Week 1A - The Smartest Kids in the World: and how they got that way

As you may or may not know, I am friends with, or related to, a lot of teachers. Seriously, so many teachers. Because I talk to so many educators I regularly find myself in conversations about education, policy, different teaching styles, etc. So I found this week's book really interesting. I honestly don't recall how I came upon The Smartest Kids in the World, but I'm glad I did.

No cool 'on location' pictures to add, because I have this downloaded on my Kindle app.

I read T.S.K.i.t.W. in a dental waiting room. The chair was uncomfortable. The soothing music was not very soothing. The receptionist had the sniffles, bless her heart. Despite all of these aggravating distractions, I wasn't aggravated or distracted.

Waiting rooms are a special kind of hell.

Author Amanda Ripley asks "What is the best way to educate children?". Her search takes her to Finland and South Korea, and includes accounts from three American teens studying abroad for a year. Ripley considers how differences in culture, socioeconomic standing, the expectations for students, and parental involvement all impact the learning experience. This book is well researched and engaging.

Recommendation Level: Good for parents, educators, people who make laws and policy about education, anyone-who-cares-about-America-being-the-best-and-investing-in-our-country's-future, a white elephant gift...

*Spoilers after the break*
The low down is that Americans students aren't as "smart" as kids from other countries.

PISA 2014 World Rankings 

Ripley posits that the difference comes from how we teach and looks for ways to replicate what more successful countries are doing.

A few examples of notable differences are:

• More rigorous training is required for teachers. Ripley likens getting into a collegiate teaching programs in Finland is as difficult as being accepted into MIT. So only the best teachers are hired.
• There is less/no focus on sports and other extracurricular activities. School is for learning, period.
• Teachers and parents expect students to apply themselves and work hard. No "babysitting, handholding, or spoonfeeding". 

It's not all roses and sunshine though. It seems that some countries (I'm looking at you South Korea)  have taken academic pressure to the extreme. Students spend hours studying, so many in fact that some cities have instituted a "study curfew". 

11:00 pm! Put your books away before the cops see!

It's obvious that we need to change our perspective on education and make some changes. How we go about making changes isn't a simple problem, and it probably won't have a simple solution.  But, we can't continue to throw money at the problem. Did you know that we spend more money per student than any other country? Yet according to the Dept. of Education, between 15-20% of students in the nation will drop out of high school. That's a big issue and we need to grapple with it. It's vital that meaningful conversation and action take place. In the end, "education" has no value if the students you teach learn nothing. 

Sister, you should check out this book. If nothing else you'll have something relevant to contribute during your next conversation about school. Which, knowing our circle of framily could be the next conversation you're in. 

Best wishes and happy reading,

Angel

P.S. If you find this subject interesting and/or want to hear other ideas on the topic, I'd recommend Sir Ken Robinson. I love his TED talks. He's an amusing chap, full of interesting information.