Education
Innovation and Luxembourg, Suffering a Brain Drain!?
Sonntag, February 17, 2013 - 17:39 — SachieTen years ago, when I started going to the Bibliothèque Nationale de Luxembourg (BNL - the National Library of Luxembourg), the “poverty” of the library (e.g., infrastructure, resources, services, etc.) of the world's richest (if not mistaken) country shocked me. The BNL was so underdeveloped, when compared to many public and private libraries in the USA. More surprisingly, many libraries I had visited in Brussels, Paris, and other cities were not so nice, either.
(Just note that some BNL librarians appear to be cold and distant at first. But, when they get to know you, they can be friendly, very helpful, and even sweet.)
Over the last ten years, the BNL has improved dramatically, and has become one of the best/favorite libraries I know in the region so far. Although I still miss some aspects of American libraries – for example, specialized librarians (e.g., law librarians) and more conducive, competitive, extremely intense, and intellectually stimulating atmospheres for studying, I am OK with the BNL. Hope that it keeps improving in coming years.
However, talent management in Luxembourg concerns me/us greatly.
It is obvious that Luxembourg has an advantage in attracting people because of competitive salaries, benefits, etc. But, it may not be so good at retaining their top talents in some sectors (though, of course, there are really talented people in Luxembourg, but some of friends have been disenchanted. They have moved to other companies and countries with better opportunities).
There seems to be something dysfunctional: something does not ignite, but undermine the passion of people.
Awards and Prizes
Montag, October 22, 2012 - 19:23 — roladeLast Thursday, I was invited to the Warwick University (UK) Academic Excellence Award Ceremony. It was much smaller than the similar occasion at Sorbonne University I attended in 2011, but it was just as awesome observing the cream of the crop received their certificate of recognition, listening to the quartet while socialising and drinking, and watching gifted and talented young people interact with each other and wondering what they will become. With a population of about 13, 000 undergraduate students, only 61 from the Faculties of Arts, Science and Social Sciences were publicly congratulated during this annual occasion (about 0.5%). The figure is even less in other educational institutions, and not all gifted students are awarded considering that there are about 2% of them. Is it unfair to give awards to just a few? Should we celebrate students’ excellent achievements?
Though we are accustomed to giving awards and prizes from elementary (e.g. honours) to tertiary education (e.g. scholarships), not all educators agree to this practice, and there’s a growing number of them who think this is a form of elitism. One argument is that this promotes individual success as opposed to group accomplishment or teamwork. They question the impact of this practice to those who don’t get awards even when they work hard?
Tailor-made curriculum to address students' insecurity and distress
Samstag, September 01, 2012 - 09:07 — roladeTuition, quality of education, choice of school/university and institutional policies (e.g. funding/resources, pedagogy – online & blended instruction) are some of the education issues often discussed in most European countries as the school year starts in September. The beginning of the school year can be exciting or worrying depending on where you live and your individual situation: In Greece, for example, some university students have dropped out of their studies due to lack of adequate finance. In Spain, families who never passed on used school bags and supplies to other siblings have done it this year. In Germany, however, parents enthusiastically file at the checkouts with trolleys filled with school paraphernalia and items to help their children have a good academic year.
Anywhere in the world, the education playing field is not level and students are not homogenous. About 2% of the student population are gifted and talented, about 5% of them are from high-income families; and there are bipolar, autistic, slightly impaired and emotionally fragile among them. With our globalised world, it’s fairly common to find more than one religion, culture and language in every classroom. With the divorce rate of 40-50% and advent of other kinds of family arrangement (single parents, same-sex couples, restructured families), children face different challenges at school. There are many happy families but there are also those whose routine includes: couples disputing on subjects that range from money to infidelity, children experiencing abuse and intolerance, etc. As well, due to the financial crises and current volatile economic condition, many parents have lost their jobs, others may have the same fate soon, while some have been forced to move to other places and transferred their children to a new school. These circumstances impact on the children’s behaviour and their capacity to learn and perform at school.
Modeling human well-being and societal progress
Montag, August 13, 2012 - 19:14 — SachieFor those who already read our article "Towards International and Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration for the Measurements of Quality of Life" in Social Indicators Research and have become interested in modeling, you may want to watch Tony Buzan's video on Mind Mapping. It may give you an idea of modeling as I think that modeling and his mapping are closely connected.
And, the book Semantic Web for the Working Ontologist (Second Edition - link to Morgan-Kaufmann Publishers) by Allemang and Hendler is very nice, very progressive and pedagogic to learn about modeling.
