#LearningDiversity

[global-education]

Exploring Different Education Systems Around the World

Education plays a significant role in motivating individuals and societies. As we delve into the topic of exploring different education systems around the world, we gain a broader understanding of the approaches and philosophies that shape learning experiences. In this article, we will take a closer look at educational systems across various countries, with a particular focus on the United States. By examining the strengths, weaknesses, and unique characteristics of these systems, we aim to provide valuable insights into the diverse ways in which education is approached globally.

The United States Education System:

In the United States, education is primarily decentralized, with each state having its own educational policies and standards. However, the common framework consists of a K-12 system followed by higher education. The K-12 system includes elementary, middle, and high schools. Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT play a significant role in college admissions. While the U.S. education system promotes critical thinking and creativity, it also faces challenges such as funding disparities, varying quality among schools, and an achievement gap.

Finnish Education System:

Considered one of the best education systems globally, Finland focuses on providing equal opportunities for all students. They emphasize holistic learning, with minimal emphasis on standardized testing. Finnish students experience shorter school days, longer breaks, and less homework. Highly qualified teachers undergo rigorous training and are trusted to design their curricula. Collaborative learning and student well-being are prioritized, resulting in high levels of student satisfaction and academic performance.

German Education System:

Germany's education system emphasizes vocational training and a strong connection between theory and practice. It offers multiple educational pathways, including academic and vocational tracks. Students can choose between general secondary schools, technical schools, and vocational schools. The German system places significant emphasis on apprenticeships, providing hands-on experience and practical skills training. The dual education system, where students alternate between school and work, ensures a smooth transition into the workforce.

Japanese Education System:

The Japanese education system focuses on discipline, hard work, and a strong work ethic. Students undergo a rigorous curriculum that prioritizes academic excellence. High-stakes entrance exams determine admission into prestigious universities. The education system also promotes respect, self-discipline, and group harmony. Teachers are highly respected, and extracurricular activities such as sports and cultural clubs are considered an integral part of education.

Swedish Education System:

Sweden places a strong emphasis on individuality and equality in education. Students enjoy a flexible and student-centric approach, with a focus on critical thinking, creativity, and innovation. The curriculum promotes interdisciplinary learning and encourages students to take responsibility for their education. Teachers are trained to create inclusive and collaborative learning environments. Sweden's education system is characterized by its child-centered philosophy and commitment to providing equal opportunities for all students.

Conclusion:

Exploring different education systems around the world broadens our perspective on educational approaches. While the United States has its unique strengths and challenges, studying successful systems like Finland, Germany, Japan, and Sweden can offer valuable insights for educational reform and improvement. By learning from different models, educators and policymakers in the United States can adopt innovative strategies and best practices to enhance student learning outcomes, promote inclusivity, and prepare students for an ever-changing world. A comprehensive understanding of various education systems fosters a global mindset and facilitates the exchange of ideas and practices for the betterment of education worldwide. You may contact Global Education for more details.

[kaplansplaylist]

Your music is scary. Does your music usually scare kids?

a student.

answer:  yes

[kaplansplaylist]

selected topics for future research someday

-       Dyslexic subtypes

-       Diversity of interventions

-       Applications of Interventions

Is there a sequence that maximizes the efficacy of various interventions?

-       How does presentation of material impact improvement in reading with struggling and non-struggling readers?

-       Can we develop a Community of Practice to share, query, review research, and implement interventions?

-       Is there a way to define and measure the impact of the relationship between students and teachers in “success”?

-       What is the impact of technology on remediating the impact of dyslexia?

-       Can we demonstrate a change in the brain function and structure pre and post intervention?

If so, what would the demonstrated changes be?

-       What can we learn about responders and non-responders to a meaning based intervention?

-       Is there a correlation across biological processing rhythms, behavioral evidence, and spectrographic analysis?

-       What brain-based research focusing on e-readers would impact teacher perception about e-reader usage?

-       Should we develop a spectrum for Dyslexia (a la Autism)?

