Today I attended the ASCD hosted Webinar on 21st Century Curriculum with guest speaker, Heidi Hayes Jacobs. During the Webinar, she referenced today's New York Times article on the results from the Program for International Student Assessment tests administered to 15 year old students from 65 countries. The Chinese students blew away the competition. Why? Experts believe that the Chinese system is focused on competitive testing. Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, said it is "a wake-up call" for the United States (In most of the assessment's content areas, the U.S. placed 23rd or 24th).
Why did Dr. Jacobs mention this article in her 21st Century Curriculum Webinar? Because this article speaks to the urgent need to change the way we teach our young people and the need for all of us to value and respect education (as well as those who are educated). She said that" it should be cool to be educated and to demonstrate excellence."
Read the article and see if you agree. The Chinese leaders and their people value education. As the New York Times article stated, "The results also appeared to reflect the culture of education there, including greater emphasis on teacher training and more time spent on studying rather than extracurricular activities like sports."
Do you think our education leaders and elected officials will begin to see the need for change in the way we educate our children? The future will tell.
mj
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