Are"Basics"EnoughforStudents?AnAmericaneducationexpertsaysmanyschoolsarespendingtoomuchtimeteachingthe-basics‖-reading,mathandwriting.ThatmightbedifferentfromwhateducatorshavebeensayinginAmerica.ButU
Are"Basics"EnoughforStudents?
AnAmericaneducationexpertsaysmanyschoolsarespendingtoomuchtimeteachingthe-basics‖-reading,mathandwriting.ThatmightbedifferentfromwhateducatorshavebeensayinginAmerica.ButU.S.EducationSecretaryJohnKingsayschildrenreallyneedawell-rounded(全面的)educationthatincludesmusicandthearts.
Kingspokeabouthisowneducationwhenexplainingwhyschoolsneedtoteachmorethanmath,readingandwriting.Hisparentsdiedwhenhewasyoung.Hesaidthingsinhishousewerefrightening.ItwashisteacherinGradesFour,FiveandSix-Mr.Osterweil-whohelpedhimescapefromhisdifficultlifeathome.EachdayinMr.Osterweil'sclass,studentswouldreadanewspaper.Theteachertookhimandhisclassmatestothetheater,thezoosandfamousmuseums.
"Thosewerepowerful,life-changingexperiences,‖Kingsays.AfterhegraduatedfromHarvardUniversity,hetookchargeofNewYorkStatepublicschoolsfrom2011-2015.-I'malivetoday,I'mdoingtheworkthatIdotodaybecauseIhadMr.Osterweilduringthatperiodofmylife,‖Kingsays.-Studentsneedtoconnecttheirstudiestothingsthatmattertothem,suchasmusic,iftheywanttobecomeathinker.‖
A2013reportbyUNESCO(联合国教科文组织),saysworldneedspeopletobeabletosolvenewandunusualproblemsnow.Itsaysartscanhelpstudentsfindthoseanswers.Inthereport,UNESCOsaysteachingtheartsinChina,SouthKoreaandJapanisdifferentfromthatinmanywesterncountries.-Theeducatorsinthosethreecountriespaymoreattentiononjoyfulexperiencesandchildren'sinterests,‖thereportsays.-IntheWest,educatorsaremorelikelytoconnecttheartstoreading,writingandmath."
Comparingcountriesishardbecausetheyhavedifferentwaystodefinesuccess.Forexamplesomepeoplemaythinkgettinghighmarksinexamsissuccess,whileothersmayholddifferentviews.A2014surveybytheProgramforInternationalStudentAssessmenttriedtocomparehowwellcountriesteachchildrenhowtosolveproblems.ItfoundSingapore,SouthKorea,Japan,andChinawiththehighestscores.Singaporewasthetoponewithascoreof562outof1,000.Theaverage(平均的) scorewas500.TheUnitedStateshadascoreof508,onepointbehindGermany.