Schools have not necessarily much to do with education.
- Winston Churchill
The only time my education was interrupted was when I
was in school. - George Bernard Shaw
What does education often do? It makes a straight-cut
ditch of a free, meandering brook. - Henry David Thoreau
My grandmother wanted me to have an education, so she
kept me out of school. - Margaret Mead
In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he
made school boards. - Mark Twain
What Knowledge is most Worth?
Yong Zhao, Ph. D
University Distinguished Professor
Director, US-China Center for Research on Educational
Excellence
College of Education
Executive Director, Confucius Institute
Michigan State University
zhaoyo@msu.edu
Reforming
Education
China targets childhood obesity with compulsory dancing
Jonathan Watts in Beijing
Tuesday June 5, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
Compulsory waltzing will be added to the Chinese national curriculum in
September under a new campaign to reduce childhood obesity.
From the start of the new school year, teachers across the country will be
expected to put hundreds of millions of pupils through their paces every
day, the state-run China Daily said today.
The Ministry of Education said the dances were designed to "suit the
physical and psychological characteristics of students at different ages".
New steps and melodies will be introduced every two years.
[USA 2002]
In January 2002, the United States of America
enacted the No Child Left Behind Act, which
dramatically increases the importance of
testing in education. The law requires each
state to administer statewide assessments to
all students in core academic areas. Rewards
are given to schools and teachers whose
students perform well, while schools whose
students perform poorly are publicly identified
and required to take corrective actions.
[China 2002]
In December 2002, the Chinese Ministry of
Education issued a policy designed to reform
assessment and evaluation in elementary and
secondary schools. This document, entitled
Ministry of Education’s Notice Regarding
Furthering the Reform of Evaluation and
Assessment Systems in Elementary and
Secondary Schools, calls for alternative
assessments that go beyond simply testing
academic knowledge. It specifically forbids
ranking school districts, schools, or individual
students based on test results or making test
results public.
[More USA]
[W]e need to encourage children to take more math and science, and
to make sure those courses are rigorous enough to compete with other
nations. We've made a good start in the early grades with the No Child
Left Behind Act, which is raising standards and lifting test scores across
our country. Tonight I propose to train 70,000 high school teachers to
lead advanced-placement courses in math and science, bring 30,000
math and science professionals to teach in classrooms, and give early
help to students who struggle with math, so they have a better chance
at good, high-wage jobs. If we ensure that America's children succeed
in life, they will ensure that America succeeds in the world.
-- George W. Bush, 2006
Japan
• Since 2001, Japan has been working to implement its Education
Plan for the 21st Century, which has three major objectives:
• The first is “enhancing emotional education,” that is, cultivating
students as emotionally well-rounded human beings.
• The second objective is “realizing a school system that helps
children develop their individuality and gives them diverse
choices” by moving towards a diverse, flexible educational system
that encourages individuality and cultivates creativity.
• The third is “promoting a system in which the school’s autonomy
is respected” through decentralizing educational administration,
enhancing local autonomy, and enabling independent selfmanagement at the school level. (Iwao, 2000)
Singapore
Since 1997, Singapore another frequent high flyer in international comparative
studies, has engaged in a major curriculum reform initiative. Entitled Thinking
Schools, Learning Nation, this initiative aims to develop all students into active
learners with critical thinking skills and to develop a creative and critical thinking
culture within schools. Its key strategies include:
•
•
•
•
The explicit teaching of critical and creative thinking skills;
The reduction of subject content;
The revision of assessment modes; and;
A greater emphasis on processes instead of on outcomes when
appraising schools.
• In 2005, the Ministry of Education in Singapore released another
major policy document Nurturing Every Child: Flexibility and
Diversity in Singapore Schools, which called for a more varied
curriculum, a focus on learning rather than teaching, and more
autonomy for schools and teachers (Ministry of Education, 2005).
[England 2006]
Teachers propose scrapping of national
[Korea 2000]
curriculum
Revised
7th2005]
National Curriculum
[China
Teachers will today
backschool
radical new
proposals to abolish
the national
High
curriculum
reform
curriculum
end all
national
testing creative,
for the under-16s.Delegates
The and
ultimate
goal
is to cultivate
autonomous, and self-driven human
[Michigan,
USA
2006]
attending
the annual
the Association
of Teachers
and knowledge and
resources
whoconference
will lead theofera's
developments
in information,
Among the problems targeted by the reforms:
High
school will
curriculum
reform:
Lecturers'
annual conference
in Gateshead
debate controversial
plans
globalisation.
•Overemphasis on knowledge transmission
to rip up•Promote
the hundreds
of ring binders
that education
contain detailed
subject-byfundamental
and basic
that fosters
sound human beings and
•Too many required and uniform courses, which limited students’ individual
subjectnurtures
specifications
- originally introduced by the Conservatives in 1988
creativity
development
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signed legislation establishing a rigorous
- and replace
withbuild
a "shortlist"
of skills.
