I have to say that usually I do not care for interview articles as they do not seem to give much depth of information, but this one most certainly did. Zhao is an extremely eloquent person and there were some statements that he made that I found very profound as we consider how to 'improve' our curriculum and scores in the U.S.
On page 18, he states, "When too much is attached to one single criterion, people will always try to figure out how to appear superior to others.", and "Equity is ensured more by teachers, by the classroom than the standards." I think these statements say a ton about the educational system in the United States right now and also how we need to return to the power and strength of the teacher. I found it interesting in the Darling-Hammond article that Finland has become number one by putting their money and time into supporting and training their teachers instead of buying a new testing system. If it comes down to how well the teacher can present the curriculum in an equitable way for all the students in his/her care, then doesn't it make sense to focus our efforts as a state and a nation there??!!
His last statement truly summarized this article and the state of our union:
"American education is at a crossroads. We have two choices. We can destroy our strengths in
order to catch up with others on test scores, or we can build on our strengths and remain a leader in innovation and creativity. The current push for more standardization, centralization, high-stakes testing,
and test-based accountability is rushing us down the first path. What will truly keep America strong and
Americans prosperous is the other path because it cherishes individual talents, cultivates creativity, celebrates diversity, and inspires curiosity." (p. 20)
Isn't that what the school models and innovative curriculums we have looked at to date seem to do?! What would happen if we became leaders in our schools to create these types of environments for students?
I also liked the quote, "American education is at a crossroads. We have two choices. We can destroy our strengths in order to catch up with others on test scores, or we can build on our strengths and remain a leader in innovation and creativity. The current push for more standardization, centralization, high-stakes testing, and test-based accountability is rushing us down the first path. What will truly keep America strong and Americans prosperous is the other path because it cherishes individual talents, cultivates creativity, celebrates diversity, and inspires curiosity." (p. 20) I completely agree that we have good intentions and are on a good start of a path, but we need to individualize education to meet the students' needs and interests. That is was the innovative curriculums are pushing for in schools. I would love to be part of the drive to create this environment for students in schools.
ReplyDeleteI too enjoyed reading this interview! I thought Zhao's insights were inspirational and empowering. It was also intriguing to read of the view of China on the American education system.
Ladies, it's interesting that I too highlighted this portion of the article! Obviously, a powerful piece!
ReplyDeleteWhen needing to spend so much time catching up, we often let the efforts, energy and qualities of our strengths slip too. I loved the idea of trying to keep captivating on the strength and just plug away at the 'holes in the curriculum' so to speak.
I'm with you Kathryn, I feel that we can see larger independent gains when the instruction is individualized, so doesn't it make more sense to continue with what's working and begin to make changes to the things that are not working so well?