South Korea's Reforms for a Creative and 21st Century Economy & A Call for Collaboration on Cross-National Education Research

On June 28th, I presented on my report on Preparing Students for South Korea's Creative Economy: The Successes and Challenges of Educational Reform to a live audience at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. We were also joined by people who live streamed from the US, Argentina, Canada, and Korea. 

It was great to be able to share about South Korea's educational reforms & explain how my research relates to broader discussion in comparative education research.

The Necessity to Combine Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Writing the report showed me yet again the power of qualitative research to capture the day-to-day teaching and learning in classrooms and to illustrate how students and teachers are affected by a complex combination of school dynamics and factors from the larger society.  Interviews, case studies, and photographs can capture "small data" that helps us to visualize the stories of educational reform and thus enhance the value of existing cross-national studies. Integrating qualitative and quantitative research methodologies will make research more usable and engaging for teachers, policy makers, and tech-companies (which are increasingly entering the tech-education market). Also, information gathered and shared by qualitative researchers can help quantitative researchers to better understand what kind of information is high in demand for practitioners.

Launching Pad for More Cross-National Research 

I will continue to find creative ways to produce information that can help key stakeholders and shape discussions on what is quality and equitable education in the 21st century. With so many countries thinking about similar educational outcomes (e.g. the improvement of children's socio-emotional well-being, increase in opportunities for students to explore their passions and interests, and the development of non-cognitive skills and competencies such as creativity, problem solving skills, and communication skills), there has never been a more exciting time for meaningful cross-national knowledge sharing and exchange.

I hope that my Korea report and presentation will be a springboard for more cross-national research projects that reaches a larger audience. Currently, I am in the process of developing ideas for a platform that serves as a hub for cross-national education research, which will focus on quality and equitable learning in the 21st century and will provide helpful, engaging, and forward-thinking research and information for education practitioners. If you're a researcher, teacher, or anyone else interested in sponsoring or collaborating on future cross-national projects, please fill out this form.

Thankful for the Springboard

I am grateful for the widespread interest in the report from various other countries including Denmark, Thailand, and Japan and for Sir Ken Robinson for retweeting the report. Also, in July 2016, the report became the most viewed report on the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada's website. 

Link to the Presentation:

27-minute presentation (subtitles available in Korean and English) (50-min. Q&A unavailable)

Presentation Slides:

Creativity Education in Action: Boston Architectural College Summer Academy Program

On July 30, I visited the Boston Architectural College (BAC) to see the Summer Academy Program for high school students. It was the last day of the program before the exhibition and students were busy putting their final touches to their projects. On the walls of the open studio were print-outs of the city of Boston and examples of architectural designs. I was curious to find out more about what students had learned and how much that had influenced they way they were designing their models. 

As I walked into the studio with Rex Tzen (M.Arch I 2016 Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Design), an instructor for the Summer Academy, I learned that each week in this four-week program, students were exposed to different elements of architecture. This last week, students were involved in a week-long studio including guerrilla (temporary) architecture and Spatial Poetry (where students were "introduced to the basic concepts of building systems and program at the urban infill scale").  

Leading up to this last week, instructors helped students to take a deep dive into architecture in multiple perspectives: documenting existing built environments and reimagining them, thinking about how to balance aesthetics versus purpose, and also thinking about architecture while keeping in mind the city, districts and neighborhoods that they were designing for.

Rex also explained that students were encouraged to think about what roads, doors, and unused urban spaces means on a personal-level, community-level, and city-level. They were also encouraged to think about these spaces and elements of spaces by using different senses--thinking about not only what you see, but what you can smell, hear and touch.

Emily Noonan, Senior at Newburyport High Passion participating in the 'Guerrilla Architecture' studio this week

                           

As I continued to walk and observe on my own, I noticed a flurry of activity in the room. Some students were gluing more material to their models, others conversing with instructors and co-students, and some filling out a feedback/comment form for the program. I talked with Emily Noonan who was working on a collage that goes with her structure. She explained that this week, she was part of the 'Guerrilla Architecture' studio, for which she was designing a temporary structure for public use. Students in this group were specifically looking at an empty lot near the BAC and thinking about designing something that could be quickly put together and taken down. Emily's two main additions to the site were a colorful noise-canceling wall and a tent-like structure that blocks the sun. She wanted to create a space where people working in the vicinity could come and relax. A noise-canceling wall would block some of the noise coming from the highway nearby and the tent served to create a more intimate and cool space. 

