A Creative Approach to the Common Core Standards

The Da Vinci Curriculum

By (author) Harry Chaucer

Hardback - £108.00

Publication date:

12 April 2012

Length of book:

222 pages

Publisher

R&L Education

ISBN-13: 9781610486729

A Creative Approach to the Common Core Standards: The Da Vinci Curriculum challenges educators to design programs that boldly embrace the Common Core State Standards by imaginatively drawing from the genius of great men and women such as Leonardo da Vinci. A central figure in the High Renaissance, Leonardo made extraordinary contributions as a painter, architect, sculptor, scientist, engineer, and futurist. A Creative Approach demonstrates that schools can cultivate genius such as Leonardo’s while insuring that all students realize the core skills that are crucial to all citizens.

Chaucer’s Da Vinci Curriculum is relevant to public and independent educators who are creating schools-within-schools, charter schools, renewing schools, or rethinking their own classrooms. A Creative Approach serves as a model of biographical curricula that embraces the standards that Americans share as citizens in a democracy. The text is rich in theory that has been tested in real classrooms. By example, Chaucer demonstrates that high schools can be more demanding, imaginative, engaging, and joyous that most high schools tend to be today. By adapting the Da Vinci Curriculum, all educators can participate in this educational renaissance!
Harry Chaucer incorporates Dewey's emphasis on experience into an up- to- date understanding of both interdisciplinary approaches to learning and adolescents' stages of emotional and cognitive development. While celebrating Leonardo as an example of intellectual and artistic integrity within the Gailer School's Da Vinci Curriculum, Chaucer's fundamental concerns as an educator are to encourage authentic engagement and expression in his students, along with responsibility, mutual supportiveness, and creative play in their school- community as a whole. I feel excited by this challenging and hopeful vision of what education can be.