Will UK universities cope if English no longer rules the world?

The success of imported dramas such as The Bridge could be because of their subtitles, not in spite of them. Photograph: Carolina Romare

Being an English-speaking country is a blessing – and a curse. It is a blessing to be native speakers of the language of Shakespeare – and the language of world science and popular culture (and financial capitalism … well, maybe not).
The success of UK science is built not just on its excellence but also its English, which since the decline of the Soviet Union has been the only serious global scientific language. The success of UK universities in recruiting international students also owes a great deal to our language.
But it is also a curse. As the incentives to learn other languages decline year by year, we are increasingly locked into an anglophone prison. It may be an advantage to travel almost everywhere and be "understood". But maybe our ability really to understand, to get inside, other cultures is also declining. The Chinese speak English; not many of us speak Mandarin. Who has the advantage?
There are glimmers that we recognise our loss. BBC4's success in importing foreign-language series may be because of the need for subtitles not in spite of them. It is appealing to hear Danish or Swedish. If they were dubbed, they would lose authenticity. Maybe there is a wider lesson here: monolingualism inhibits multicultural sensitivity.
This inhibition is expressed in a number of ways. Within the university the humanities, where such sensitivity is crucial, are hardest hit. Stem subjects may be able to flourish as a monoglot domain (because their language is as much mathematics as English). But that can never be the case with literature, philosophy, history – and even some of the less theoretical social sciences – without a narrowing of perspectives and creative possibilities.
In wider society it is at least possible that the lack of challenge to neo-liberal ideas can be attributed partly to monolingualism. Alternative ideas can only become influential when they are translated into English, as the spectacular success of the French economist Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century has demonstrated.
Secondly, we are not really talking about English but "Globlish", a communication tool stripped of most of its cultural resonances. Non-native English speakers can easily become fluent in Globlish. Maybe they can even speak it better because most are not inhibited by faint memories of the King James Bible or Hamlet. For them Globlish is largely a functional language.
Other European countries now offer courses taught in English. In Scandinavia and the Netherlands this has long been routine at postgraduate level. But now Germany and even France have joined in. English, of course, has displaced Russian as the second language across central and eastern Europe.
Most of these courses are in business and management, or science and engineering. While anglophone students remain in their monolingual prison, other students are becoming increasingly and confidently bilingual – on top of being skilled managers or engineers.
There is another risk – of complacency. Not only is the language premium enjoyed by anglophone countries likely to decline as Globlish becomes more pervasive, but the current bias may tend to flatter us. The dominance of UK, and American, universities in global league tables may be exaggerated. Perhaps we are not quite as good as they suggest.
It is not simply a question of the bias towards English in a narrow sense. The gatekeepers of the global science system are mainly located in, or draw their profits from, the anglophone world – the big university presses and the major scientific journals (even those published by Springer or Elsevier). But the advance of open source publishing will reduce the power of these gatekeepers.
So we should beware of imagining that English will always be the language of global science. It is not even necessary to believe that the geopolitical future will be dominated by China to conceive of alternative futures.
It is enough to imagine the world as a pluralist space and then to ask how well prepared the UK is to thrive in such a space – and also to recognise that we have already become a pluralist multi-cultural society, whatever Ukip may nostalgically imagine. The way forward is not just to promote other languages; we also need to learn to celebrate wider cultural differences.

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UK schools slip down world rankings

The study shows the UK has tumbled several places since 2006. Photograph: Dan Chung for the Guardian

