If you read the book The Smartest Kids in the World...

[Runningmom80]

Did it affect the way you homeschool? Is so, how?

 

I'm about 3/4 of the way through and having lots of conflicting emotions. :)

[quark]

I'll give you a bump.

 

I read it in a flash (i.e. very, very quickly and why I don't remember much now) many months ago. I read it very quickly because some of what the book says is not new to me based on how I grew up. And life has taught me that the grass is always greener on the other side.

 

What exactly about the book is inspiring the conflicting emotions? Or was it just one more thing to add to the perpetual questioning/ overthinking we homeschoolers/ parents/ moms do?

[Runningmom80]

I'll give you a bump.

 

I read it in a flash (i.e. very, very quickly and why I don't remember much now) many months ago. I read it very quickly because some of what the book says is not new to me based on how I grew up. And life has taught me that the grass is always greener on the other side.

 

What exactly about the book is inspiring the conflicting emotions? Or was it just one more thing to add to the perpetual questioning/ overthinking we homeschoolers/ parents/ moms do?

Ok, I finished it about an hour ago. I'm less conflicted now. The ending conclusion was that rigor needs to be valued in order to produce high performing children. Not exactly earth shattering. I kept hoping she would get into the methodology more, especially in Finland, the magical land of unit studies and high test scores. ;)

[Hobbes]

Overall, that book made me thankful for the freedom and opportunity to homeschool.  :lol:

 

[Runningmom80]

Overall, that book made me thankful for the freedom and opportunity to homeschool.  :lol:

 

Haha!  I get that.

[luuknam]

I pretty much have to second quark, though I didn't read it quite as fast. A lot of it wasn't new, and I don't think it really affected me much, but it's been quite a while since I've read it. Also, I grew up in NL, which isn't Finland, but is probably more similar to Finland than the US is.

[madteaparty]

Is this the one with the exchange students in S. Korea, Poland, Finland? If so, it's the only "educational-ese" book I've ever read. I don't know that it changed how I homeschool, I mean I'm not doing this for philosophical reasons and it's not like I have 5 approaches at hand to pull from as necessary. I only know how to homeschool, and parent, one way so we plow forward :)

I did find the book influential when speaking about education in general. I refer to the point of how teachers are educated there and the Rhode Island example here. If anything, it reinforces the fact that I would not homeschool but for the schools. :(

[momacacia]

Do they do a lot of unit studies in Finland? It's been a while, but I don't remember anything about unit studies in the Finland section.

[momacacia]

Dp

Edited September 26, 2016 by momacacia

[Carrousel]

I read it, and took away that more hours and more homework doesn't necessarily equal smarter kids. Schools in our area seem determined to prove that equation is true. Found the author's theories on teacher recruitment and training, and lack of selectivity incoming into the profession, as a reason for lack of respect for teachers interesting. It's been awhile since I read it, but it did make me think about how many things are wrong with our country's general approach to education in the compulsory years. I don't think it changed how I homeschool, just made me thankful that I do!

[luuknam]

Do they do a lot of unit studies in Finland? It's been a while, but I don't remember anything about unit studies in the Finland section.

 

I didn't remember that either, so not sure.

[Sneezyone]

I read this book a few years ago. It confirmed my hunch that, nationally, we need more high-achievers/intelligent people in the teaching profession who need to be encouraged to work together in their own learning communities. I remember sitting for the PRAXIS (when I toyed with teaching) with people taking it for the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time and listening to them say how challenging it was. NEWSFLASH: PRAXIS is not even AP-level stuff. I knew then that if these people could teach, and had obtained the required credential, something was very, very wrong.

[raptor_dad]

I thought the book was very over hyped. It didn't really add any thing new to the discussion. It was mostly ethnology like Linda Perlstein's "Not Much Just Chillin'"[1] about middle school or Edward Hume's "School of Dreams" [2]about CA Whitney HS or that book about Montgomery Blair(?) that I can't remember the name of... it had the Asian kid who took every AP course who they revisited at MIT where he had long hair and was on the ultimate team...

 

The main take away for me was Finland gives their kids more freedom and less high pressure academics and its all fine.

 

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Not-Much-Just-Chillin-Schoolers/dp/0345475763

[2] https://www.amazon.com/School-Dreams-Making-Grade-American/dp/0156030071

[Earthmerlin]

I read this book a few years ago. It confirmed my hunch that, nationally, we need more high-achievers/intelligent people in the teaching profession who need to be encouraged to work together in their own learning communities. I remember sitting for the PRAXIS (when I toyed with teaching) with people taking it for the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time and listening to them say how challenging it was. NEWSFLASH: PRAXIS is not even AP-level stuff. I knew then that if these people could teach, and had obtained the required credential, something was very, very wrong.

