Friday, October 9, 2009

2 Million Minutes-How Can Our School Children Compete With Their Peers In India And China?

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5 comments:

  1. Dominic GallardiOctober 9, 2009 at 7:58 PM

    All right this one was good. I totally agree that the Indian and Chinese cultures are boosting their efforts in education, but at the same time I feel this narrow view is eliminating the creativity and imaginative aspects of the human mind. People can read a book and learn all they like, but without there is another side of the brain that is strictly devoted to imagination and creativity. Why would we neglect this? I believe these kids envy the lifestyle Americans live, although exaggerated in the interview. I totally agree that America is losing focus on education, but does it mean we need to copy some other culture? America is supposed to be the leader in the world, the country that sets the standards, I just think the private sector needs to instill that feeling in the Americans who have forgotten. And that’s exactly how I feel on the subject.

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  2. UnknownOctober 9, 2009 at 9:56 PM

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  3. UnknownOctober 9, 2009 at 9:58 PM

    The documentary seemed to show that America not only valued learning differently but had another definition to education. As those in India and China see that every student must pass all their academics to be seen as a passing or honored student, we sit here encouraging special talents and skills. Yet the documentary shows the cost of the education from both the business factor and the social factor that Americans see. The factor of the matter we have taken too much to leisure and luxuries. But in any case this brings forth the idea of what can come next and pressure inventors in society to come up with the next best thing. And during this time there is the growth of new arts in society. Change only comes to those seeking it and how can someone seek changes if all their life their stuck in between books. Of course there should be the determination to increase the abilities of American students in class rooms. But as someone who takes the pleasure of doing little to go along way the country would have to build up the fact that some of that pleasing time should be brought to spending time in books and studying. However, as in any time period there still lays the fact that one has to face reality eventually and for most of us it means a job. However you hear little of the words jobs for teens especial when there are others trying not only make money but spend it wisely. If all of America forced their kids into class rooms for more days and more time there would be a loss to the companies that feed on leisure time. What of the students when they are coming to the point of getting jobs? Even government sees that the lack of knowledge that Americans have benefits the growth of companies and business and even contributes to their own political parties in a sense. Think of the reason why English classes are watered down with censorship and focuses on simple test evaluations such as FCAT. Even the students do not even learn of economics till right before or during the time that they come of age to be considered as an adult. Even so they also choose to hold back on funding education or the pursuit of higher learning and contributing to society. I’m glad that India and China have grown to such heights to education because it brings us to the point on what we will do to grow yet keep our country as a whole in the process. Let FCAT die out and focus on the nitty-gritty of actual hard on learning. Start kids when their little to take further learning steps and harder courses so that in the future we can be part of the leaders in the next century.

    In all, the documentary was excellent yet carried no solutions to the problems that America has to correct and not cover all the grounds that are faced with the pursuit of education. It does bring up very well the life of the students in other countries. And it is agreeable that here is a lack of education present in America. Yet there shows little of the political powers that are present in those countries. And they are still growing to become more modernized by the technology of today still in parts of the countries. It does show a positive that we are still thinking because it is some of our intelligent guys that carry the ideas across the sea.

    Ian Anderson, 4th period

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  4. EmilyOctober 10, 2009 at 7:46 AM

    How can the school children of America compete with their peers in India and China? Good question. It is without a doubt that India and China are beating us in academic achievement because they put forth so much more effort. Just as the American boy in the video voiced, I too have not put forth my greatest effort in high school. Because we are not emphazing that only the best is acceptable, we set a precedent for students to slack off. Americans need to recognize that we won't be able to reach India and China's level until we really crack down on American education, otherwise we will no longer be such a huge world power. Too much time is spent on the problems that other countries success will cause us while little attention is focused on fixing our education system. Sadly, this documentary clip was not a surprise to me because our downfall in education did not just happen yesterday. Due to India and China's insistence on excellence in math and science, it makes complete sense that they are able to hold jobs intended for Americans, like Microsoft.

    Emily Nyren
    Period One

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  5. Lucas D'OnofrioOctober 11, 2009 at 2:21 PM

    I believe that American students slack off because many have a successful life already because of their parents and family. They think that they will always have that money, and school shouldn't be a problem for them. They could have a job at their parent's company. That is the mistake many Americans make, and they just care about having a good time. Indians and Chinese on the other hand, want to do all that's possible to help their family from being poor. They want to be successful and be able to provide for their family and get out of the slums. American's don't have that much worry, or at least not as much as in India and China. There's too much to do in America to take student's mind off school work that makes Americans so busy, and I think all of this affeects their education.

    Lucas D'Onofrio P.6

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