[kaplansplaylist]

on critical thinking

In considering the many implications of the term, I believe that critical thinking is ultimately the ability to monitor a thought process in order to lead to a reasoned and logical conclusion.  I suppose that critical thinking is a term that relies on reflective reasoning in order to come to a informed conclusion, but I’m struck by the inherently paradoxical nature of the act of thinking critically; in other words, to engage in the act of critical thinking, one must both rely on compassion and emotional detachment.  In completing all of my readings, I am consistently impressed by the importance of exploration through metacognition: a systematic monitoring of thought that aids us in considering complexities to find a process-based conclusion. 

The ability to consider multiple perspectives is a crucial component in finding a frame of reference.

[kaplansplaylist]

tying socio-economic factors into teaching

No intro here.  This is a mess of thoughts, which is maybe the best kind of mess.

The more traditionally conservative or authoritarian a culture, the greater the differences within a public education.  An individual’s class usually affords them the privilege of an education and an educational underclass (marginalized, underrepresented) does not meet the social conditions to influence or impact creativity except in rare and extreme cases (such as in the instances of the amazing Audre Lorde and Gloria Anzaldua, the latter of whom often makes the argument that creative expression is an act of political activism). 

Currently reading this and this for no reason at all in addition to all eight million other things and wondering what Csikszentmihalyi defines as “androgynous” and how that was distinguished in his study—what did the students define themselves as so in order to receive that designation and furthermore, is defining oneself as androgynous automatically associated with cognitive flexibility?  It would appear to be, as it is not implicitly stated within the text, and that, for me, is so important in crafting an understanding of creativity.  It seems essential to think about formation of self-identity in order to understand if and how the construction of social conditions permit such pliancy-- next year bring this into classroom in conjunction with a piece of literature that emphasizes the formation and exploration of identity.  Maybe Fences by August Wilson (Grit Lit, hah).

So I'm surrounded by all of these philosophical theories of education that do not give me specific strategies and then I'm left thinking that perhaps it becomes useful to think of the theories as a basis by which to lay the groundwork for ourselves when we are trying to understand the grey areas.  Going to relay this to my students as a a guide in helping me/them to find strategies in which to work from when things aren't linear. Noticing a lot of frustration lately when inferences aren't immediately clear within a piece of literature (so common within works prior to the 1700s because linguistically speaking, sentences were constructed differently.  Subjects and predicates were often reversed which is why it is so difficult for students to interpret older texts). But in general, ideas and conversations don't often correspond to a model, which is why it becomes important to think about alternative ways to view the model resistantly through discussion and self-reflection.  

Need to edit this and pick out the good parts to go into AWAKE proposal.

[kaplansplaylist]

on failing

Constantly thinking about several aspects related to creativity and creative persons:  namely, how can creativity be fostered in others (SCAFFOLDING), and why is it helpful to identify all of the determinants related to construing creativity?  Is it helpful?  It is, of course.  But.

I am struck by the idea of balance as an essential quality in finding creative success because in many of the creative examples I consider, I notice that perhaps there was a distinct lack of balance in their lives—many qualities that we would commonly consider essential to having a balanced existence seemed to be forsaken in favor of the intense focus/obsession on their creative endeavor. What does this mean?  It means that creative individuals have high aspirations, hints of obsession, strong problem-solving skills and are able to identify precursors and descendants when construing their own narrative context.  It means that this type of contextual framing enables an awareness of the tension between received knowledge and self-generated new ideas.  That, then, becomes a balancing act.

So...the ability to balance is so incredibly important when considering what it means to pursue purposeful work and problem solving, because in order to have self-awareness and the ability to reflect on a problem, one must be able to step back and attempt a new perspective and try to maintain that sense of equilibrium. 

Maybe the idea of failure is inherently flawed because when we talk about failure, we assign it a meaning that is ultimately subjective.  In reading about objectively creative persons such as Einstein and Darwin, I've started to think about how for much of their lives they experienced “failure” as designated by other people, and ensconced themselves into private worlds so as continue their work without judgment.  I’m interested in the ways in which creative people continue to create by maintaining that type of evolving system which seems so out of line with the way that society operates:  rigid; standardized; routine; rooted in traditions.  We know this.  We can help students become more creative by providing an  environment that enables divergent and convergent thinking through emphasizing reflection.  Maybe then I need to stop and think about systems of belief as defined by an Other, and how for Darwin it was so essential to self-reflect in order to find patterns in his modalities of thought.  It always comes back to redefining/reframing.