Soon after conversing with Emily, I joined the Spatial Poetry studio  in time to hear Michael McCabe talk about his project entitled, 'The Woven Path'. Students in this particular studio were working on an installation for an empty plot between two buildings near the BAC. Earlier in the week, they had visited the site before starting on their projects. Michael describes his project as "a basalt path woven through a block-like forest of bamboo punctuated by a cascading pond". He wanted to create a space that was completely surrounded by bamboo so that you wouldn't be able to see the cityscape if you were sitting on the bench lining the pond. 

Michael's model reminded me of the Korean word for 'rest'. The word for 'rest' in Korean is 'hew-shik' (휴식) and it is derived from the Chinese characters (休息). The first character is a person (人) standing beside a tree (木) and the second character symbolizes when the heart (心) is alone (自). Hearing his presentation made me think that we need more spaces likes this in the urban sprawl where we can truly rest by resting beneath a tree and having a quiet moment for our own thoughts. As Rex commented in response to Michael's presentation, this space was "simple, but not simplistic". 

Michael McCabe, Sophomore at Commonwealth School with his work
'The Woven Path'

                         

I later returned to Emily's group (Guerrilla Architecture) and listened in to students presenting their work. On the other side of the room was another group engaged in collective reflection of their studio (Parks and Rec + build with bots). From the students' presentations and instructors' comments, even as an outsider, I could immediately see that each studio had a distinctive focus with particular themes and goals. Students seemed to have a great amount of freedom in creating their models, but they weren't given unlimited options; it was not chaos. There were particular structures established by each studio that had been communicated to the students throughout the week and to varying degrees, students absorbed these rules and created their works within these boundaries. 

When instructors were giving feedback, they did not necessarily complement the models that were the most aesthetically pleasing or complicated to make. Instead, it was sometimes the simpler designs that was more reflective of the studio's purpose that was praised. Of course, this doesn't mean aesthetics was not discussed either. All in all, the presentations and feedback from instructors and students interwove aesthetics and purpose. 

*

Today in education, there is a lot of discussion of how schools can help students to be more creative. Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk entitled 'Do schools kill creativity' continues to be the most watched video on the platform. Although in theory, more creativity seems like a good idea, it is not always easy to implement, especially for schools and education systems that have been operating for decades under a highly standardized model. Also, it is a rarity to find a school that purports to have achieved the right balance between standardization (rules) and creativity (freedom). Too much emphasis on standardization is criticized as backward and stress-inducing. On the other hand, a complete overhaul of the education system inherited from the industrial age for creativity's sake can be chaotic or futile. At the end of the day, educators and policymakers do not seem to agree what exactly is meant by a an appropriate balance between standardization and creativity, much less what is 'good quality education'. Does the beauty lie in the eyes of the beholder? While we continue to ponder upon this century' education problem, it would help to understand how creativity can be taught, since this has not been a forte for "traditional" schools. The BAC's Summer Academy is an interesting case study and holds inherent value because it's a really intriguing and fun program. 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Photolog: Harvard Yard

5월달에 졸업식 전에 찍은 하버드 캠퍼스 사진 몇장


Follow my blog with Bloglovin

South Korea's Young Social Entrepreneurs: A Solution to a Broken Education System?

To some, South Korea's education system is one of the top performing in the world. To others who have a more nuanced understanding say that it is stressful and unsustainable. Many have realized that there is truth to both of these diverging narratives about Korea.

What is discussed less is a viable solution to this broken education system. I wrote the article below for this year's edition of the Kennedy School Review because the story of hope and positive change for Korea's education system seemed to be missing (it has gone live on the KSR website since July 1st). I hope the piece will give you a new and interesting perspective on it.

 

 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Increasing access to books and information resources globally: Interview with Allister Chang

I sat down with Allister Chang, who manages the Libraries without Borders (Bibliothèque sans frontières) operation in the US to talk about the organization's history and future plans. 

Allister Chang, Libraries without Borders

Chang started to work with Libraries without Borders (LWB) from 2010, which was a pivotal year in the organization's history. Following the devastating Haiti earthquake, LWB helped provide access to information and resources for aid workers, IGOs, and Haitian people. Chang says that LWB's work in Haiti highlights the potential of libraries to serve as centers of humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and promotion of human rights in post-emergency situations. 

Since Haiti, LWB has expanded its reach to communities as different as refugees in sub-Saharan Africa to low-income neighborhoods in France.  For example, in 2012, LWB formed a partnership with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and designer Philppe Starck to create The Ideas Box. The box is essentially a portable (taking as little as 18 minutes to set up), climate-resistant, and customizable digital media library that was designed specifically with refugees in mind. In France, LWB has translated and customized the Khan Academy to provide French lessons for high school students studying for the baccalauréat (the secondary school qualifying exam). Translating and making accessible the Code Academy in low-income communities in France is another way that LWB is making an impact in the country where LWB was originally founded.

