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krats1976
Joined: 14 May 2003
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 Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:39 pm Post subject: Education in America |
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Very interesting article in Time about how education needs to adapt to the new world. This is the exact same stuff that I've been hearing throughout educational circles.
I thought some of you (especially the certified teachers) might be interested in what these folks have to say:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1568480,00.html
It's too long to copy & paste here, but this sums up the general theme of the story:
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| For the past five years, the national conversation on education has focused on reading scores, math tests and closing the "achievement gap" between social classes. This is not a story about that conversation. This is a story about the big public conversation the nation is not having about education, the one that will ultimately determine not merely whether some fraction of our children get "left behind" but also whether an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the global economy because they can't think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, distinguish good information from bad or speak a language other than English. |
It also refers to what they call the "21st Century Skills":
* Knowing more about the world.
* Thinking outside the box
* Becoming smarter about new sources of information
* Developing good people skills
This list reminds me of what a presenter said at a conference for overseas schools administrators I attended recently. He said we are doing an excellent job of preparing leaders .... for 20 years ago.
What do you think? |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:56 pm Post subject: |
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Left behind???
The Rapture is coming?
Wait for me! I promise not to study science!
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 12:58 am Post subject: |
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| Very interesting article |
Yes, that is an interesting article. Thanks for posting it. It not only quotes Friedman, it follows pretty well what he says in "The World is Flat". I liked what it said about focusing on core knowledge as the forerunner to interdisciplinary thought. Ya gotta have the basic knowledge before you can begin to put it all together.
The most interesting idea was the web site that will have thousands of lessons online for people to learn what they want. This is a big step in the right direction of people learning on their own. It also follows naturally from the idea of recording the best teachers to make their work available to more people.
It is time for everyone to discuss education in new and innovative ways to begin to come to grips with the changing world.
The NCLB thing is good in its intent, if the intent is to provide sound education to all kids. That isn't really what happened with it. It got hung up on level testing and accountability. Both can be important but should not be the goal.
My complaint about the article at this point is that it didn't mention how to deal with what I think is the biggest weakness of education, which Korea has solved. Korean families are obsessed with education and many many of them sacrifice everything to get their kids to study and excel. Not by all means all students--I've worked in two high schools where few parents do that. But many parents do, and I think that is where many American families fall short. There's plenty of family support if Johnny wants to become a football star, but precious little if he wants to become a rocket scientist. That needs to be addressed. |
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Lao Wai
Joined: 01 Aug 2005
Location: East Coast Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:08 am Post subject: |
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Hey,
Thanks for the article. It was a good read. I'm a public school teacher who did my teaching practicum in two Canadian schools in semi-affluent areas. I was pretty shocked at the lack of technology being used in public schools today. The computers were old, and half of them didn't work. Some of the teachers' ideas for technology assignments were to type a few lines in MS Word and underline, bold, etc.
I taught grade four at an international school in China. My students used powerpoint to do presentations for social studies, used a typing program, were taught some reliable websites to go to for accurate information, and used MS Excel to make bar graphs, pie charts, etc. for math class....and a whole lot more!
My students were also constantly doing group work and were, for every new unit of work we did, asked 'why' we were studying it, the practical applications, etc.
My point in writing this is not to brag and say that I'm super teacher....because I'm not...not yet anyway.  It's only been a few years since I graduated, but I think anyone who has attended a half-way decent education program knows that you can't teach in the same old ways we were taught. Still, the problem is, if your school doesn't have the resources to keep up with the new methodology, what are you going to do?
In defence of American education...I think that teachers in the U.S. are among the most hard working in the world. My aunt is a teacher in New Hampshire, and the horror stories she tells me about No Child Left Behind and it's affect on teachers make me glad I don't teach there. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 5:57 am Post subject: |
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| I didn't read the article, but research also shows that black students take tests differently. If a questions is asked on a standardized test, on average more white students get it right while more black students miss it. But, when the same question is asked or the same information is requested in a different format, black students who missed the question on the standardized test will give the correct answer. Different cultures use language differently and have different cognitive processes. |
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happygirl
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 6:36 am Post subject: |
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Great article. The curriki.org site wouldn't work, but by searching I was able to get to the Physics, Calculus and Environmental Science course page. I could spend hours in there... probably will.
