“…to create just these kinds of tests—next-generation assessments aligned to the common core. When the tests are aligned to the common standards, the curriculum will line up as well—and that will unleash powerful market forces in the service of better teaching.”
– Bill Gates, 2009 Speech To Natl. Conf. of State Legislatures

The goal is to align everything so that students and the money have nowhere to go but Common Core.

Common Core Standards are supposed to be ‘clearer, deeper and fewer’.

Perhaps that’s true of the top-line standards, but once you get into the weeds of the scaffolding,  ‘clearer’ and ‘fewer’ as descriptors are laughable.

Well, fear not. There’s an app for that… “Free”, of course.

“9 free apps for Common Core scaffolding”

The article doesn’t really explain what scaffolding is — a set of sub-layers or processes of temporary support that are put in place by the teacher to promote ‘deeper’ learning.

There are actually only 7 apps really described, but the author includes Evernote, or WeChat under Story Buddy 2 lite.

1. Common Core app
2. Apps for Common Core
3. Common Core ConceptBank
4. Popplet
5. Subtext
6. Story Buddy 2 Lite
7. Smule Auto Rap