Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Have We Gotten It Wrong on School Reform?

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
Brief article that summarizes the main points of Surpassing Shanghai: An Agenda for American Education Built on the World's Leading Systems, edited by Marc S. Tucker. The systems of schooling in Shanghai (China) Finland, Japan, Singapore, and Ontario (Canada) are analyzed. This bit accords with my own understanding:

According to this analysis, six key factors underlie the success of those top performers:
1. Funding schools equitably, with additional resources for those serving needy students
2. Paying teachers competitively and comparably
3. Investing in high-quality preparation, mentoring and professional development for teachers and leaders, completely at government expense
4. Providing time in the school schedule for collaborative planning and ongoing professional learning to continually improve instruction
5. Organizing a curriculum around problem-solving and critical thinking skills
6. Testing students rarely but carefully -- with measures that require analysis, communication, and defense of ideas

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Dec 22, 2024 10:49 p.m.

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