Hey guys, rise and shine! I'm waiting to read your comments and share ideas - after all this is what our course is about, isn't it? I don't know which video episodes you chose but if you want to have some good laughs, try Ontario. Especially when the teacher addresses the class (who supposedly have difficulties understanding English) and says that "if you have some language difficulties just come up and tell me, OK?" Pathetic. In fact, in my daughter's school the ESL teacher does a really good job, I'd rather choose him for a prom video.
Cross-country education borrowing and lending (June 11-17, 2012)
As countries, schools and individuals look to improve education systems and practices, we often "borrow" and "lend" education policies and ideas from and to one another. This week we look at a variety of education systems and ponder the benefits and drawbacks of "education borrowing and lending".
Videos:
Please watch the following videos this week:
Strong Perforners and Successful Reformers: A video series profiling policies and practices of education systems that demonstrate high or improving performance in the PISA tests, Pearson Foundation. (~20 minutes/video)
Please select 2 or 3 videos to watch from this series. The series features videos about education in China, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Singapore, Portugal, Poland, Korea and Japan.
Schooling the World Trailer (~3 minutes)
Readings(s), Optional:
The following optional readings build upon this week's topic:
- How the World's Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better (Executive Summary), McKinsey & Company. For a copy of the full report, click here.
- What the U.S. Can't Learn from Finland About Ed Reform by Valerie Strauss, Washington Post
- If you want to explore this topic in depth in the future, you may want to read The Global Politics of Education Borrowing and Lending by Gita Steiner-Khamsi (editor)
Discussion Questions:
Please discuss the following questions below. Then throughout the week, try to respond to at least two other comments from your colleagues.
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After watching this week's videos, complete the following sentences:
- I think...
- I wonder...
- My ideas about... are changing...
- Based on your own life experiences which education systems and practices do you most want to learn from? Please explain.
- Global standardized assessments such as the PISA and TIMMS tests are often used to benchmark and compare education systems. How do you feel about this?
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of "educational borrowing and lending"?
- What skills, knowledge or ideas do you have that others would benefit from? How do you "lend" these assets?"
- What else?
- Please respond to at least 2 other comments from your colleagues this week.
Skype Discussion, Optional:
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NOTE: Due to low turnout for the last Skype discussion, we will not have one on Sunday. That said, if you would like to participate in a call, please share when you'd like to have the call here: https://p2pu.org/en/groups/global-dialog-international-comparative-perspectives-on-education/content/your-input-requested/