•Helpthem
students
self-leading
capacity so that they well meet the challenges of
•Too much
overlapping
content, in
resulting
in excessive
coursework
high
school curriculum
Michigan,
calling it an
essential burden
step in on
building a
today's globalisation and information development
students diverse economy that will help keep young people in the state. The
•
Implement
education that suits the students' capability,
The Guardian April 11,•Overemphasis
2006learner-oriented
on the
valuebyofthe
individual
legislation
signed
Governordiscipline,
requires: resulting in too little
aptitude and career development needs
interdisciplinary and social integration
• Ensure expanded autonomy for the local community and schools in curriculum
Remedies:• four credits of math and English language arts;
planning •Credit
and operation.
system
• three credits of science and social studies;
•More electives,
fewer required
• two credits
of foreigncourses
language;
•Local subjects/school
curriculum
• one credit ofbased
physical
education and health;
•Integrated
studies
• one
credit of visual, performing, or applied arts;
•New subjects
environment,
technology, etc)
• one(art,
online
learning experience.
Mile-wide inch-deep vs.
structured, coherent curriculum
NCTM in China
Singaporean math in NJ
… and …
30% content reduction in Korea
More math courses in the US
Centralize standards and testing in the US
More autonomy in students, teachers, and schools
in Singapore, Korea, Japan, China.
Emphasis on traditional subjects in the US
Emerging abilities and subjects elsewhere
Japanese lesson studies
Why?
Risk-taking and Back to the Basics:
Driving Forces of Education Reform
1995 TIMSS Grade 8 Mathematics Performance
Nations with Average Scores
Significantly Higher than the US
Nation
Singapore
Korea
Japan
Hong Kong
Belgium (Fl)
Czech Republic
Slovak Republic
Switzerland
(Netherlands)
(Slovenia)
(Bulgaria)
(Austria)
France
Hungary
Russian Fed.
(Australia)
Ireland
Canada
(Belgium (Fr))
Sweden
Average
643
607
605
588
565
564
547
545
541
541
540
539
538
537
535
530
527
527
526
519
Nations with Average Scores Not
Significantly Different than the US
Nation
Average
Thailand
522
Israel
522
(Germany)
509
New Zealand
508
England
506
Norway
503
(Denmark)
502
United States
500
(Scotland)
498
Latvia (LSS)
493
Spain
487
Iceland
487
(Greece)
484
(Romania)
482
Nations with Average Scores Significantly
Lower than the US
Nation
Average
Lithuania
477
Cyprus
474
Portugal
454
Iran, Islamic Republic
428
(Kuwait)
392
(Columbia)
385
South Africa
354
Why Cannot Asians think?
Strengths and Weaknesses ofHawaii = Edutopia ?
East Asian Education
The Fallacy of Learning from Each Other
Knowledge-centered
Centralized
Discipline-based
Outcome-oriented
Child-centered
Decentralized
Activity-based
Processoriented
Why Cannot Johnny Add?
Strengths and Weaknesses of
American Education
now a quiz…
1. Teri Hatcher
2. Demi Moore
3. Donald Trump
4. Heather Locklear
5. David Letterman
6. George W. Bush
7. Ray Liotta
8. Sandra Bullock
9. Bill Clinton
10. Clint Eastwood
1. Jessica Alba
2. Eva Longoria
3. Anna Kournikova
4. Ben Affleck
5. Ashton Kutcher
6. Marcia Cross
7. Halle Berry
8. Jessica Simpson
9. Nicole Kidman
10. Angelina Jolie
HD TV
Swanni's Annual 'Best & Worst' HDTV List
1. Teri Hatcher
2. Demi Moore
3. Donald Trump
4. Heather Locklear
5. David Letterman
6. George W. Bush
7. Ray Liotta
8. Sandra Bullock
9. Bill Clinton
10. Clint Eastwood
1. Jessica Alba
2. Eva Longoria
3. Anna Kournikova
4. Ben Affleck
5. Ashton Kutcher
6. Marcia Cross
7. Halle Berry
8. Jessica Simpson
9. Nicole Kidman
10. Angelina Jolie
http://www.tvpredictions.com/fall2005hd092605.html
technology redefines talents
"Say bud, can you tell me
where the illiterate club is?"
Industrial Revolution
Science!
What’s taught in schools
Latin
Chemistry
Greek
Greek
Physics
Grammar
Physics
Theology
Chemistry
Religion
Biology
Latin
Biology
Grammar
Technology
What knowledge is of most worth?
--Herbert Spencer, 1859
Almost 150 years later…
As electrically contracted, the globe is no more
than a village.
Marshall McLuhan, 1964
“Honey,” I confided, “I think the world is flat.”
Thomas Friedman, 2005
Goods
Global
Integration
Global
Free Flow
People
Money
McDonaldization and Starbucks in the
Forbidden City: Global Consumerism
Our students are affected by global forces,
cultural clashes, and different value systems.
It’s a Big Job to Make the Mini:
Global Supply Chain
Tutoring companies figure: If low-paid workers in China
and India can sew your clothes, process your medical
bills and answer your computer questions, why can't
they teach your children, too?
