Educ 200 Signature Assignment

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EDUC 200 - SIGNATURE ASSSIGNMENT
Task 1. Big Picture Questions

Question 1 – Name 4 countries that have a great educational system. Based on what you learned in this course, what are 3
similarities that these countries have in common? In other words, what are some factors that have helped these countries to
excel in the area of education?
Singapore, Finland, Korea, and New Zealand were four of the countries with great education systems. Three things they have in
common are:
1. Emphasis on teacher training: Only the highest scoring teachers are chosen, and teachers are expected to continue
improving throughout their careers.
2. Boys and girls are given equal rights to education, so all citizens have the opportunity to receive a quality education and
work toward good careers.
3. These countries, and others with good systems, have thriving economies. This may be because quality education creates
opportunities for good jobs.

Question 2 – Based on what you learned in this course, do you think the top performing countries are influencing other
countries? In other words, describe how the countries which are listed highest in terms of PISA scores are having an effect on
other countries?
Top performing countries influence other countries in multiple ways. One way is by simply setting an example for countries with
lower scores. One good reason to find out how each country is performing educationally is to see what higher performing
countries do differently and using those ideas to improve another country’s education system. Another is that these high
performing countries have thriving economies that provide goods needed around the world. For example, Switzerland is a high
performer, and they are one of the world leaders in providing quality pharmaceuticals and Finland exports a lot of electronics,
both of which are very important. In addition, people in poor countries that do want to continue their education will often move
to attend school in another country. For example, in many parts of India, people live in extreme poverty. Because of this, many
people move away to get higher-paying jobs or to get an education. Then, once they have obtained higher education in another
country, many of them do not move back home because of the substantial difference in pay, which once again leaves India with
less educated, and more struggling people.

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Question 3 – Do you think that countries who pay little or no attention to educating its citizens can/will have a negative
impact on the world in the future? Support your answer.
When a country does not offer its citizens a quality education, it can negatively affect not only that country, but the rest of the
world as well. First, there are many discoveries and breakthroughs waiting for us, but what if the people who would be able to
have these breakthroughs are uneducated? For all we know, the person with a mind capable of coming up with a safer, more
effective cure for cancer could be out there—but without a proper education, they will never have the opportunity to share their
ideas. They will not have the background knowledge they need to bring them to their discovery. What if Edward Jenner, the
creator of the first vaccine had been born in a third world country with no access to education? How many more people would
have died from smallpox? And other diseases that were later eradicated using the same scientific technology? It also has an
effect on the global economy. Countries thrive through competition and trading, but countries that do not emphasize school
tend to be poorer. They are often unable to supply goods to export to build their own economies and contribute to others.
Question 4 - How does education in other countries compare to the system of education in the U.S. from your observations?
From the countries we spoke about in class, it seemed that for most countries schooling was compulsory for about the same
amount of time. Most of them began school at about age six and were required to stay in school until sixteen, with the option to
continue for a couple more years. However, there was quite a bit of variance in the requirements for teachers around the world.
Countries such as Korea, Finland, and New Zealand score higher on PISA and other education outcome measures than other
countries, but they hold their teachers to higher standards, require more teacher training, and pay them higher wages.
Additionally, one of the students in The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way mentioned that when he came
to the United States as an exchange student, he was shocked to find out how easy the tests were. He had never had a multiple
choice test before because they were required to really show their knowledge through essay questions (Ripley, 2014). On the
other hand, some countries do not make education a priority. They seem to be stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty and limited
access to education. For example, in Niger those who do go to school only attend for an average of less than two years. In many
poor countries, the children (or at least the daughters) do not have the option to attend school because they need to work to
help supplement the family’s income. Because they are uneducated, they cannot obtain good jobs once they reach adulthood,
so they must also have their children stay home from school and the cycle continues. Plus, these countries have a huge teacher
shortage and because they are so desperate for teachers, the teachers are often underqualified, and the classes can have over a
hundred students crowded into a single room with a single teacher. In the U.S., our teachers are not paid very well in
comparison to the countries with more successful education systems, but the teachers are not held to the same high standards.
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Question 4 - Name some populations that are denied a good education? For example, we all know based on experiences in
this class that women and girls are denied a good education in parts of world (sadly). What are other groups of people that
are denied a good education?
One of the most common groups that are denied a quality education are people with disabilities. Many places in the world
refuse to allow students with disabilities in their schools altogether, and some require them to attend separate schools, but even
schools that do provide special education services and accommodations often do not treat their students equally. Whether or
not it is intentional, teachers often call on them less and peers do not include those with disabilities in activities. Many teachers
do not successfully plan inclusive lessons and activities, so those with both physical and intellectual disabilities are often left out
and end up feeling even more disconnected from their peers. Thus, many of them have low self-esteem and receive a poorer
education than their peers.
Additionally, students have been denied a good quality education based on racial bias. Teachers and schools may be prejudiced
against different races or against immigrants. Again, it may not always be intentional, but a lot of schools do not have quality
bilingual programs for students who cannot speak the native language or speak it as a second language and still struggle with it.
These students may want to work just as hard as the others, but they cannot receive the same quality education if they do not
understand their teachers and peers.
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References
Ripley, A. (2014). The smartest kids in the world and how they got that way. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.
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Task 2. Presentation PowerPoint

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Task 3. Group Presentation Lesson Plan
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Question - How Could You Improve Your Lesson Plan In The Future? What Else Could You Add to Make It More Useful?
In the future, I can improve my lesson plan by going into more detail on certain parts. For example, under “Direct Instruction” I
can write a few prompt questions under the second bullet to help get conversation started in case my class does not initially
raise their hands when I ask for their opinions. Plus, I should add a backup plan in case I have trouble with some of the
technology I plan to use. I can also add the amounts of time I plan to spend on each part of the lesson so that I can make sure I
do not get off track and end up cutting into the time needed for other activities. I could also attach a copy of the worksheet so
that I can double check that I am covering everything my students will need to know for their assignment.

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Stark 1

EDUC 200 - SIGNATURE ASSSIGNMENT

Task 1. Big Picture Questions

Task 2. Presentation PowerPoint

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