A shared accord... Supporting Learning: A Tale of Two Countries by John Krouskoff

Supporting Learning: A Tale of Two Countries

Posted on April 11, 2013 at 5:07 am: John Krouskoff - Pearl River PATCH.

"In a major announcement earlier today, Google shared that nearly ten million students, teachers and parents in Malaysia would begin using Google Apps to support their national vision for education.  Ten million!  In order to support that, the government will provide Chromebooks to students.  The powerful synergy these technologies offer to students will play a pivotal role in supporting Malaysia's national view of the value of education and the changes that are needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century.  In their government report, Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, the Prime Minister stated, 

In order to meet our high aspirations amidst an increasingly competitive global environment, we cannot stand still. Our country requires a transformation of its entire education system, lifting achievement for all students. Make no mistake; this will require an entirely new perspective, so that students develop skills needed for the 21st century. Rather than simply adding staff and facilities, there is now a need to understand and improve the dynamics of the teaching and learning process.

The United States is also "striving to transform its education system lifting achievement for all students" yet our methods are a bit different.  We've had No Child Left Behind and now Race to the Top with some accompanying funding, as well as a Common Core Curriculum to define our expectations. These come with accompanying high stakes assessments.  Perhaps a better balance (a "Smarter Balance" if you will) would be to support our national initiatives and goals with the requisite tools for moving forward.  Imagine if our bickering over budgets and extremist politics was replaced instead by a collective statement similar to the one below from Malaysia's Prime Minister. Now more than ever, leadership matters.

But despite this, rest assured that not only are the Government and Ministry of Education committed to delivering on these goals, I am also personally committed. And hand in hand with the rakyat, I have every confidence that we will persevere and deliver. From individual parents to members of the local community to the private sector, we all have a role to play and a personal stake in improving our education system. A role that will help sow the seeds of our children’s success. A role that we should all be proud to play. So God willing, let us take this exciting, challenging and – most importantly – this necessary journey together, as one nation."

In response: by Rose Marie Raccioppi

When first starting my teaching career, I was quite taken by the simplicity and the wisdom of the words of John Ruskin. As a student of psychology I came to deeply appreciate the need of validation and purpose. To understand the how and why of learning and motivation for each of my students became the guidepost for my teaching. 

Over the years, and serving the needs of the special learner as an Educational Consultant/Therapist, these words of Ruskin continue to ring true: "Education is leading human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them; and these two objects are always attainable together, and by the same means; the training which makes men happiest in themselves also makes them most serviceable to others." 

-- John Ruskin

When there is a collective vision that supports the attainment of beneficial goals to which both student and educator can identify with, education becomes the change agent. Yes, I feel the inherent power of such a vision. As stated: "Imagine if our bickering over budgets and extremist politics was replaced instead by a collective statement similar to the one below from Malaysia's Prime Minister. Now more than ever, leadership matters." YES, I yet imagine... 

YES... Lets get a dialogue going... our children deserve no less... 

Educators are to be FREE TO TEACH, CHILDREN TO BE FREE TO LEARN, holding to the spontaneity of the moment, bringing life to exploration and discovery, NOT TO TEACH TO THE TEST... and be bound by the sterility of drill... Serving the needs of the special learner, those gifted yet bored, those whose learning style requires supportive understanding, has taught me that the 'heart behind the teaching' not the score keeping, is what keeps learning alive!!! Let us rightly hold to a position that serves our children. We cannot be complacent toward a system that has become blind to the stresses imposed by unreasonable testing.Post, share, comment, let us bring our support and understanding for our learning youth into the realms of action and policy change...

As I look at the word 'GIFT' and see those very special endowments as seeds within our children, the word itself bears a message we are to heed... let us as parents, grandparents, educators, members of our communities, leaders, movers and shakers, see our mission to look upon our children with their 'GIFT' of BEING ... with Gratitude ~ with Inspiration ~ with Freedom ~ with Truth... and so the greatness of each child be nourished... and so our country's dignity be salvaged. Rose Marie Raccioppi

And so let the gifts be known, the needs be addressed, the success be realized...

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