How do we know that countries are
ready for global homogenization learning programs? Will the programs be fitted
to different cultural, economical and social backgrounds and learning
perspectives? What will the outcome of the students exposed to these
international platforms be? According to Young Zhao, the idea of implementing
in schools a Common Core of Standards to set high international norms on
specific subjects should not be applied because teachers and students learning
perspective is drifting away from the reflective and creative process of
acquiring knowledge. It is only focusing on teaching for the tests and passing
these to prove that students are globally competitive. So the teacher and
student viewpoint instead of evolving into higher thinking level it has
diminished to memorizing terms and procedures. Countries are using the Program
for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International for
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) as the learning platform to ensure
students success. On the other hand, the limitation subjects in which the
Common Core Standards focuses (English and math and in some countries in
science) has left out other disciplines that enrich the cultural background and
perspective of students knowledge.
Young Zhao describes two types of
educational systems in the world: one which is based on a central government
education authority that establishes what students should learn though out
national curriculum and a second one which does not have a national control on
learning and the curriculum program decisions are taken by the local
authorities. My point of view is that education should programs should be in
the midpoint because there are disciplines that are essential but the way they
should be approach can be different to make learning meaningful and
representative to students. Where students are not boxed or guided by the
instructor to reach the same outcome; instead students should be given the
opportunity to experience and reach different answers and solutions to a
problem or perspective. Learning standards will be different in each level and
for each country. Some countries may come to an agreement because they have
educational, economical, social and political similarities while other
countries won’t, do to their structures and that doesn’t mean that students
won’t be able to pursue their aspirations. Zhao’s perspective on how will the
outcomes be for those students that are in the Common Core Standard and what
will happen if they don’t turn out to be the globalized generation citizens
that were promised since little kids? That is a matter that worries because
this generation is been promised success and high ranked jobs. But learning is
more than passing standardized testing and the ones that have the understanding
of knowledge will have a plus that will bring them to the top of their careers.
Education is something I reflect
daily when I plan, teach and especially when I analyze the final learning
outcome. When thinking of traditional education paradigms they do clash with
what we experience today in an actual classroom setting. Where the resources,
the teachers and the students have a different perspective of what is knowledge
and what can you do with it in real life scenarios. In today’s learning the
curricula is based on international platforms and we are part of this evolution
by being the link between knowledge, skills and technology. But let’s go back
to these traditional learning paradigms, in which some of us where part of them
because we experience these as student or as teachers as well. Where knowledge
and professional development was limited locally depending on the countries
political, economical and social needs. When I think of what I experienced and
if that affected any sort of life opportunity, I can recall that my schooling
did offer diverse curriculum programs that at that time gave a plus in the
community. So I don’t really regret my education. I probably would of liked to
have all of the fields of college studies that exist today which offer
different specialized jobs. But let’s face it; fields of study evolve because
the world’s evolves too. Keeping myself up dated via mass media, courses or
seminars have helped me fight those deficiencies and keep me updated.
The learners we are preparing for
the future do have a different asset of knowledge and skills than we do. The
instructions I offer in class are aligned with the MYP and IB principles, which
are international standards. I am a technology integrator that follows the MYP
Design Cycle that allows students to perform their learning according to their
own inquiry needs and reflection, to be creative and innovative in all working
stages. My objective is to prepare them for the real world but at the same time
I cover basic learning steps to give them support and skills. As an educator I
am the one that needs to cope up with world changes and be up dated in order to
build up learners for the world. It is not only to teach them to pass a test to
prove they are globalized citizens, it is to make them go beyond memory to the
understanding of a concept and making it part of their knowledge.
Bibliography
Zhao, Y. (2012). The Wrong Bet. Why Common Curriculum
& Standards Won’t Help. In Z. Yong, World Class Learners: Educating
Creative and Entrepreneurial Learners. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Hi Alejandra! You made me reflect that we always think on what students should be learning and teachers should be teaching; however, educational systems should focus more on the professional development of teachers so their improvements reflect on the quality of education offered to students. A knowledgeable teacher will know how to apply any curriculum and make the best of it. Thank you!
ReplyDelete