Strategies for learning used in Asia

This summer, our institute had the priviledge of meeting a delegation of teachers from China. The teachers who sat at my table were extremely interested in how we teach. They were also very curious to know about how each of our schools ran. During the discussions, I learned a few things about their system. They test at the end of each grade. These tests determine where the student is placed in the next school year. I asked them if they used things such as multiple intelligences and other things. Then, I had to explain what those were. So, I am guessing they don't use many of those strategies. Although the delegates were from only one city. I was able to mention something we use in teaching history called TCI or Teacher's Curriculum Institute. They were very interested in finding out more about this program.

Some info: Friends of mine who were educated in mainland China tell me that the testing is all by wriitng, even in Math class. The teachers are looking for evidence of thinking and understanding. There are no multiple choice or fill in the blank tests.
In a Math class if you show you understand the Math in your writing, but made a calculation error, you will still be able to get a very good grade. I would assume there is an element of critical thinking in the curriculum by the way my friend described what the teacher was looking for.

In Japan, according to a teacher friend who was educated there 15 years ago, math is taught by having students come up to the board and work the problem for much of the class time. So there is practice, but also a performance aspect. The student can ask for assistance from another student if they are unprepared.
I suspect the larger scale and movement benefits the kinaesthetic learners. Plus, there is a pressure to pay attention because you will be required to perform. I know this strategy is used in American classrooms, however, in this case it was used for more of the class period.

I am wondering if the math in China is like 'Singapore Math" (which emphasizes mental math, not wrote memory? )
Also I'm curious if the abacus is used as a tool in class?

While I currently do not teach math myself, I constantly bring it up in my 6th grade classroom. Often I am bewildered by how many of my students don't really understand how they can use math in real world situations.

In an 8th grade classroom I observed twice last week, the teacher gave a homework assignment that asked
the students to find the perimeter and area of their bedroom or kitchen. Many students returned the next day saying they had no idea what the formula's were, and also stated that they did not have anything to measure with at home.

Factors like these must lead to part of why more and more scientist's and mathematicians are being hired out of China and India.

=:O [Edit by="cforfar on Sep 17, 4:58:54 PM"][/Edit]

Friedman discussed the ideas behind why Americans seem to be falling behind the Chinese in math and he believes that the U.S. government leadership is going to have to provide the rationale to the American people for the importance of increasing our math and science scores in order to stay competitive with China. He believes the rationale and impetus will have to come from a program like we began in the late 50s and 60s with NASA, the space race and Kennedy's push to the moon.[Edit by="rspringer on Sep 18, 9:02:03 PM"][/Edit]

This trend of coming up short in Science and Math In student college choice has been in place for some time.

Immigrants with student visas (many from Asia)were taking up some of the slack left by less Americans choosing Math and Science fields. Since 9/11, these visas have been more problematic. At the same time, with the flattening world, many people who previously came here can work by outsourcing and other connections in fields they previously would have had to come here to study.

Even in the field of teaching, LAUSD recruits Science and Math teachers in the Phillipines to come to the US and teach for 3 years. Their salary increases tenfold. According to a friend of mine who is in this program, that represents"equal pay for equal work" since the headaches increase proportionally.

For students in the US it is important to note that there are a billion dollars in unused scholarships for engineers each year.

The following is a quote from a study that used video analysis of Math instruction in Japan, the US and Germany,the TIMSS videotape Classroom Study.

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/quarterly/vol_1/1_2/6-esq12-a.asp

Although the analyses are preliminary, there appears to be a clear distinction between the U.S. and German scripts, on the one hand, and the Japanese script, on the other. U.S. and German lessons tend to have two phases: an initial acquisition phase and a subsequent application phase. In the acquisition phase, the teacher demonstrates or explains how to solve an example problem. The explanation might be purely procedural (as most often happens in the United States) or may include development of concepts (more often the case in

Germany). Yet the goal in both countries is to teach students a method for solving the example problem(s). In the application phase, students practice solving examples on their own while the teacher helps individual students who are experiencing difficulty.

Japanese lessons appear to follow a different script. Whereas in U.S. and German lessons instruction comes first, followed by application, in Japanese lessons the order of activity is generally reversed. Problem solving comes first, followed by a time in which students reflect on the problem, share the solution methods they have generated, and jointly work to develop explicit understandings of the underlying mathematical concepts. While students in U.S. and German classrooms must follow their teachers as they lead students through the solution of example problems, Japanese students have a different job: to invent their own solutions, then reflect on those solutions in an attempt to increase understanding.

For a very specific downloadable document on Japanese Math curriculum

site: http://www.globaledresources.com/products/gerbook.html
Author: Global Education Resources
Description: Since the release of the results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), there has been an increased interest in Japanese mathematics education practices. The 1989 Japanese National Course of Study was translated by the Japan Society of Mathematical Education and included in the TIMSS Resource Kit. Now the accompanying Teaching Guide has been translated and is available for purchase from Global Education Resources, Inc. You can download free sample pages of the Teaching Guide as a PDF file. The sample pages include the Table of Contents, Overview of the Objectives and Contents of the [K-6] Numbers and Calculations strand (from Chapter 2), and Contents of First Grade: Numbers and Calculations (from Chapter 3).

I bumped into Jim Breen's web-site, which has many resources into the using of Japanese dictionaries, links, and many picture links. Enjoy...

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/japanese.html

Your idea about NASA and the space program are very interesting. I am teaching about the Cold War right now which has all kinds of connections for the students. The Space Race, which was part of the Arms Race, which was part of the overall Cold War, resulted in technology that was a double edged sword. The space technology could either be used to destroy civilization if communication broke down, or enhance civilization and communication. The various technologies that the students enjoy are either made possible by the satelites sent into space or the development of the technologies to send them there. Without the study of math and science to create these technologies, the study of history to help people make wise decisions about how to use them, and the practice of English/writing to write about their accomplishments, much of what students take for granted today would not exist.