques the Next Generation Science Standards, the Advanced Placement US History curriculum framework, and the National Sexuality Education Standards. Though each set of standards has admirable elements, Tampio asserts that democracies should disperse education authority rather than entrust one political or pedagogical faction to decide the country’s entire philosophy of education. Ultimately, this lively and accessible book presents a compelling case that the greater threat to democratic education comes from centralized government control rather than from local education authorities.