Common Core: Teaching Optimum Topic Exploration (TOTE)

Abstract

The Common Core has become a household term and yet many educators do not understand what it means. This article explains the historical perspectives of the Common Core and gives guidance to teachers in application of Teaching Optimum Topic Exploration (TOTE) necessary for full implementation of the Common Core State Standards. An effective teacher must be a facilitator of learning, not a guardian of knowledge. The teacher should open the door for students to explore, create and think. Exceptional educators of the past - e.g. Piaget, Vygotsky, and Dewey - provide the education field with thoughts verifying the critical importance of the involvement of both educators and students in the learning process. This article gives current educators suggestions from the research of past experts to create strong lessons using the Common Core.