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Amanda Ripley’s ‘Smartest Kids in the World’
- zach 13y agoSo how do we make a broad cultural impact with examples like these from other cultures? That's the question I think is most essential. There are no doubt a lot of people that know these stories at the top of the hierarchy, like policy-makers. But the accounts in this article emphasize the role of the culture in backing the investments and choices made in education. So what we really need is a cultural shift from the bottom up. Thinking about the way that Americans actually engage other cultures at this moment, I think an effective solution is a reality television series. Seriously! It has turned out to be a very effective medium for people who are fascinated by very different cultures to explore and engage with them. Documentaries are great too, but still a lot more top-down. Now then, here's the idea -- if you want to change American education and influence the debate, make a really good reality series about Finnish teachers who are struggling to be selected and meet the high standards to be teachers in that country.
- mieses 13y agoAmericans will become more interested in school and less in tv when the actual reality in the U.S. becomes as hierarchical as in Europe.