The Smartest Kids in the World: Part I

In response to Mrs. Stevens' Blog, I have finished reading Part I of the Smartest Kids in the World. While reading the book, I tried to relate my education situations to each students experiences to get an idea how I would feel in different countries.

The chapter explaining Kim's experience in Oklahoma and her process of being a foreign exchange student in Finland focused more on Kim than Finland's education system. Kim's dedication to education was evident at an early age probably because that was that activity she belonged to at school. She discovered that her school was "holding her back" and she was determined to study abroad. In order to do so, she had to raise $10,000 in funds. Her determination and dedication to grow intellectually was the engine that kept her pushing to the final amount of $10,000. She researched unusual countries and was attracted to Finland because of the strong coffee and the best education system in the whole world. I don't have too much information about the Finland schools yet, but I do know that the students have freedom and are treated like adults. The students are prepared for the next level and are motivated to do well in school, to get into a good college, to end up with a good job. Education is taken seriously and teachers are held in a high regard.

South Korea's education system has a fantastic structure, but it is taken out of hand. Students basically go through two American school days everyday and go to a tutor until eleven at night. Students are pushed extremely hard by their parents and have a constant pressure to learn more and study hander. Because the success of middle school determines the high school the students will attend, and the results of an end of course high school exam determines the college the student will attend, and the success in college determines the rest of the students and their families life, Korean students have pressure on them to be the best at the very beginning of school. The pressure is not healthy for anyone, but especially for children. Although the system is flawed, the students are extremely motivated and take their education very seriously. This system could be ideal if it was toned down several levels. Less pressure should be placed on the one exam that determines the college a student will attend. More emphasis should be placed on learning information and skills to be successful in their future careers.

The chapter about Poland focused mainly on math. Polish teachers teach math in a very different, but relevant way than the United States. When teaching math, students are given real life situations and are taught math skills to solve it. Unlike the United States that categorized each year of math into a separate category, Poland teaches material as it fits together because all math does go together. For me, it is easy to categorize trigonometry, algebra, and calculus into separate components, but in life, they all fit together. So why does America teach it separate? I don't have the answer to that question.

Like I said previously, I feel like America would benefit from using a model of South Korea's education system with moderations. I do feel like students view education as a joke and nearly every person can get into a type of community or 4-year college. By tightening the qualification for college, students will have the same type of motivation that South Korean students have. The number of hours those students spent at school, tutoring, and studying is outrageous, but America can learn from the structure of the education system.

Revolution or Evolution?

In response to Mrs. Stevens' Blog, I was stumped with the question, "What is the most important ingredient to the learning formula?" But the longer I thought about it, the more answers I got. I finally realized that one factor cannot be the most important because the learning process has several factors that are mandatory to be successful. A teacher is necessary to individually relate to the students and create a student-centered classroom. The student must have a desire to learn and do complete their work. The parents must be encouraging their students to try the best they can and to complete assignments. A small class size creates a more one-on-one learning style that students need, especially slower students. Technology can enhance learning and provide a gateway of unlimited possibilities. When one factor is not included, the education process still occurs, but it might not be as successful when all factors are present.


In my opinion, I believe education changes to
remain "in-line" with society today. In reality, society should change to remain "in-line" with education. In order for that to occur, education must be revolutionized by a new standard. Teachers, students, or parents are not the answer to change education, but a new slate and expectations are necessary. Education is in place to prepare students for college which prepares students for a career. The goal is fine, but the path getting there is not. Today, students memorize to pass tests. I would know because that is how I keep high grades. Instead of learning the material and growing as my own individual thinker, I just spout off information that has been printed in my brain for a short period of time. By memorizing information, advanced thinking is not taking place and students do not understand at a deep level at all. But as long as students memorize the information on the test, they are rewarded with a good grade. Education is about learning and grades represent more memorization skills than mastery of information.

The broken education system does not need new inspirational teachers, driven students, or encouraging parents for a necessary change to take place. Instead, we need to put less emphasis on grades and more on learning. We need to have less structured assignments to allow students to create and expand on an idea they created, instead of having them regurgitate information that has been spoon-fed to them. Our education system desperately needs to be revolutionized into less of a "mold" system and more into an imaginative and unique system because each student has a special gift that the world will benefit from.