LWB has reached various French-speaking communities around the world through books, technology, and design. Although the approach differs in each case, what is common in all LWB projects is the organization's mission to increase accessibility of information and resources to all, especially impoverished communities. It is also evident that LWB makes a strong emphasis on localizing programs based on the specific identified needs of each community.

Chang hopes to leverage LWB's existing expertise and experience from past international development projects, which were largely based in Francophone communities, to improve on existing projects and to expand the organization's reach in the US and beyond. Specifically, Chang is interested in how The Ideas Box can improve its operations in UNHCR refugee camps in Burundi and how to make the model work in another country with refugees such as in Syria. Also, being based in the US, Chang plans on exploring how the mobile digital library could operate in a non-refugee setting such as in Boston, USA.

Chang says he is keen on collaborating with others to identify and learn from best practices in the private and non-profit sectors. In addition, he hopes that more people will get involved in LWB’s operation in the US by volunteering, organizing book drives, or by applying technical skills in impact assessment, program design, or education technology. 

Interested stakeholders in the Boston area can look forward to special events with The Ideas Box taking place in the area in late-September/early-October. For everyone else passionate about access to information and reading, you can sign the worldwide petition launched by LWB called The Urgency of Reading Campaign  and spread awareness about the importance of books and information resources during humanitarian crises.

For more information on Libraries without Borders (Bibliothèque sans frontières) and LWB’s work in the USA, you can email Allister Chang at achang@librarieswithoutborders.org. 

The LWB (BSF) website

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

My Learning Style: Visual & Reflective

Visual

Visual learners remember best what they see–pictures, diagrams, flow charts, time lines, films, and demonstrations. Verbal learners get more out of words–written and spoken explanations. Everyone learns more when information is presented both visually and verbally.

In most college classes very little visual information is presented: students mainly listen to lectures and read material written on chalkboards and in textbooks and handouts. Unfortunately, most people are visual learners, which means that most students do not get nearly as much as they would if more visual presentation were used in class. Good learners are capable of processing information presented either visually or verbally.
How can visual learners help themselves?

If you are a visual learner, try to find diagrams, sketches, schematics, photographs, flow charts, or any other visual representation of course material that is predominantly verbal. Ask your instructor, consult reference books, and see if any videotapes or CD-ROM displays of the course material are available. Prepare a concept map by listing key points, enclosing them in boxes or circles, and drawing lines with arrows between concepts to show connections. Color-code your notes with a highlighter so that everything relating to one topic is the same color.

Reflective

Reflective learners prefer to think about it quietly first.
“Let’s think it through first” is the reflective learner’s response.
reflective learners, who prefer working alone.
Sitting through lectures without getting to do anything physical but take notes is hard for both learning types, but particularly hard for active learners.
How can reflective learners help themselves?
If you are a reflective learner in a class that allows little or no class time for thinking about new information, you should try to compensate for this lack when you study. Don’t simply read or memorize the material; stop periodically to review what you have read and to think of possible questions or applications. You might find it helpful to write short summaries of readings or class notes in your own words. Doing so may take extra time but will enable you to retain the material more effectively.


Find your own learning style by filling out the questionnaire on:

Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire (NC State University)

Charles Leadbeater: Education innovation in the slums (TED Talk)

The questions we ask determines the answers we will get. We need to think about education innovation in different contexts and communities. 

"We need a global wave of social entrepreneurship to create highly motivating, low cost ways to learn at scale in the developing world." 

Mapping education innovation

	Location	Formal	Informal
Innovation
Sustaining		Improve (getting a better version of the Bismarkian version of education developed in the 19th century) [problem: we don't have enough teachers in developing countries]	Supplement (e.g. reggio amelio, Harlem Children's Zone--mixture of family and educational projects designed to change the aspirations of thousands of families in Harlem)
Disruptive		Reinvent (e.g. big picture schools in the US--highly collaborative, personalized and pervasive technologies and learning from questions and projects) [problem: you have to help both schools and families]	Transform (thinking of completely new solutions--low-cost, highly innovative and scalable models that can adapt to different circumstances and cater to the needs of communities in developing and developed countries)

A School that keeps learning

It's great to see the growth mindset at work at this school and how it is making a positive impact in the whole community--the students and the teachers. 

I have always believed in praising effort more than achievement. It's amazing

what an attitude shift can do for individuals and communities!

Book Review: 웃기는 학교 웃지 않는 아이들

교육열기가 뜨거운 나라인 만큼, 한국 서점이나 도서관에 가면 교육에 관한 책이 눈에 많이 뛰기 마련이다. 