The UK is slipping down world education rankings in maths, reading and science, and has been overtaken by Poland and Norway, a major study of 65 countries reveals today.
Around 470,000 15-year-olds across the world sat a numeracy, literacy and science test last year, the results of which inform the latest Pisa study by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) is highly respected across the globe, and enables politicians and policy-makers to assess how different countries' education systems compare.
It shows the UK's reputation as one of the world's best for education is at risk, and has tumbled several places since 2006.
The UK is ranked 25th for reading, 28th for maths and 16th for science. In 2006, when 57 countries were included in the study, it was placed 17th, 24th and 14th respectively. Poland has stretched ahead of the UK in maths, while Norway is now ranked higher in reading and maths.
Andreas Shleicher, head of the Pisa programme, said the picture for the UK was "stagnant at best".
"Many other countries have seen quite significant improvement," he added.
The UK performs at about average in reading and maths for countries within the OECD. It is slightly above average in science. In reading, the UK's average score is 494, compared with an OECD average of 493. In maths, our score is 492 and in science 514. The OECD averages are 496 and 501 respectively.
Countries and partnership economies outside the OECD are also included in the study. The highest performing region across all the tests is Shanghai-China, with a mean score of 556 – far higher than any other. The second highest scoring is Korea, with 539, with Finland coming third at 536.
The UK government has made it clear it has been inspired by the Finnish education system in its proposed reforms of schools in England.
The UK spends £54,000 per student, while Germany and Hungary achieve a similar performance for £40,000 and £28,000, the study found. Only seven other OECD countries spend more per student than the UK.
The UK spends an average sum on secondary school teachers, but our teachers work longer hours than the average across the OECD.
The study found that in the UK, the gap between boys and girls was bigger in maths than it was for most other countries. Boys were 20 points ahead of girls.
Within the UK, there is little difference in the performance of 15-year-olds who attend a school in a town or city and their peers who go to a school in the countryside. This is not the case in many countries, such as Hungary, where those living in rural areas are two years behind their urban peers.
Students of Pakistani descent perform better in the UK than they do in many other countries, the researchers found, taking socio-economic factors into account.
The UK has a greater variation in reading standards, which are attributed to class differences, than almost every other country in the OECD. The proportion of students from poor homes who achieve higher than expected scores is lower in the UK than across the OECD on average. Just 24% of UK students perform better than would be expected given their background. The OECD average is 31%. In Finland, Japan and China, 40% of students from poor homes exceed expectations.
In reading, the UK score was similar to Hungary's but below that of Japan, the US, France and Germany – 18% of UK teenagers did not reach the basic reading level, which is in line with the OECD average. In the UK, slightly higher than average proportions of students reach a very high level in science – 1.9%, compared with an OECD average of 1.1%.
The UK has the 14th highest share of students who were not born in the country, and is one of only a few countries where richer pupils have more teachers than poorer ones. Only in Israel, Slovenia, Turkey and the US is this also the case. Parental expectations are higher in the UK than in most OECD countries and our provision of after-school clubs is better.
Michael Gove, the education secretary, said he was daunted "by the scale of the challenge".
"Other countries have been improving rapidly and despite the massive investment over the last 13 years, we haven't been improving at the rate we should have been. We are not getting value for money and we've got to ensure we do better."
He said that other regions and nations had succeeded in "closing the gap".
"They have made opportunity more equal, democratised access to knowledge and placed an uncompromised emphasis on higher standards all at the same time."
Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow education secretary, said that English schools were better today than they were in the 1980s and 1990s. "We should build on this strong foundation to keep driving up standards so they are on a par with the best in the world."

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English In Diverse World Context

Course Code: MMALIE_06

Masters Level Module

This module deals with the role of English in diverse world contexts. It provides a theoretical background to the global spread of English from the perspectives of globalization theory, postcolonial theory and the politicization of world Englishes. It examines English as an international language and as a Lingua Franca, and explores different regions of the world with regard to English language education policy and the effects of English in these contexts. Regions covered include East Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Central and South America, and the countries of the Anglophone 'inner circle'. The impact of English in cyberspace is also explored. Students taking this module can expect critical engagement in discussions about the role of English in the world today, as well as in the beliefs about what this should be. Sessions will be organised around a combination of lectures and group discussions, some of which will be student led. The module is assessed by a coursework assignment of 5,000 words in length.
This module is also offered online in the Autumn term.

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World Education in other country