Education and Exams: Hidden Costs and Real Gains
Sonntag, May 27, 2012 - 08:36 — roladeTutoring, coaching, visit to the psychologist, stress, anxiousness, tiredness, library, revision and study are among the frequently used words we’ve been hearing from our European students and their parents. Grades 4 & 5 (CM 1 & 2) pupils in France took the compulsory national evaluation in French and Maths early this week. High school graduating candidates in many European countries, e.g. Luxembourg, have started their end of the year exams. Likewise, university students in most EU countries are currently inundated with tests, exams and deadlines for essays and assignments.
Last year in France, a father lost his job for aiding his son cheat in the final senior high school Baccalaureate (le Bac)* math exam. The former French Education Minister Luc Chatel wanted prison sentences for those who leaked Bac math exam questions when in fact it’s the education system and examination process that should be reformed. What will the newly elected socialist government do about this?
*Bac is equivalent to A Levels in the UK and High School Diploma in most countries. In France, subjects are graded up to 20: a score of 16 and above is Highest Honour (in French "mention trés bien"); 14 – 15.99 High Honour ("mention bien"); 12 – 13.99 Honour ("mention assez bien"); Below 10 is failure - students either retake the exam or reorient their career to non-academic fields.
Letter from Ogura Noboru Hanshi
Mittwoch, February 08, 2012 - 21:20 — SachieI am happy to know that many readers have read the blog (in English, Czech, French, and Japanese) on Ogura Noboru sensei. So, I told Ogura sensei about that and asked him to write a new article. Within a week or so, he replied and enclosed four articles which he contributed to a local newspaper.
今年から中学校で武道が必修化。小倉先生からのメッセージ
Samstag, January 28, 2012 - 18:16 — SachiePNGの記事は、小倉昇（居合道範士）先生が下野（しもつけ）新聞に寄稿したコラムです。一度クリックした後、再度クリックすると拡大します。
この記事を掲載するにあたり、先生にお電話して許可をいただいた。どんなに世をはかなんで落ち込んでいる人も、この声を聞けば頭がしゃっきりするだろうと思う、そんな心地よい健やかな声で話される。腹からでているので、大きくとおりやすい。
先生によると、これらの記事は評判がよく、特に年配の人たちからたくさん電話をもらったという。先生は記事の話から、最近の柔道界の問題、マナーや道徳違反にもふれられた。「試合に勝った後で、ガッツポーズをしたり」とおしゃったので、「ガッツポーズは、しちゃいけないんですか？」と尋ねた。（私は、たぶん「あろうことか・・・」という質問ばっかりしているのかもしれない。失礼しました）。試合で戦ってくれた相手を敬い、負けた人の悔しい気持ちを思いやり礼をするという、そのような礼節を忘れてはいけないとのこと。（なるほど）
APL: politique injuste et non-équitable?
Dienstag, November 08, 2011 - 20:15 — roladeA cette période de l'année, nombreuses sont les familles, même avec un revenu stable, qui ont du mal à joindre les deux bouts: impôts, frais de scolarité, factures impayées (et Noël approche)...
Les revenus stagnent, le coût de la vie augmente. les familles coupent dans leurs dépenses et tentent de trouver des revenus supplémentaires. Nos étudiants économisent sur la nourriture, les vêtements et le logement, et cherchent l'aide/subvention gouvernementale.
Je ne comprends pas pourquoi, en France, les étudiants dans l'enseignement supérieur peuvent recevoir une aide pour le loyer (incluant des citoyens non-français), alors que les citoyens français qui étudient à l'étranger n'y ont pas droit. Il est injuste que tous les étudiants français dont les parents vivent et paient les impôts en France ne soient pas à égalité.
Inequities in Government assistance to tertiary students
Montag, October 31, 2011 - 11:31 — roladeIt's this time of the year when many people, even those with stable income, have difficulty making ends meet: taxes, school fees, mortgage and unpaid bills (as well, Christmas is coming). Because of these, in addition to stagnant income and rising cost of living, families try to cut their expenses and find extra revenue. Our students economise on food, clothes and accommodation, and seek Government assistance/subsidy.
Did you know that tertiary students in France (including non-French citizens) from low-income families are eligible for rent assistance; whereas, French citizens who study abroad regardless of their financial situation cannot avail of this needed help? Don't you find it unjust that French students whose parents live and pay taxes in France don't get the same benefit as other citizens? Are all overseas students in France receiving Government/taxpayers' assistance really from poor households? (They are not all meritorious scholars from developing nations).
