Why Now?
Suzhou was a strategic location for us to create a partnership of this nature since the NC State Board of Education has a current MOU and active educational partnership with Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education.
Combining the Advantages of Chinese and American Educational Philosophies
Despite the vast differences between China and the United States, the two countries share common concerns, most notably in the area of education. These concerns include the rising cost of education and in-creased knowledge and information necessary for educators and their students to become productive global citizens (Zhao, 2009). Both countries must focus on the necessity for comprehensive continuing education in innovative pedagogies for teachers and the importance of workforce development for a global economy (Zhao, 2009).
The Chinese Ministry of Education (CMOE) has embraced the challenge of modernizing the Chinese edu-cational system (2002). Of particular importance to the CMOE is the capacity to embrace modernity while simultaneously preserving and honoring the best of Chinese tradition. The Chinese government is focusing on reforming education as a key strategy for economic growth and development (CMOE, 2002). The key features of the reform movement are: (a) decentralization of elementary and secondary education; (b) a “quality orient-ed” rather than a “test-oriented” system, with an emphasis on learner-centered methods; (c) an increase in the amount of preservice education required of teachers, with greater emphasis on pedagogy; and (d) an increase in formal inservice education. The fact that China is interested in creativity and innovation, combined with the increased numbers of Chinese who are now attending higher education institutions, creates a dynamic context for change.
Suzhou North America High School education is being designed to embrace the best of Chinese and American educational philosophies and practices. As President Wang Bintai states on the SNA website:
Education is the fruit of human civilization, and developments and achievements should be shared around the globe. Suzhou North America High School is an international high school combining the advantages of Western and Chinese educational systems. It is specially designed for local Chinese students, and is committed to providing preeminent education opportunities for elite learners who aim to attend for world’s top 100 universities.
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By engaging SNA students in American content and pedagogies they will be better prepared to excel in Western institutions of higher education.
In 1900 in his seminal essay, “What Knowledge is of Most Worth?,” social theorist Herbert Spencer stated that this question needed to be answered before designing curriculum or instruction. As we make our way into the 21st century, Spencer’s provocative question is still front and center but this time in the midst of fast-paced technological changes that are driving the global economy. With ongoing advancements in information technologies creating much of the change we experience, different groups are thinking hard about the new knowledge and skills that are needed for workplace productivity. Even though it is impossible to predict the future, based on current expectations from the business community trends are emerging in terms of new skills that are needed. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) is the latest in a series of business education consortia that have delineated core content, skills, and processes that are deemed critical to the twenty-first century workplace. P21’s perspective is consistent with that of many economists and nonprofit organizations that address workforce capacity issues. Arguing to bridge the gap between how students live and how they learn P21 has identified collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking as key elements for 21st century education.
Levy and Murnane (2004) suggest that expert thinking and complex communication are essential for contem-porary work, since these are the two areas in the workplace that computers cannot replace human beings. Expert problem solving involves effective pattern matching based on detailed knowledge, metacognition, and the set of skills used by the perplexed expert to determine when to end one strategy and try the next. Complex communication involves managing multiple information streams as well as the capability to interpret subtle-ties and present convincing arguments. In an economy flooded with new concepts and invented language, communicating complex information effectively is an increasingly valued skill. Complex problem solving, quick and intuitive decision making ability, collaboration skills, and resourcefulness are the keys to success in the workplace. The rapid pace of change and the need for continuous learning makes the capacity to learn a highly valued competency as well.
It appears that the bottom line for 21st century life and work is that we need, first, continuous learners who can forge understandings in ambiguous and complex problem solving landscapes across cultures. Second, we need learners who can collaborate with rich content through multiple information and communication streams. The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Framework takes these future-oriented ideas into consideration.
In 1900 in his seminal essay, “What Knowledge is of Most Worth?,” social theorist Herbert Spencer stated that this question needed to be answered before designing curriculum or instruction. As we make our way into the 21st century, Spencer’s provocative question is still front and center but this time in the midst of fast-paced technological changes that are driving the global economy. With ongoing advancements in information technologies creating much of the change we experience, different groups are thinking hard about the new knowledge and skills that are needed for workplace productivity. Even though it is impossible to predict the future, based on current expectations from the business community trends are emerging in terms of new skills that are needed. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) is the latest in a series of business education consortia that have delineated core content, skills, and processes that are deemed critical to the twenty-first century workplace. P21’s perspective is consistent with that of many economists and nonprofit organizations that address workforce capacity issues. Arguing to bridge the gap between how students live and how they learn P21 has identified collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking as key elements for 21st century education.
Levy and Murnane (2004) suggest that expert thinking and complex communication are essential for contem-porary work, since these are the two areas in the workplace that computers cannot replace human beings. Expert problem solving involves effective pattern matching based on detailed knowledge, metacognition, and the set of skills used by the perplexed expert to determine when to end one strategy and try the next. Complex communication involves managing multiple information streams as well as the capability to interpret subtle-ties and present convincing arguments. In an economy flooded with new concepts and invented language, communicating complex information effectively is an increasingly valued skill. Complex problem solving, quick and intuitive decision making ability, collaboration skills, and resourcefulness are the keys to success in the workplace. The rapid pace of change and the need for continuous learning makes the capacity to learn a highly valued competency as well.
It appears that the bottom line for 21st century life and work is that we need, first, continuous learners who can forge understandings in ambiguous and complex problem solving landscapes across cultures. Second, we need learners who can collaborate with rich content through multiple information and communication streams. The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Framework takes these future-oriented ideas into consideration.
References
Chinese Ministry of Education. (2002). Ministry of Education’s notice regarding furthering the reform of evaluation and assessment systems in elementary and secondary school. Beijing, China. Retrieved from http://www.moe.edu.cn/edoas/ website18/info405.htm
Levy, F. & Murnane, R. (2004). The new division of labor: How computers are creating the next job market.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Zhao, Y. (2009). Catching up or leading the way: American education in the age of globalization. Alexander,VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Chinese Ministry of Education. (2002). Ministry of Education’s notice regarding furthering the reform of evaluation and assessment systems in elementary and secondary school. Beijing, China. Retrieved from http://www.moe.edu.cn/edoas/ website18/info405.htm
Levy, F. & Murnane, R. (2004). The new division of labor: How computers are creating the next job market.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Zhao, Y. (2009). Catching up or leading the way: American education in the age of globalization. Alexander,VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.