Okay so turning to teaching.  How is this rectified in the context of finding and implementing balance in a classroom to essentially enable and I don't know, jumpstart an intrinsic motivation within a student who considers failure to be a norm.  That's a tough one.  I guess it strikes me that we rely on systems of belief to identify and empower creators that are constantly enhanced and evaluated by our culture and the climate that we live in, but... we don't really talk about that all that much. 

[kaplansplaylist]

(via Creativity: Is It Quantifiable? | Learning Diversity : Learning Diversity)

Furthermore, since this website is devoted to the idea of learning diversity and examining alternative types of education, I feel that I would be remiss if I did not touch upon the idea of social context and task engagement when working to foster creativity (probably because I am a teacher, definitely because I am a human). In conceptualizing factors related to creative performance, it feels pertinent to explore the idea of task motivation in the context of fostering creativity. How do we do this successfully if we agree that the assessment of creativity is a subjective endeavor? To this end I present one key question, namely: how do we, as parents and educators, encourage intrinsic over extrinsic motivation? I propose two key fundamental elements necessary in which to build upon: first, finding a baseline attitude to work from and secondly, maintaining a clear focus on activities surrounding perceptual reasoning that combine elements of collaborative learning with giving students the ability to embrace their autonomy, a trait that students need in order to independently explore their ideas.

taken from learningdiversity.org

[kaplansplaylist]

leading group-based classwork

on agent centered falsehoods that impede presence and the ability to have productive dialogues based on recent experiences in the classroom and in meetings:  the myth of the ultimate truth (there is no single right answer); the myth of separation (by objectifying our world we look at it as a resource instead of an extension); the myth of efficiency (we must have control); the myth of scarcity (success relies on competition).  

this is assuming, of course, that the goal as facilitator is altruistic, to aid others in regarding narratives / discussion / dialogue (whatever) as a way to express themselves, solve problems, assert agency, make sense of complexity, explore identity, and connect thought to action in the interest of the design of their lives... as opposed to... what?  conditional politeness and reliance on familiar static practices.  

[kaplansplaylist]

fragments on creating inclusive classrooms

The onus is placed on both the teacher and the institution itself.  What about the student?

Theoretically, professional development opportunities would be offered that guide teachers in differentiating their teaching styles in order to vary the information output directly towards the individual student, which would ideally allow for them to engage with the student on a personal level and have an awareness of personal experience and cultural background.  All too often, the contemporary educational paradigm-- in my experience as a teacher of students who learn differently-- promotes a type of judgmental listening ('downloading') because it enables a sense of universality when trying to reach a common goal (meeting a standard, getting a grade, et. al).  This is dangerous because it affords unearned privileges to some and creates an established power dynamic between the teacher and the student, but experience and practice tells us (the educators) that we ought to rely on the prior experiences of our former lessons.   Why?  We are tired?  Too many classes?  need to further examine, seems antiquated.

Perhaps the first step may lie in having that sense of awareness and ability to question traditional practices, especially as they relate to interactions and dialogue.  Create seminar on traditional pedagogical discourses next year; enable students to critique their own learning styles.  Form discussion groups with other teachers?  Form discussion groups with students..

[kaplansplaylist]

on dialogues

The emancipatory function that dialogue* may take inside a culture that places an emphasis on an isolated and fixed view of self is one that enables the self to achieve a common unity through the ability to embrace both commonalities and diversity.   In other words, the ability to practice and engage in a constructive dialogue is a necessity for finding collective meaning in situations and scenarios.

Given that we are all to a greater or lesser extent a part of such widespread social and institutional reality, this has major implications regarding the ways in which we think about, learn about, and practice dialogue processes for a number of reasons.  The act of embracing dialogue gives us the chance to embrace our own anxieties surrounding the notion of ambiguity by being able to better emphasize with the idea of otherness. 

Eisenberg writes at length about the frustration inherent in searching for a particular identity because identities are formations that are reliant on society, therefore they cannot be fixed by cultures are constantly in motion.  By learning and practicing the dialogue process, humans can develop their identities through communal modes of conversation and discourses that are focused on the idea of acceptance and tolerance.  With that said, dialogue can also assist in the continuation of such narrow visions and mistaken realities for the self, because when misused it can reinforce power relations and defensiveness.

*i should probably define dialogue at some point