February 13

For writing into the day, we listed everything we know about a country or countries.  Then, we watched two short videos about 21st century skills and global competition.  After these videos, we discussed questions (on the PowerPoint) in small groups, then have the following whole group discussion:

• These skills are essential to be able to compete.
• Some jobs don't need as much global awareness.  You won't need it for criminal justice or health care, for example.
• Global awareness could never hurt.  You will meet people from other places all the time.  It doesn't mean you have to go to those countries, but you will encounter them in the US.
• The amount of global awareness depends on your job.  Everyone needs the basics but the depth will vary depending on your future goals.
• We need to know what's going on in the news.  Things that happen in other countries affect us here.  We need to be more aware because it will make us more prepared for what is going to happen.
• Global awareness makes us better morally.  We will realize how much we have.
• It would help us be more critical thinkers.  You can apply smaller concepts to a global world.  You will develop skills that might help you pick up on things other people might not notice. 
• People in the US judge others for other countries because those in the US are uninformed.  If we are informed, we can give those people more respect.
• American students don't have the drive.  We don't work as hard as people in other countries.
• We need to have a higher value of education.  In other countries, they don't have access to education like we do.  In the US, almost everyone can pass high school.
• It's too late to start learning language in high school.  We need to start in elementary school.
• Most countries do that.  They start learning English in Kindergarten and keep learning it.
• One person being globally aware will help the people around that person be more globally aware too.
• Students should go on more field trips.  You should learn something over the year and go on a field trip to apply what you learned.
• Field trips help you learn without realizing you are learning.
• Field trips make students more creative.
• We need to structure our schools to be more competitive, like the elite schools in the "Social Class" reading.
• Other countries (like Finland) don't use multiple choice.  We use it because it's easier.  It takes work to teach critical thinking instead of the factory model of education. 
• Teachers need to connect current events to the subject matter.
• People can point out Americans in other countries because they know more about us.
• In other countries, they don't work when they are in school.  We don't focus on education; we focus on the future and what we want.
• It's interesting to learn about other cultures.  It breaks down stereotypes.
• Knowing Spanish and French doesn't help you compete with the big countries.  You need languages like Chinese.
• We should do more study abroad when we are younger.

Then, we read the descriptions of Liberal Education and Montessori Education.  In small groups, we discussed what we thought of these methods.  In the last five minutes, we wrote down what we were thinking.

Homework:

• Read "On the Uses of a Liberal Education."
• Post a reading response on your blog.
• Bring your golden line to class with you on Monday.