Thanks for the link. Have a great day! |
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westonw
Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Location: Omungwelume, Namibia
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:38 am Post subject: |
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| great article...thanks for the post. i agree with the idea of students becoming more global. i've traveled much since i finished univerisity and have learned more in those 4 years than the 5 years i spent in lecture halls and classrooms working towards that prized piece of paper. can't complain though since that piece of paper was a requirement for my teaching job now. and you really can't beat this lifestyle! |
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otis
Joined: 02 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:01 am Post subject: |
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Education in America sucks because there is no sense of discipline.
I taught in America for over five years. Talk about a drag. Walk into a teacher's lounge and see how many yentas are crying.
Oprah was right when she said the only things American students are interested in are Ipods and video games. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Different cultures use language differently and have different cognitive processes. |
This is true and it's a problem that people need to figure out a solution to. People are people, so it is possible for those kids to learn how to process written language. If they don't, they will continue to be locked out of jobs. Obviously. |
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krats1976
Joined: 14 May 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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| otis wrote: |
| Oprah was right when she said the only things American students are interested in are Ipods and video games. |
Which is why American education HAS to change. Teachers have been fighting against the digital influx, but why? Why are we fighting it instead of using it? Of course, money is an issue, but there is reluctance on the part of teachers--75% of whom are textual learners--to adapt to a world where nearly 90% of students are visual-kinesthetic learners.
Kids today demand relevance. They have to know that what they're learning somehow connects to the "real world." The failing of traditional black & white textual-based education is that it does not provide that connection.
That doesn't mean we throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. The article mentions what every educator knows: the nuts and bolts ARE important. But they can't be all that we are teaching. We have to create a bridge between the nuts & bolts and the skills needed to be a functioning citizen of the world we live in now.
One of the sessions at the conference I attended dealt with layers of learning:
1-Content (the nuts & bolts)
2-Process (critical thinking, problem solving)
3-Tools (high & low tech)
4-School to career connections
5-Community connections (to all communities: local, global, virtual)
6-Connection between school & home (goes back to what Ya-ta was saying about family involvement. I've said it before & I'll say it again: very few people understand the importance of good families than a teacher).
7-Assessment
Notice that almost half of the above list deals with connections, not memorization or testing.
The bottom line is that we have to change our paradigm. And, we have to somehow get the message across to the idiot politicians who supply the funding that they're spending money (as usual) in the wrong places.
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otis
Joined: 02 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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| krats1976 wrote: |
| otis wrote: |
| Oprah was right when she said the only things American students are interested in are Ipods and video games. |
Which is why American education HAS to change. Teachers have been fighting against the digital influx, but why? Why are we fighting it instead of using it? Of course, money is an issue, but there is reluctance on the part of teachers--75% of whom are textual learners--to adapt to a world where nearly 90% of students are visual-kinesthetic learners.
Kids today demand relevance. They have to know that what they're learning somehow connects to the "real world." The failing of traditional black & white textual-based education is that it does not provide that connection.
That doesn't mean we throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. The article mentions what every educator knows: the nuts and bolts ARE important. But they can't be all that we are teaching. We have to create a bridge between the nuts & bolts and the skills needed to be a functioning citizen of the world we live in now.
One of the sessions at the conference I attended dealt with layers of learning:
1-Content (the nuts & bolts)
2-Process (critical thinking, problem solving)
3-Tools (high & low tech)
4-School to career connections
5-Community connections (to all communities: local, global, virtual)
6-Connection between school & home (goes back to what Ya-ta was saying about family involvement. I've said it before & I'll say it again: very few people understand the importance of good families than a teacher).
7-Assessment
Notice that almost half of the above list deals with connections, not memorization or testing.
The bottom line is that we have to change our paradigm. And, we have to somehow get the message across to the idiot politicians who supply the funding that they're spending money (as usual) in the wrong places.
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Crap.
Kids today need a good ass-beating.
Unfortunately, most don't have fathers at home to do the honors.
It's funny. My students in America could tell you just about every law passed concerning their rights. But yet they all read below grade-level.
American education won't improve till dads start staying at home. |
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khyber
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Compunction Junction
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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they don't need a good ass beating. That is too far. They just need attentive parents who PUSH them to study; you know, the kind of people who spend time with their kids and MAKE their kids do the work.
The kind of parents that "stand up" to their children.
When I go back home and teach, it will be crucial for me to set up a good relationship with parents. I think that is something that is TOTALLY lost to high school students. But dang it, spend twenty minutes a day calling a few parents; try to talk to each set of parents twice during the semester. SURE that is a lot more work but it encourages the parents to get involved in their child's life (and provides a window for the teacher). |
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otis
Joined: 02 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| khyber wrote: |
they don't need a good ass beating. That is too far. They just need attentive parents who PUSH them to study; you know, the kind of people who spend time with their kids and MAKE their kids do the work.
