On Friday, December 11th, a group of about 25 CASE members joined a live webcast with Dr. Yong Zhao to discuss the book. Dr. Zhao used his webcam to dial into our webcast from Beijing, China. It was Saturday morning for him while were getting ready to head to dinner Friday night. In this recording, the video from Dr. Zhao's webcam did not come through but an audio recording of his talk with us is captured here.
Access the webcast here (via Adobe Connect)
Dr. Zhao made a convincing case for individualizing our learning experiences, assuring quality opportunity for students and expecting personal responsibility in our students rather than obsessing on raising test scores.
In short, it sounded like Dr. Zhao was encouraging our American schools to be more... American.
Come hear more by attending the CASE Winter Leadership conference and hear Dr. Zhao in person on January 22nd, 2010.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Knowledge that has the most worth
The most intriguing part of this chapter (for me) was the list of Core Assumptions... Ah! Now we are getting to the heart of it. After citing a number of sources for the skills and knowledge of the 21st Century, Dr. Zhao gives these assumptions:
New skills around global citizenship are essential and can only be developed if we get out into the global culture. Assumption 4 pretty much drives a nail through that whole worksheet concept, doesn't it? ... problems at the end of the chapter, worksheets, a research paper and a test doesn't cut the mustard any more.
Developing an ability to empathize and understand others can only be developed by interacting with others. Again, we've got to get outside our walls... and our comfort zone. I think it was said best by our East Elementary School Principal, Greg Sumlin, when he told me "We are learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable." Not sure if he was quoting someone else, but that's a good one!
- Cultivate skills that are not available in other places and cannot be rendered obsolete by machines.
- Creativity is essential.
- New skills for a global culture need to be developed.
- Problem solving and critical thinking are more important now than ever before.
- Emotional intelligence is now critical including the ability to manage one's own emotions and intolerances but also empathize with others.
New skills around global citizenship are essential and can only be developed if we get out into the global culture. Assumption 4 pretty much drives a nail through that whole worksheet concept, doesn't it? ... problems at the end of the chapter, worksheets, a research paper and a test doesn't cut the mustard any more.
Developing an ability to empathize and understand others can only be developed by interacting with others. Again, we've got to get outside our walls... and our comfort zone. I think it was said best by our East Elementary School Principal, Greg Sumlin, when he told me "We are learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable." Not sure if he was quoting someone else, but that's a good one!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Chapters 5 & 6: The challenges
Now we are getting into the "flat world" concepts and Dr. Zhao brings in a number of useful statistics. Some of the net effects of globalization is the off-shoring of jobs to the cheapest markets and the global rise of super corporations like Starbucks and McDonald's which can drive out local business costing a community both jobs and identity. With such globalization of the workforce and markets, what consequences does this bring to education which is traditionally a local issue? One consequence Dr. Zhao observes is the rise of something he calls "global competence" which he defines as an ability to speak another language and have a deep understanding of cultures other than our won. These are things our schools were not designed to do and the results have been documented.
Technology is also a challenge identified in these chapters. Dr. Zhao discusses Second Life in detail and demonstrates how commerce has arisen in this virtual world. Prompted by this chapter, I spent some time in Second Life and had to really dedicate time to get my avatar out of the newbie island where you start your second life. I lost all my clothes at one point and even found that my hair is considered an article of clothing... yes, my character spent a couple days bald! Dr. Zhao warns us that we need to educate students to function in virtual worlds and likens the unreality of these spaces to most of us the way locales outside the village were unreal to his father. His point is that the virtual world is real, whether we can comprehend its value or not. And it influence on the "first life" will only become greater as time goes on.
So here are some questions to think about:
What would be the biggest change we could make in a system originally designed for preparing local citizens to now produce global citizens?
What would we need to teach for kids to be skilled in the virtual world that we don't teach now?
What do we teach now that translates well into a global society influenced by a virtual world?