Washington Post, 2006
Therefore we need to move into niche areas where they will not
be able to completely replace us for quite some time.
---Lee Kuan Yew, 2007
Yao Ming and Herbert Hoover:
Global Trade of Talents
In the global economy, our students career are global.
Where can they find employment depends on their niche
talents.
Climate Change and the Bird Flu:
Global Elephant in the Local Bedroom
The predicted effects of climate change over the coming decades
include extreme weather events, drought, flooding, sea level rise,
retreating glaciers, habitat shifts, and the increased spread of lifethreatening diseases. These conditions have the potential to
disrupt our way of life and to force changes in the way we keep
ourselves safe and secure. . . Projected climate change will
seriously exacerbate already marginal living standards in many
Asian, African, and Middle Eastern nations, causing widespread
political instability and the likelihood of failed states.... The chaos
that results can be an incubator of civil strife, genocide, and the
growth of terrorism. The CNA Corporation, 2007
and…
Virtual marriage & 2nd Life:
Socializing virtually
Anshe Chung has become the first online personality to achieve a net worth exceeding
one million US dollars from profits entirely earned inside a virtual world.
--Business Week, May, 2006
Gold-farming and digital produce:
Digital farmers market
YouTube and podcasting:
Running your own show
Currently staffed by 67 employees,[1] the company was named TIME magazine's
"Invention of the Year" for 2006.[2] In October 2006, Google Inc. announced that it
had reached a deal to acquire the company for US$1.65 billion in Google's stock.
The deal closed on 13 November 2006.[3]
Podcast Users Expected To Reach 60 Million In Five Years
The number of podcast users in the United States is expected to increase nearly 15 fold over the next
five years, a research group says. –Information Week, May 15, 2005
With the 100 millionth account being created on August 9, 2006[4] and a news story
claiming 106 million accounts on September 8, 2006,[5] the site reportedly attracts
new registrations at a rate of 230,000 per day.
Hackers and Thieves:
Morality and Crimes in CyberSpace
In the UK, Sasser forced staff at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to return to
manual map reading because computer systems were made unusable by the worm.
Check-in for some British Airways flights was also delayed thanks to Sasser.
Around the world, the Australian Railcorp trains stopped running because computer
problems caused by Sasser made it impossible for drivers to talk to signalmen.
What can an 18 year old do?
In Taiwan, more than 400 branches of the post office were forced to use pen and paper
because Sasser crashed desktop PCs.
Anti-virus firm Sophos estimates that 70% of all the virus infections in the first half of
2004 could be blamed on Mr Jaschan's creations.
Statistics gathered by Sophos show that in the first six months of 2005 there were four
variants of Netsky in the top 10 viruses and they accounted for 25.5% of all infections.
Unlike many other viruses, Sasser made its way from
what knowledge is of most worth in the
global and virtual worlds?
Daniel H. Pink (2005).A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age
Moving from the Information
Age to the Conceptual Age
A Whole New Mind
Information Age:
L-Directed Thinking
–
–
–
–
–
Sequential
Literal
Functional
Textual
Analytic
Asia
Automation
Abundance
Conceptual Age:
R-Directed Thinking
–
–
–
–
–
Simultaneous
Metaphorical
Aesthetic
Contextual
Synthetic
Essential Aptitudes in the
Conceptual Age
• Design
• Story
• Symphony
• Empathy
• Play
• Meaning.
According to Howard Gardner, pre-collegiate education need to
encompass the following skills, abilities and understandings:
• Understanding the global system
• The ability to think analytically and creatively
within disciplines
• The ability to tackle problems and issues that do
not respect disciplinary boundaries
• Knowledge of other cultures and traditions, which
should be an end in itself and a means to interact
with others civilly and productively
• Knowledge of and respect for one’s own cultural
traditions
• Fostering of hybrid or blended identities
• Fostering of tolerance and appreciation across
racial, linguistic, national, and cultural boundaries
Global Citizenship
The completely untraveled person will view all foreigners as
the savage regards a member of another herd. But the man
who has traveled, or who has studied international politics,
will have discovered that, if his herd is to prosper, it must,
to some degree, become amalgamated with other herds.
--Bertrand Russell, 1950
Digital Citizenship
• Living in the digital world
– Consumers
– Citizens
– Community leaders
• Making a living in the digital world
– Digital workers
– Global workers
• (Re)Creating the digital world
– Innovators
– Entrepreneurs
Valuable Talents
• Creativity
• EQ vs IQ
• Niche talents and multiple
intelligences
Logic
Linguistic
Child A
Child B
Kinaesthetic
Musical
Child C
Child D
The Strengths and Weaknesses of
American Education
“Public education does not serve a public. It creates a
public”
-- Neil Postman.
The flattened world and the virtual world require a new
public, a public with clear understandings of other cultures,
other people, other languages, and other tools. Our schools
need to act to provide an education that will prepare them
for these new worlds.
Leadership
Problem solvers
Opportunity seekers