Posts Tagged ‘education’

Hey Parents – Jealous of Asian Students? Think Again!

Ben杰明
Oct 26 |15:12

Brain Workout

There’s plenty of debate about whether or not Asian kids are “smarter” than Western kids, but I think this discussion is a little over-simplified. Also, creating and implementing a test that accurately compares millions of students around the world has got to be crafty feat, especially if run by governmental agencies across the world.  The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has attempted to “rate” countries for years through “evaluat[ing] education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students.” Read More…

 

Staying in China and Facing the Dip

Ben杰明
Jul 12 |10:41

Keep focused

What may come as a surprise for some friends, family, and students has actually been a defining moment for keeping the last 7 years of my life from gathering dust. Originally, my 5 year plan saw me coming back to New England, finding a job, and perhaps marrying a Chinese Harvard grad! But since publishing that plan I realized that none of my plans would appropriately take advantage of my valuable experience in Asia. I have made a decision based on the realization that completely moving back home would not have been the best investment of my time, business relationships, and experience. Some might be thinking, “Where did this change come from?” or “Isn’t this a little sudden?” I understand that reaction, but have a different way of  looking at it. Since it might be a bit much to swallow all at once, I’ll just describe what has been going through my mind over the past three or four weeks.

“Don’t Quit” … “Be a Jack of all Trades”  … “Diversify” Read More…

 

From Chinese Public School to University to Workforce

Ben杰明
May 10 |17:24

Teacher Student Time

It’s common for us to praise countries like China, Japan, and Korea on their teaching methods. Of course, their math scores frequently deliver a spanking to American children and the future of American students gets even gloomier from there. The results are in the numbers and the proof is ample, but this educational success doesn’t come without a cost. As we attempt to compete academicaly, and globably, this cost has been (or is still being) experienced by American students with mixed responses from their administrators. At least the few administrator I’ve talked to were not full of praise about their new exam-based system. Read More…

 

Chinese Education in 2011

ben.piscopo
Jan 17 |14:34

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

The New Year has passed in the West, but we are gearing up for a the Year of the Rabbit in China! Last year was an important year for setting up my online training programs, but 2011 is the year that things get really interesting: we turn up the heat on our existing web-based training and in-person study abroad programs.

EFET set up an Online Learning Academy last year using BuddyPress, which allows for private social networks built on top of WordPress. Take a look at my school and join a free session of the English Corner Buffet, which is a joint program I offer with Bu Duan Wang. BDW is a Chinese not-for-profit organization which supplements the limited courses offered to primary school students in poor rural areas. Students who don’t get a Science, Math, Chinese or English class can now study in their wired classrooms. Learn more about the volunteers in their goodwill programs on their English site.

Although it is a bit early to be sure, another development is happening for me in China in 2011. With international study abroad programs accepting over 300,000 students last year, and forecasting 645,000 by 2025, more Chinese students are chasing their dreams abroad. However, there is a disconnect between the education systems of their home and guest countries. University professors in America often find that these students lack “critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and communication skills.”[* 08/11/2010]  In the article published on The Diplomat’s website, a principal from Beijing (Jiang Xueqin) was working toward providing better preparation for students who plan to go abroad. Unfortunately, many Chinese parents disagree about what makes a “successful” student. SAT, AP, IELTS, and TOEFL are usually considered the (only) keys to success here.

We can’t ignore the value of these exams for a student’s educational prospects, but no study abroad preparation program would be complete without a strong concentration on building people-skills. That is why I’d also like to take on the challenge of delivering better-prepared Chinese students to western universities and colleges. Of course, we have a lot to learn from how others have started building programs which may increase the chances of achieving this goal.

Ultimately, this year will introduce many challenges but it is going to be a great year! If any of the above topics interest you, please feel free to contact me through Asianliving.me or ben @ efet.info

 

Volunteer Blogs of Asia

Ben杰明
Mar 25 |06:01

From my experience, there are a number of blogs that are dedicated to helping the poor and underpriviledged of Asia. (Here- specifically China) One blog that has paid its dues and done many amazing projects along the way is the Blog of Dreams. It was started by American teachers in China who are trying to improve education in rural areas and provide scholarship opportunities.

Another website devoted to helping improve rural education is Beyond Distributed, a volunteer organization set up by a very warm-hearted Taiwanese doctor. She keeps an office in the Entreprenuerial labs of my university in Zhuhai. A group of 50+ students at the university donate their time to teach Math, Chinese, English, and other subjects to students in rural China. This is an amazing effort that I support too. I’m helping them develop the Online English learning service that they will use to earn money to support ongoing volunteer work.

[update] Duke Engage is a growing program that supports undergraduate students who are willing to do a summer of volunteer work. I had the chance to meet and discuss the program with Duke professor Hsiao-Mei Ku, who is also a violinist of the Ciompi Quartet. Their program in Zhuhai teaches local students English through various engaging activities.