The kind of parents that "stand up" to their children.
When I go back home and teach, it will be crucial for me to set up a good relationship with parents. I think that is something that is TOTALLY lost to high school students. But dang it, spend twenty minutes a day calling a few parents; try to talk to each set of parents twice during the semester. SURE that is a lot more work but it encourages the parents to get involved in their child's life (and provides a window for the teacher). |
Look, my friend. I hope you have a great career.
But if you're teaching in America, don't count on it. There wasn't one teacher in my school who actually enjoyed the job. The enjoyment has been sucked right out of it.
Furthermore, wait till you meet some of these parents. Scary.
And talk about violence. I taught five years in the swamps of Louisiana. We aren't talking urban problems here.
I've taught a murderer. He shot some dude in the head with a rifle outside a bar.
I taught a guy who shot a state policeman in the neck. The cop lived.
The cases are too numerous to mention--drugs, violence, etc.
And if you happen to be a guy, it's even worse. They couldn't give the classes I taught to a woman. A woman might have lasted five minutes.
I'm saying this to you right now. If there is something else you are qualified to do, then stay as far away from teaching in the United States as possible.
There's no money, and it sucks.
Hell, you might as well stay in Korea if you are planning to continue teaching.
Do you want to know what's really shameful. 90 percent of my Korean students could read English better than 90 percent of my American students. |
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krats1976
Joined: 14 May 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| khyber wrote: |
| When I go back home and teach, it will be crucial for me to set up a good relationship with parents. I think that is something that is TOTALLY lost to high school students. But dang it, spend twenty minutes a day calling a few parents; try to talk to each set of parents twice during the semester. SURE that is a lot more work but it encourages the parents to get involved in their child's life (and provides a window for the teacher). |
The best advice I got as a new teacher searching for a job was to establish a good relationship with the parents by sending out a handwritten note at the beginning of the year telling the parents hello & how to get in touch with you if they have questions. Follow it up with phone calls--a few per week until you've talked to as many parents as possible.
Most teachers wait until there's a problem to contact parents, which means that their first (and often only) interaction with them is negative. In that light, it's no wonder that so many parents of American schoolkids see & treat the teacher as an enemy (speaking from personal experience here). If the first contact is, instead, positive, parents are more likely to see their relationship with the teacher as a collaborative one, rather than a contentious one.
It's not going to work with everyone, but I think it goes a long way. It's tough for me to do now, because most of my kids' parents don't speak English, but I do send out a letter (in English and Korean) at the beginning of the year, so parents know who I am and how to contact me. |
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djsmnc
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 6:17 pm Post subject: |
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| otis wrote: |
| khyber wrote: |
they don't need a good ass beating. That is too far. They just need attentive parents who PUSH them to study; you know, the kind of people who spend time with their kids and MAKE their kids do the work.
The kind of parents that "stand up" to their children.
When I go back home and teach, it will be crucial for me to set up a good relationship with parents. I think that is something that is TOTALLY lost to high school students. But dang it, spend twenty minutes a day calling a few parents; try to talk to each set of parents twice during the semester. SURE that is a lot more work but it encourages the parents to get involved in their child's life (and provides a window for the teacher). |
Look, my friend. I hope you have a great career.
But if you're teaching in America, don't count on it. There wasn't one teacher in my school who actually enjoyed the job. The enjoyment has been sucked right out of it.
Furthermore, wait till you meet some of these parents. Scary.
And talk about violence. I taught five years in the swamps of Louisiana. We aren't talking urban problems here.
I've taught a murderer. He shot some dude in the head with a rifle outside a bar.
I taught a guy who shot a state policeman in the neck. The cop lived.
The cases are too numerous to mention--drugs, violence, etc.
And if you happen to be a guy, it's even worse. They couldn't give the classes I taught to a woman. A woman might have lasted five minutes.
I'm saying this to you right now. If there is something else you are qualified to do, then stay as far away from teaching in the United States as possible.
There's no money, and it sucks.
Hell, you might as well stay in Korea if you are planning to continue teaching.
Do you want to know what's really shameful. 90 percent of my Korean students could read English better than 90 percent of my American students. |
That's scary, but at least we know we've got plenty of men to weed out and ship off to war in other countries! |
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