Chapter 7 Quote: “Each local community may have something special, something unique to offer on the global market. An international uniform curriculum or national curriculum can only serve to destroy local traditions and strengths” (Zhao, “Tolerance and Diversification,” para. 2). Question: While I completely agree that each community has unique attributes to offer the global market, what about the converse? Each community also has unique deficiencies. How might we address these deficiencies, in a standardized manner, without destroying local traditions and strengths? Connection: While California schools have many deficiencies they also have many incomparable strengths. Yet by focusing on the deficiencies sometimes we completely obliterate our unique strengths in favor of national/international directives. Epiphany: We are all so caught up in finding the right and consistent formula for education that we’re constantly seeking out models nationally and internationally to help lead us. Instead we should be looking within our communities to validate those strengths which already exist within our schools and local communities. We should emphasize and and develop these rather than trying to impose foreign models where they may not fit. Chapter 8 Quote: “More important, the United States needs talented diplomats and a public that understands and respects other cultures so when Americans travel abroad or interact with people from other cultures, they can project a better image and reverse perceptions” (Zhao, “Cost of Global Incompetence,” para. 7). Question: Will internet connections suffice to create better cultural awareness for our students or do they require real, in person experiences to fully understand international cultural nuances? Connection: I had very little understanding or nuanced interests of international politics until I had the opportunity to study abroad for one year in England. There, I not only got to live in a new geography but I also learned directly about countless multiple foreign cultures from friends whom I interacted with on a daily basis. Epiphany: Learning about foreign cultures cannot be done in a textbook which boils down cultures and histories into generalized stereotypes. Students must learn globally in order to succeed in the future. American isolationism will definitely put them at a disadvantage. In order to do this type of learning students must engage personally with their peers throughout the world. This can happen digitally but I believe that it’s best when it also occurs in person. Chapter 9 Quote: “Thus we need to adopt a broad range of indicators to assess student learning, including student products, teacher observations, classroom performances, and some psychological measures of student motivation, creativity, and perspectives that have not typically been a part of mainstream educational assessment” (Zhao, “Expanding the Definition of Success,” para. 5). Question: How can an educational assessment effectively capture the traits mentioned by Zhao in the above statement? Connection: For the longest time I have heard teachers complain about standardized tests. I never quite understood the real problem behind these tests until I read Zhao’s book. Epiphany: We are producing precisely the type of student that is creative and motivated at my school. However, at some point we will be judged by our results on standardized test which tell one story that many parents and community members clearly understand. In order to tell the other half of the story we’ll have to be adept at using social media and connecting parents and community members to these means of communications. When students are become powerful communicators and inventors and others hear about this, standardized tests will become an educational footnote. Resource Zhao, Y. (2009). Catching up or leading the way American education in the age of globalization. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD.
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AuthorIn this blog I will share my perspectives of the learning and materials from EDL 680, already a very inspiring course that I am taking for MA in Educational Leadership Archives
August 2015
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