Inquiring Into the Common Core

A well-organized, easy-to-read format makes Inquiring into the Common Core a great resource to guide teacher inquiry, discussions in professional learning communities, or a schoolwide book study. Centered around the stories and reflective voices of teachers, this book provides authentic and practical tools and resources for educators to effectively engage in the complex and rewarding work of understanding and applying these new standards for student learning. -- Mary Conage, Title I Director 20130313 Using inquiry as a means of addressing the Common Core Standards is a wonderful way to transform the learning experiences for everyone. With teachers and students as learners, leaders and inquirers, the inquiry process provides a great framework for diving into the Common Core Standards. This book highlights possibilities for teaching and learning with the ingenuity of teachers and the resilience of students as they venture into the raised standards of the Common Core. -- Donnan Stoicovy, Lead Learner 20130321 In Inquiring Into the Common Core, Nancy Dana has provided practitioners with another 'go to' book for ideas and guidance. Teachers, principals, and central office administrators will discover a very helpful book full of useful examples and references for implementing the Common Core State Standards. Once again, Nancy and her colleagues guide educators through the inquiry process with a focus on increased student learning. Inquiring Into the Common Core presents a well conceived process for using teacher and student inquiry to implement the Common Core State Standards. -- Cynthia Simonsen, Director of Learning and Instruction 20130328 We must answer the call of the Common Core to empower our teachers as professionals and inquirers. Dana, Burns and Wolkenhauer provide a framework for how to go about this work in a clear and urgent manner. The Common Core is clear about what to teach. How to teach is up to us. To reach the promise of the Common Core, we must position ourselves as studiers of our own practice. As good as we are, we can always get better; this is the inherent message of Inquiring Into the Common Core. Inquiry is not a scary thing! -- Katherine Reed, Teacher Development Specialist 20130328 This book is clearly a must read for any educator responsible for implementing the Common Core State Standards. Through authentic classroom examples, the authors present a compelling argument for using inquiry as both a powerful professional learning design for developing teachers' expertise in the implementation of the Common Core, and as an effective instructional approach to actively engage students in their learning of the standards. -- Amy B. Colton, Executive Director 20130328 In the book Inquiring Into the Common Core, practitioners will find a roadmap, travel guide, and even 'snap shots' of inquiry work with the Common Core standards. As we travel a new path in education with the Common Core standards, the pioneers of this book and the teachers at Woodson Elementary provide practical tips and motivate us for the journey. Readers will learn how to use Common Core standards as the map and inquiry as the vehicle for the learning ride of a lifetime! THIS is how we should approach bringing the Common Core standards to life in our classrooms. -- Kathy Christensen, 2010 Florida Elementary Reading Coach of the Year 20130328 Inquiring Into the Common Core is an excellent resource for educators who want to make the conversion to Common Core successfully. For anyone questioning the purpose of this broad movement in education, the authors provide us with the What, How and Why. Most importantly, this book helps to eliminate any fear associated with the transition to Common Core. This is a 'teacher friendly' book; the authors truly understand and convey the complexities of the modern classroom and the relationship between teaching and learning. The way the authors have successfully and effectively linked learning theory to instructional practice is truly refreshing. -- Neyland G. Clark, Superintendent 20130411