I took several Praxis tests & found them quite easy. For me, the best graduate class was educational psychology, which taught me a lot about the learning process. This definitely helps in the classroom. I think the real issue our country needs to face is talent acquisition & retention. It's tough going in the public schools & teaching is a demanding job--salary should reflect that. If you want top-notch people, you have to pay them. I agree with the author & feel the US should honor & respect their teachers more. I believe educators are being stripped of many decision-making powers, which are being rapidly replaced by politicians' policies. It's hard to effectively use your education, training & experience when the 'hows' of teaching are more & more mandated.

[Lilaclady]

I read it and did not find it earth shattering new. I was surprised at the end that she preferred the Korean way after saying how the kids live such high stressed lives etc. I like the Finnish model but also realize the model may not work here in the USA due to the disparity between the two cultures.

[blondeviolin]

My big takeaway was that we need to require more from our future teachers in post-secondary education. Subsequently, we need to pay them more!

[daijobu]

I listened to an audiobook version some years ago.  

 

My takeaway from Finland was that we need to close 80% of the teacher training schools in the US.  Make it hard to be a teacher, not the department of last resort for failed business majors.  

 

The other thing I learned was that students in US schools make a lot of posters.  Who knew?  

[SarahW]

Is this the one with the exchange students in S. Korea, Poland, Finland? If so, it's the only "educational-ese" book I've ever read. I don't know that it changed how I homeschool, I mean I'm not doing this for philosophical reasons and it's not like I have 5 approaches at hand to pull from as necessary. I only know how to homeschool, and parent, one way so we plow forward :)

I did find the book influential when speaking about education in general. I refer to the point of how teachers are educated there and the Rhode Island example here. If anything, it reinforces the fact that I would not homeschool but for the schools. :(

 

Oh yeah, the exchange students to Finland and S. Korea book. I totally forgot about Poland, was it Poland? There were three kids, yeah.

 

I remember wondering about how inefficient the S. Korea system is. I mean, if kids are really spending 10 hours a day in class, they should know an amazing amount of stuff, right? Just what sort of knowledge do they need for their college entrance test? Is it really that hard? Or are there just widely ineffective teaching methods going on? Or wrong study habits? Or is it just a principle of diminishing returns?

 

One thing that did stick with me was the incident when the girl in Finland went to the first day of class and noticed that one of her classmates was a "bad-boy" (druggie/skater/death metal type) and assumed that he would sleep in class, cop an attitude with the teacher, and cause mayhem in general - and then being utterly surprised when he turned out to be a good student and there was always an attitude of mutual respect between him and the teacher. THAT right there, I think, pointed out a major issue in American education.

 

Teacher training is a big issue, for sure. My son's classroom here in NL has just over 20 students, yet he has 3 teachers. One is the senior teacher who has many years of experience, one is a junior teacher who was recently certified and teaches a few times a week under the direction of the senior teacher, and then an assistant who is still being certified. 

 

I do roll my eyes a bit, though, when I see my extended relative who is an elementary teacher post articles on FB about how Finland pays their teachers well and gives them freedom and so on. Honestly, if she was in Finland, she never would have gotten certified as a teacher (I know she struggled to graduate from high school, and struggled to get through college). The benefits come with consequences, which is why I think lots of people talk about Finland, but no one actually wants to implement it.

[daijobu]

 

 

I remember wondering about how inefficient the S. Korea system is. I mean, if kids are really spending 10 hours a day in class, they should know an amazing amount of stuff, right? Just what sort of knowledge do they need for their college entrance test? Is it really that hard? Or are there just widely ineffective teaching methods going on? Or wrong study habits? Or is it just a principle of diminishing returns?

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, yeah, I had forgotten about how bizarre the S Korea system was.  They spend all afternoon and evening at private cram school, study all night, then show up to useless public school so they can sleep all day.  Why bother going to school at all if it's just to sleep?  What a waste.  

[luuknam]

Oh, yeah, I had forgotten about how bizarre the S Korea system was.  They spend all afternoon and evening at private cram school, study all night, then show up to useless public school so they can sleep all day.  Why bother going to school at all if it's just to sleep?  What a waste.  

 

I suspect truancy laws?