Parochialism
Samstag, October 29, 2011 - 10:53 — SachieMy older friend told me an episode of her daughter (probably, it often happened in the late 1970s - early 80s in the USA). When her daughter was called "Chinese" in town, she yelled back each time saying "No, I am Japanese." As a child, she defended her identity. Now she works as an international lawyer supervisor in The Hague.
I still have similar experiences in Europe now (far more frequently than in the 20th century USA). Sometimes we need to fight to defend ourselves, and often it is not even worth dealing with these "péquenauds"(*) people! They even do not know that the odor of something (e.g., Japanese incense, French cheese) can be a very pleasant smell in one culture, and a horrible smell in another.
In my view, powerless people try to depreciate and lower others – believing in their own superiority without any doubt whatsoever – by misunderstanding/mixing up things, criticizing without serious scrutiny, making fun of them, speaking ill of them, making loud noises, being arrogant and rude, allying with other péquenauds, not acknowledging their wrongdoings, etc. These may come from their immaturity, inexperience, and parochialism. Indeed, these people can be very malicious and belligerent, but not so harmful, and they can be extremely gentle for those who are deemed superior. Self-confident people do not need to resort to such empty gestures.
Though, it seems to be difficult to open the blind eyes of these péquenauds who believe that they have seen the world!
Happy Halloween!
(*) a person considered to be provincial, with old-fashioned unfair ideas, beliefs, and attitudes.
Explaining what a theory is
Sonntag, September 25, 2011 - 10:29 — Nobuyuki HISATAAs a professor in education of handicapped children, I use these schemata to explain what is a theory, why a system of ideas is used to explain a fact or situation, and how a theory can be used to further advance our knowledge.
理論と事実
Sonntag, September 25, 2011 - 10:27 — Nobuyuki HISATA群馬大学 教育学部・障害児教育講座 教授 久田信行
前提
私のように障害児教育の分野で、指導法を中心に仕事をしていると、理論と実践の間の溝が気になります。
ある学校の先生aは。「私は理論などと言う難しいことは分かりません。ただ、目の前の子どもたちに精一杯の実践をするだけです。（理論や屁理屈は要らない）」と言い、またある先生ｂは、「やはり客観的、理論的な裏付けがないと説得力がない。実践だけだと主観的で、自己満足に過ぎない。」と言います。
どちらも一理ありますが、どうも理論を決定的に硬いイメージで捉えているように思えます。そこで、私は、学生に理論も勉強するように言う時に次のようなたとえ話で、観察された事実と理論の関係を語っています。
理論はいくつかの事実をつなぎ合わせるもの
Building a global one world classroom
Dienstag, August 30, 2011 - 10:01 — SachieThis guy is cool! He shows how new technologies can effectively help teachers with teaching, and the children with learning... by doing things differently. He calls it "flipping the classroom." Students are free to take their lessons/lectures via video posted on the Internet from anywhere they want and the time spent with the teacher in the classroom is dedicated to do their homework. The videos are well conceived and it seems that they are appealing even to the kids who have learning difficulties (e.g., children with autism).
Even without major learning difficulties and disorders, some kids may not like schools. I recall the first day of an elementary school... A sense of agony, torture. I found it eternally hard to sit still on a hard chair all day long...
Old days are gone. It is amusing to imagine that a kid in Calcutta may tutor math for a Belgian kid via the Internet, and play WoW together after the tutoring session, etc...
Cream of the crop received medals and netbooks
Freitag, July 08, 2011 - 22:29 — roladeI was at Sorbonne University yesterday because our son was one of the recipients of the Concours Général presided by France's Minister of Education, Mr. Luc Chatel. I'm not a stranger to awarding ceremonies but this one is really awesome: the prestige and history attached to this public recognition of excellence that goes back in 1747 with a list that includes Louis Pasteur, Victor Hugo and Georges Pompidou; the grandeur of Sorbonne with words of wisdom engraved on the walls and beautiful chandeliers on high ceilings of its amphitheater; the exclusiveness of the occasion allowing only 2 family members, 1 teacher & school principal of each laureate; engraved medals and netbooks as prizes; and cocktail, etc.
National Academic Examinations
Freitag, January 14, 2011 - 21:33 — roladeBefore dinner last night, my 9yo son showed me a note about the French National Grade 5 examinations that will take place from January 18 to 21 (except on Wednesday as it's a 'no school' day here for elementary pupils). There'll be 45 minutes of exam in French and 30 minutes in Maths each day. According to the written information, parents can access the results of these examinations on Thursday, 3/2, from 2:30 PM to 6PM by appointment of 10 minutes per child, and those who can't make it on this afternoon should contact the child's teacher in advance.