Technology is also a challenge identified in these chapters. Dr. Zhao discusses Second Life in detail and demonstrates how commerce has arisen in this virtual world. Prompted by this chapter, I spent some time in Second Life and had to really dedicate time to get my avatar out of the newbie island where you start your second life. I lost all my clothes at one point and even found that my hair is considered an article of clothing... yes, my character spent a couple days bald! Dr. Zhao warns us that we need to educate students to function in virtual worlds and likens the unreality of these spaces to most of us the way locales outside the village were unreal to his father. His point is that the virtual world is real, whether we can comprehend its value or not. And it influence on the "first life" will only become greater as time goes on.
So here are some questions to think about:
What would be the biggest change we could make in a system originally designed for preparing local citizens to now produce global citizens?
What would we need to teach for kids to be skilled in the virtual world that we don't teach now?
What do we teach now that translates well into a global society influenced by a virtual world?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Chapter 4: Why China isn't a threat yet: the costs of high scores
This chapter really begins to dive into debunking the mythology around high test scores. Despite incredible growth in the Chinese economy over the past several decades, the growth has been in the labor and not the knowledge sector of the economy. What was striking to me, in this chapter, was the the way the Chinese Premier realized the lack of knowledge work happening in China, despite sky-high test scores, could be measured in patents. The data showed a sudden increase in patent applications from China after the Chinese Regime recognized this indicator and implemented programs to boost patent applications. But the number awarded was low and mostly the patents were design and appearance… not invention.
This is strikingly similar to something I read in the book “Wild Swans.” Banned in China to this day, author Jung Chang chronicles her family through the Cultural Revolution in the 20th Century. What connected for me was a description about how Mao discovered that western nations, like the United States, produced more steel than did China. Mao ordered the whole country to produce more steel which led to the people in the country-side setting up smelting fires and tending them rather than their crops. They deforested the land, neglected their crops and then suffered famine… all in the effort to produce the added steel Mao felt was important.
It seemed to me that the description of the sudden interest and subsequent rush for patents showed eerie similarity to the push for more steel production. By becoming sold on an indicator, the Chinese government caused the value of that indicator to decrease. Whereas before the rush for steel and patents, these indicators had value. But when the indicators became the goal, people worked the system and the indicator no longer represented what was happening in the economy.
Dr. Zhao proceeds to address the paradox of high test achievement, which we admire, and the small knowledge-work sector of the Chinese economy. He contrasts our own dichotomy of lagging test scores and yet continuing to lead the world in science, technology and engineering. He goes on to suggest that a test is just one of a number of considerations we should make in evaluating the quality of our schools… in China and in the US.
After reading this section of the book, I received an email with a link to this article from Business Week. Researchers from Rutgers and Georgetown have been studying the trends of engineering graduates for over ten years and they have discovered that a) there is not a shortage, but a GLUT of American engineers and that b) the highest performing graduates from engineering programs LEAVE THE FIELD of engineering. This research is precisely counter to the incessant cry that our education system is not producing enough quality STEM graduates. The article goes on to counter the research with heresay from Bill Gates, which I find amazing. Over a decade of scientific study was easily countered by the opinion of one corporate executive.
The chapter goes on to chronicle the high scores but low ability phenomenon, teen suicides and how the author would not have made it to the University if he had born one year later and had to face a math test. Lucky for us, he didn’t have to take that test…
This is strikingly similar to something I read in the book “Wild Swans.” Banned in China to this day, author Jung Chang chronicles her family through the Cultural Revolution in the 20th Century. What connected for me was a description about how Mao discovered that western nations, like the United States, produced more steel than did China. Mao ordered the whole country to produce more steel which led to the people in the country-side setting up smelting fires and tending them rather than their crops. They deforested the land, neglected their crops and then suffered famine… all in the effort to produce the added steel Mao felt was important.
It seemed to me that the description of the sudden interest and subsequent rush for patents showed eerie similarity to the push for more steel production. By becoming sold on an indicator, the Chinese government caused the value of that indicator to decrease. Whereas before the rush for steel and patents, these indicators had value. But when the indicators became the goal, people worked the system and the indicator no longer represented what was happening in the economy.
