Chinese Educators Look to American Classrooms - School Leadership 2.02024-03-29T10:50:56Zhttps://schoolleadership20.com/forum/topics/chinese-educators-look-to-american-classrooms?feed=yes&xn_auth=noHaving first-hand experience…tag:schoolleadership20.com,2013-09-08:1990010:Comment:1714472013-09-08T14:24:16.754ZDr. Michael L. Cubbinhttps://schoolleadership20.com/profile/DrMichaelLCubbin
<p>Having first-hand experience at teaching in China on more than one occasion, I am all too familiar with this discussion. For those US educators who read the headline and think, "See, even the Chinese want to adopt our teaching practices. After all, we teach students to think," please "think" again. This desire for change is not coming from the PRC (People's Republic of China), but from a handful of individuals who are attempting to inject change into the Chinese educational system. And let…</p>
<p>Having first-hand experience at teaching in China on more than one occasion, I am all too familiar with this discussion. For those US educators who read the headline and think, "See, even the Chinese want to adopt our teaching practices. After all, we teach students to think," please "think" again. This desire for change is not coming from the PRC (People's Republic of China), but from a handful of individuals who are attempting to inject change into the Chinese educational system. And let me add, a system that is very effective and every year produces many of our top students post-immigration to the US. To think the Chinese government, or people, want their students to be more like American students would be sheer folly on our part and would extend our levels of self-importance and conceit to new levels of arrogance. I do not make these comments lightly. In addition, most Asian and Indian parents who bring their children here for a better life are often sorely disappointed with the "American" system of education (though they are often too polite to say it that way. I am not.) Why do you think our Chinese communities are bursting at the seams with Chinese prep academies teaching SAT, PSAT, SHSAT, chemistry, physics, etc...? It is because their children are being taught at a level much lower than when they lived abroad and they want them to be at the very top.</p>
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<p>The gaokao is a test that would have even the best of our students on their knees crying "Uncle." The verbal component sits well above even the lessons I delivered at two of NYC's top Chinese SAT prep schools. It is grueling and no one should ever wonder why our Asian and Indian students score as high as they do on the verbal component of the SAT. Has anyone ever wondered why the essay component was added to the SAT? If you look at the data prior to this addition, our Asian students were "eating our student's lunch" each year with consistently higher scores than their American counterparts. This is a broad, sweeping generalization, but accurate. The essay component is intended to be a speed bump - an equalizer, if you will. If it were intended to help students write a better essay, then why are so many of our native English-speaking students required to take remedial English tests upon acceptance to college? Has anyone ever read of the "glass ceiling" for admission of our Chinese students that was taking place in California years back?</p>
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<p>I am often criticized for my unwavering "pro-Chinese educational system" support, but I respect any educational system that holds its ideals to a premium. Ask any new Chinese immigrant, say a 6th grade student, how is the math here in NY? They will very politely tell you they were doing that math in 2nd and 3rd grade in China. Ask any new Chinese immigrant in HS what were their favorite classes in middle school. It is usually (especially for the girls) chemistry, physics and international trade - with the content material all being on the level of our HS curricula.</p>
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<p>I could go on, but for those educators who read this and think we can now rest on our laurels because the Chinese want to emulate us, I say watch the documentary "2 Million Minutes" to see what is going on in Chinese and Indian classrooms and then tell me we are top dog. If I burst anyone's bubble, don't shoot the messenger.</p>