한국하면 절대로 빠뜨릴 수 없는 것 중에 하나가 바로 교육이다. 

어떤 경우에는 한국 발전에

필수 요소로 소개되는 반면에 다른 한 편으로는 안타깝게도 이 나라의 부정부패의 상징으로도 뉴스에 보도 되고있다. 

언제부터인가 한국 교육에 대한 의견은 갈라져있었다. OECD는 국제학업성취도평가 (PISA)에서 매번 높은 성과를 얻는 한국을 호평한다. 미국은 2011년 PISA에서 수학점수는 32등 읽기평가에서는 17위라는 만족스럽지 않는 결과를 얻은 후에는 PISA평가에서 우수한 성적을 거둔 핀랜드하고 한국의 "성공적인" 교육 시스템에 대한 관심이 끊이질 않는다.  

미 대통령 버락 오바마에서부터 하버드 케너디 행정 대학원은 어떻게 하면 미국 PISA 성적을 올릴 수 있는지 연구를 꾸준히 하고 있다. 미국이 그토록 교육을 개선하고 싶은 이유는 수학과 읽기능력은 국가 GDP를 좌우한다고 깊게 믿기 때문이다.

2011년 연두교서에서 버락 오바마는 강조했다, "We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world." (이 시대의 일자리와 산업에서 앞서 있기 위해서는 무엇이 필요한지 우리는 이미 알고 있습니다. 세계와 경쟁을 해서 이노베이션, 교육, 건축에 선두자가 되어야합니다) 

인터넷 창업가 빈톤 셔프 (Vinton Cerf)는 이렇게 말한다, "America simply is not producing enough of our own innovators, and the cause is twofold--a deteriorating K-12 education system and a national culture that does not emphasize the importance of education and the value of engineering and science." 

연간 수 많은 한국 가정에서 제대로 된 교육을 위해서 미국 유학을 고집하는 한국인들로서는 주요 미국리더들이 자신들의 교육 체제를 이토록 저평가 하는 것을 이해하기 힘들 수도 있다. 그리고 미국인들이 한국의 우수한 PISA평가를 그토록 부러워 한다는 점은 아이러니라고 할 수 있다. 왜냐하면 한국 부모들은 중요한 것을 알기 때문이다-- PISA 같은 통계적인 결과가 다가 아니라는 것.

물론 PISA에서 좋은 평가를 받는다는 것은 세계적으로 한국의 수학의 위력을 보여주기 때문에 자랑스러운 일이다. 허나 한국을 좋은 이미지 보여주는 통계는 PISA까지만이다. 

이에 반면 이와 연관된 대한민국 교육의 어두운 면을 보여주는 숫자를 살펴보자:

청소년 자살률 OECD 1위 학교폭력과 청소년 성폭력 문제는 심화되고 월 1인당 사교육비 (명목도) 23만 6천원 (2012년 사교육비 조사결과, 교과부)

미국 정책가들이 제대로 한국의 교육을 알고 있다면 이렇게 물어야된다, 

" Where did they go wrong?" "한국 교육은 어디서부터 잘못된 것일까?"

많은 미국 정책가들은 한국 교육의 좋은 점들만 집중하더라도 한국에 살고 있는 우리는 나를 위해서, 내 자녀를 위해서, 그리고 내 사회를 위해서 꼭 고민해야 할 conundrum/숙제이다. 

이 고민을 위해서는 한국 교육실체를 꽤뚫어야 하는데 아무리 뉴스를 자주 본다고 하더라고

깊은 지식을 얻을 수가 없다. 그래서 책을 보게 되는데, 교육하면 학생, 부모, 정책가들이 있지만, 그래도 직접 교육현장에서 뛰는 교사의 의견을 들어볼 필요가 있다. 

경기대 교직학과 겸임교수 (교육학박사)이고 교육에서 여러가지 다양한 활동을 하고 25년간 중-고등학교를 가르치셨던 김대유님의 책 "웃기는 학교 웃지 않는 아이들"이있다. 

이책 제목이 알려주듯이 김교수는 한국 교육에 실체를 학생, 교직원, 대학등 여러관점에서 보여준다. 그의 평생 교육자로서의 경험이 묻어난다. 

안타깝게도 요즘에 모 국제중학교에 대한 비리와 부정부패가 충격적으로 나타나고 있다. 한국 교육에 대한 기대는 계속 하락하는 추세이지만 그냥 가만히 있지 않고 불만을 행동으로 옮기고 싶은 분들에게 이 책을 추천해주고 싶다.