Dr. Zhao proceeds to address the paradox of high test achievement, which we admire, and the small knowledge-work sector of the Chinese economy. He contrasts our own dichotomy of lagging test scores and yet continuing to lead the world in science, technology and engineering. He goes on to suggest that a test is just one of a number of considerations we should make in evaluating the quality of our schools… in China and in the US.
After reading this section of the book, I received an email with a link to this article from Business Week. Researchers from Rutgers and Georgetown have been studying the trends of engineering graduates for over ten years and they have discovered that a) there is not a shortage, but a GLUT of American engineers and that b) the highest performing graduates from engineering programs LEAVE THE FIELD of engineering. This research is precisely counter to the incessant cry that our education system is not producing enough quality STEM graduates. The article goes on to counter the research with heresay from Bill Gates, which I find amazing. Over a decade of scientific study was easily countered by the opinion of one corporate executive.
The chapter goes on to chronicle the high scores but low ability phenomenon, teen suicides and how the author would not have made it to the University if he had born one year later and had to face a math test. Lucky for us, he didn’t have to take that test…
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Chapter 3: Why America hasn't lost yet
I really like the title of this chapter because of the double entendre... or as my Dad always says... "the double-nintendo."
The dual meaning is striking. The chapter addresses why we have not lost from an historical perspective and why the battle is not yet lost today.
Some 2003 facts from the text:
Dr. Yong Zhao then describes personal experiences he thinks are pertinent to the answer. Words like diversity, individualism, inclusion, equality all emerge in this chapter.
Some questions to ponder:
The dual meaning is striking. The chapter addresses why we have not lost from an historical perspective and why the battle is not yet lost today.
Some 2003 facts from the text:
- 85% of Americans, 25 years and older, report having completed high school; a new all-time high
- 27% of adult Americans report having attained at least a Bachelor's degree; a new all time high
- 1993 to 2003 saw a 40% increase in the number of college graduates
- US leads the world in R&D spending accounting for 40%
- Americans account for 38% of new patents awarded, leading the world
- America employs 70% of the world's Nobel Prize winners
- America is home to 30 of the world's top 40 universities
Dr. Yong Zhao then describes personal experiences he thinks are pertinent to the answer. Words like diversity, individualism, inclusion, equality all emerge in this chapter.
Some questions to ponder:
- Since the US has not imploded due to bankruptcy of our nation's intellectual capital, was Nation at Risk incorrect or did we successfully reform? Or is something else at work?
- Do you buy Dr. Zhao's measures of success?
- What resonated for you in his description of an imperfect system that others are now trying to emulate?
- What has Dr. Zhao overlooked or missed that is pertinent here?
Monday, October 12, 2009
Chapter 2: From the missle gap to the learning gap
"A crisis is a terrible thing to waste" - Paul Romer as quoted in the book.
In the second chapter, our author explains some history about various crises that exemplify the "false crisis." The missle gap example describes how the Kennedy campaign charged that a significant and frightening gap existed between the missle aresenal of the United States and that of the Soviet Union. The charge was that the Eisenhower administration had not been vigilant and the nation was at risk because of a missle gap. But when the new administration took over, they discovered that the missle gap was actually heavily in favor of the US, not the other way around.
The author uses this hitorical example as comparable to the learning gap crises that have been proclaimed to exist in one form or another since 1958 with the National Defence Education Act (NDEA). This crisis has included "A Nation At Risk" and "No Child Left Behind" as Dr. Yong Zhao asserts that the efforts have led to federal government involvement in traditionally local-controlled education. He even uses the inflamatory term of "dictator" to describe the involvement.
Here are some questions that come to mind for me:
Any bets on whether Congress will ever live up to their promise of 1975?
In the second chapter, our author explains some history about various crises that exemplify the "false crisis." The missle gap example describes how the Kennedy campaign charged that a significant and frightening gap existed between the missle aresenal of the United States and that of the Soviet Union. The charge was that the Eisenhower administration had not been vigilant and the nation was at risk because of a missle gap. But when the new administration took over, they discovered that the missle gap was actually heavily in favor of the US, not the other way around.
