Comments on: Segment One from Full Episode

By: Cherisse Peterson

Cherisse Peterson — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:52:48 +0000

This video maded me realize how behind America really is. Its amazing to think that some people come here and learn the english language so quickly and are top in all of their classes. To answer the question they ask in the clip, Is America ready to compete with other countries? I am pretty positve we are no where near competing with any of them. Pretty sure everyone needs to step there game up and get to studying if you ever want to be as advanced as the other counties.

By: Lawrence Kelley

Lawrence Kelley — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:46:20 +0000

I suggest anyone concerned or interested in learning more about competition from the Chinese educational system should also see a documentary done in early 2008 by BBC World Television, “Chinese School”:

A video clip is posted at http://www.edigitalresearch.com/clients/bbcworld/best08,

And an official BBC web site is at http://www.open2.net/chineseschool

By: Where We Stand . Globalization - Video Report | PBS Video

Where We Stand . Globalization - Video Report | PBS Video — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:39:30 +0000

[...] first collected Added 30 Oct 08 from http://www.pbs.org Flag as inappropriate or [...]

By: Bruce Carr

Bruce Carr — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:55:28 +0000

I could not agree more with Eric W. I am from Australia and discovered at the PLP face to face that our Victorian government schools charge students to use the internet they come to class with no credit. So we all agree there is a problem. What are we going to do about it. A colleague and I are going to our governing body to discuss changes to our system. Have people read about the Singapore “Teach less learn more” policy just an idea.

By: Michael Paul Goldenberg

Michael Paul Goldenberg — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:21:01 +0000

You have to note well that the circumstances in Finland and Japan are dramatically different from both each other and from our own. There are very few bases for meaningful comparison. FREE college tuition for ALL qualifying in students in Finland compared with average tuition at state universities here at about $8,000 a year, for starters. Most Finns are middle class; the US has dramatic wealth and large amounts of dramatic poverty. Funding here is and has long been grossly inequitable, favoring the wealthy and seriously disadvantaging those already down. The program brought all of this out, mostly in a balanced way. But of course those whose goal is to destroy US public education in favor of giving even MORE public money to help the most affluent and least neady, as well as to help private business put its hooks further into public education, ignore all the differences that would indicate that we simply don’t have a society that is ready to commit to high quality education and opportunity for everyone.

By: John

John — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 22:48:33 +0000

The book “School Math Fundamentals” clearly and simply explains the basics of math that students need to know.

By: Shannon R.

Shannon R. — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:11:49 +0000

Anyone involved in education realizes that changes need to happen. Every day in the faculty lounge I hear people complaining about our educational system. The value of a show like this, is that instead of just complaining about the way things are, it challenges people to actually make changes. Yes, we will have to do things differently and yes, we will have to think differently, having different attitudes. Yes, that’s hard, but until we, as a society, make a conscience effort to shift our thinking and make some changes, we’re going to stay where we are right now.

By: Michael J Ahles

Michael J Ahles — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:03:01 +0000

Thanks Judy and all for the exellent educational piece.
Just a thought and question or two:
Education is all about money?
Well there’s the problem.
What happened to truth?
And what about equality lessons in this inequitable world, do we teach our children equality?
Wouldn’t humanity lesson in a world made so inhumane by ourselves be more important than say geometry?
Are there any classes that teach our children right from wrong, or is mathematics more important?
What if our children all got an “A” in Right?
And what about taking care of our planet as well as we must take care of ourselves, are there any lessons being taught like that?
Why are children being taught that education is about making money, what about life?
Is there a class on self-relience?
Are there any classes on unity, Oneness, and what of justice, kindness, love, and what about lesson in peace?
Why do we teach our children to war?
Why are there soldiers in our schools?
If we are what we are taught, and we are taught and teach our children reading, writing, and arithmatic and war, and that education is all about money and making money, no wonder we find ourselves and this planet in the greedy distructive mess we are in.
I see the curriculum as simply the flaw, don’t you?

=
MJA

By: Brian K.

Brian K. — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:21:34 +0000

Hey, if you want a fascinating companion to this, check out the documentary film “2 Million Minutes” at http://www.2mminutes.com

By: Kevin D

Kevin D — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:37:53 +0000

With the question focusing on the global economy, U.S. students are not ready to compete. The U.S. education system is not geared to prepare students for global impact – a bird’s eye view of U.S. school goals is merely to prepare students for h.s. graduation (with bare minimums in math, science, and language). As the documentary showed, the U.S. is producing fewer engineers, scientists, and comp. sci majors each year. Geography knowledge is minimal & seems on the decline as well. The business community is entrenched in the global economy, but u.s. education has not caught on yet – but will be forced into this reality too late.

By: Camille C.

Camille C. — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:04:09 +0000

I really don’t like it when our educational system is compared to what other countries are doing. Yes, they are different, and in many ways it seems that America can do much more to improve the education of its students. However, education is valued differently in countries such as Japan and Finland. For many of the students that I teach, school isn’t a big priority on their list, and this is encouraged by their parents. I have students who can’t do their homework because they have sports practice, dance classes, and other activities that take up a majority of their time outside of class. Now, I know that that isn’t the same for every student in America, but I think it is a problem.

By: Krista

Krista — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:06:09 +0000

This program was very thought provoking, but many of the stats weren’t surprising. I teach a population that will be lucky to finish high school. Students with emotional and behavioral disorders often end up locked up, instituationalized or dead if they don’t get the help they need in those early critical years. High stakes testing has only increased the strikes against them. I don’t believe we need to place blame anywhere; just use this as an opportunity to increase awareness and a catalyst for change.