Opinion
Education Opinion

SWBAT compare the educational systems in Japan and the US

By Jessica Shyu — March 11, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

“The world is becoming smaller and smaller and smaller, and we need to compete with others for jobs. We need to be sure we know as much as they do. When we complain about homework, we need to know people in other parts of the world are doing more homework. It just needs to be done.”

It was pretty awesome to see the sixth graders sit back in quiet shock with that quick dose of reality as their teacher explained the school day structure for students in Japan.

Also, kudos to her for building her students’ skill at synthesizing information and making and supporting their own judgments.

“Students in Japan don’t typically interrupt class by asking a lot of questions. If a student has a question, he/she asks the teacher after class. But I like it when you guys ask questions. When you’re learning about a new culture, think about what you like about it and what you don’t like. Keep all of those things in mind.”

The opinions expressed in New Terrain are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.