The author uses this hitorical example as comparable to the learning gap crises that have been proclaimed to exist in one form or another since 1958 with the National Defence Education Act (NDEA). This crisis has included "A Nation At Risk" and "No Child Left Behind" as Dr. Yong Zhao asserts that the efforts have led to federal government involvement in traditionally local-controlled education. He even uses the inflamatory term of "dictator" to describe the involvement.
Here are some questions that come to mind for me:
- Is there a crisis in Amercian education?
- If so or if not, has there been a crisis during the past 50 years?
- Have the government interventions been helpful, harmful or just distracting?
Any bets on whether Congress will ever live up to their promise of 1975?
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Keynote Address July 11, 2009
In this video, Dr. Yong Zhao delivers a keynote about his book and his research in Washington DC. The event was A World Class Education conference hosted by the Asia Society.
For those who have not decided to read this book with us, you might enjoy this keynote address. Get some coffee and enjoy!
http://zhao.educ.msu.edu/2009/08/07/speech-video-cathing-up-or-leading-the-way/
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Chapter 1: Recent education reform in the United States
No Child Left Behind has introduced standardized testing to public education on an unprecendented scale. NCLB lays out clear goals for test performance in reading, writing, math and science. Sub-groups are identified and achievement gaps must be closed. Some facts from the book include:
The US scored 19th out of 21 countries in 1995 on the TIMMS
The US scored 24th out of 40 countries in 2003 on the PISA
The US scored 18th out of 40 countries in 2006 on the PIRLS
And in 1964 the US scored second to last out of 11 countries on the FIMS.
Yet, our author makes the argument that while these test results are indeed concerning, the doom that results like the 1964 FIMS study predicted did not seem to come to pass. In fact one study cited in the book seemed to indicate an inverse relationship between the test performance of a nation and it's subsequent prosperity.
So, Bill Gates has famously indicted American high schools as obsolete. Test scores, the numbers of college graduates from India and China and our own persisting acheivement gaps all seem to point to trouble in our education system. Yet things are not clear cut.
Here are some questions to ponder:
What positive impact has NCLB had on schools?
What can we learn from testing results?
Do you think our system of education is becoming or has become obsolete?
Is there really a crisis; is there cause for concern; or is this all a bunch of nonsense?
The US scored 19th out of 21 countries in 1995 on the TIMMS
The US scored 24th out of 40 countries in 2003 on the PISA
The US scored 18th out of 40 countries in 2006 on the PIRLS
And in 1964 the US scored second to last out of 11 countries on the FIMS.
Yet, our author makes the argument that while these test results are indeed concerning, the doom that results like the 1964 FIMS study predicted did not seem to come to pass. In fact one study cited in the book seemed to indicate an inverse relationship between the test performance of a nation and it's subsequent prosperity.
So, Bill Gates has famously indicted American high schools as obsolete. Test scores, the numbers of college graduates from India and China and our own persisting acheivement gaps all seem to point to trouble in our education system. Yet things are not clear cut.
Here are some questions to ponder:
What positive impact has NCLB had on schools?
What can we learn from testing results?
Do you think our system of education is becoming or has become obsolete?
Is there really a crisis; is there cause for concern; or is this all a bunch of nonsense?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Introductory Video: Dr. Yong Zhao
This video makes for a good teaser for Catching up or leading the way. American education in the age of globalization.
Watch the video
What resonates for me is the assertion about the real strength in American education is the value of the individual and the power of independence. I believe we need to see better test scores, but I worry about too much sacrifice in the name of that noble cause.
The book is available from ASCD here:
http://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=109076
What resonates for me is the assertion about the real strength in American education is the value of the individual and the power of independence. I believe we need to see better test scores, but I worry about too much sacrifice in the name of that noble cause.
The book is available from ASCD here:
http://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=109076
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