World Education Thailand occasionally works with interested individuals to place them in volunteer opportunities in Tak province, near the Thailand-Burma border. Volunteering can be an excellent way to support migrant and refugee educators and to make a difference in these communities.
Volunteers have primarily worked in refugee and migrant schools as English language teachers. Individuals with other expertise have also helped to produce curricula, set up monitoring and evaluation systems, and work with World Education Thailand trainers to increase their skills and knowledge.
World Education Thailand asks that volunteers be willing to commit to a minimum of three months. However, sometimes volunteers with specific skills, whose involvement can be beneficial to the program, can arrange for shorter placements. Volunteers generally have some teaching and/or training experience. Please note that World Education Thailand is unable to provide stipends or to cover travel costs for volunteers.
CURRENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS: English language teachers needed
World Education Thailand is seeking volunteer English language teachers at the Teacher Preparation Center (TPC) training facility just outside of Mae Sot on the Thai-Burma border. TPC is a joint project of World Education and the Karen Teachers Working Group. The TPC is a 10-month intensive pre-service teacher training program for educators from Burma and migrant communities in Thailand to prepare them to be primary school teachers.   Although the program is primarily focused on teaching methodology, classroom management and child development, trainee teachers have requested extra-curricular English classes to enhance their language skills.
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities will include teaching English to trainee teachers and development of lesson plans and organizing classes.  Curriculum support and resources will be provided to volunteers. English classes take place five days a week, with a flexible part-time schedule of 2-3 teaching hours per day. A minimum three month commitment is required, with six months being ideal.
Qualifications:

• BA  and/or MA degree completed or in progress and preferably a teaching degree
• Experience working in a classroom setting, preferably teaching English as a foreign language
• Self-assurance, confidence and ability to work well independently
• Ability to live away from family and support networks for an extended period of time
• Excellent interactive and interpersonal skills, and the ability to work in a multicultural environment as demonstrated by experience
• International drivers’ license and experience riding a motorbike preferred in order to travel to the TPC site.

Benefits:
World Education Thailand does not offer any financial support for volunteers.  We provide a place for volunteers to stay at our staff house and a bicycle for getting around Mae Sot town.   It is also possible for volunteers to live at the TPC during the week. 
Interested volunteers should email World Education for more information. Please note that World Education Thailand cannot guarantee a placement for all volunteer applicants.

Volunteers and locally hired English-speaking staff teach students in the Wide Horizons program to develop skills in management, computers, critical thinking, problem-solving, and English through a two-year residential program.

Some other possible volunteer positions are:

• English Language Teaching
  Volunteers can work with children and teachers in refugee or migrant schools to improve their English language skills.  This is the most common type of placement for volunteers working with World Education Thailand.
• Special Education Training
  Volunteers with experience in Special Education may be needed to train special education trainers and/or teachers and World Education staff on new skills or tools that can be used with special needs students.
• Organizational Capacity Development Training
  Volunteers with a background in international development, specifically organizational management, could work with some of World Education Thailand's sub-grant partners to improve their staffs' skills and the capacity of the organization.

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What's New 158 Youth Graduate from Higher Education Centers

What's New

158 Youth Graduate from Higher Education Centers

Wide Horizons students celebrate their graduation.

April 2014 - In April and May 2014, 158 youth graduated from the academic portion of the five PLE-supported higher education centers: English Immersion Program (EIP), Global Border Studies (GBS), MNEC Post-Ten school, WideHorizons (WH) and the Teacher Preparation Center (TPC).
These higher education centers were conceived in direct response to community requests for students to learn the skills they need to work in schools and community based organizations along the border. Students who are migrants and refugees often can only access school through Grade 10 with little opportunity for education beyond that. Higher education centers fill the need to provide meaningful education to young people that can then be used to improve their communities.
One of the longest-running higher education programs on the border, EIP, marked its 10th anniversary with the graduation of 24 students. In its role as partner to World Education/Thailand in implementing these education programs, KRCEE’s Department of Higher Education (DHE) also had 13 students graduate from the GBS program in March. Following their graduation from the academic component, the combined 37 students have been placed in a range of support positions in organizations in health, protection, education and peace-building sectors across Myanmar and the Thai-Burma border.
Mon National Education Committee’s Post-Ten program graduated 18 students. In recognition of the Post-Ten curriculum, these students received certification from Windham Progressive Institute of Education in Applied Teaching and English Language Arts.
Graduation for the Wide Horizons program was held on 29 March 2014. 24 students completed the 10-month academic course and are being placed in year-long internships in various sectors in both Burma and Thailand. These students will receive Thai MOE recognized diplomas, as well as certificates from Windham Progressive Institute for Education for completion of Community Development with a specialization in Project Management.
The TPC graduated 79 students from 12 ethnic groups, all of whom completed the intensive 10-month pre-service training. These graduates were awarded with two different certificates; one was from Windham Institute for Progressive Education in applied teaching and the second from Payap International University in community development. More than half of the graduates are now participating in organizing and delivering summer vacation trainings to teachers across Eastern, Northern and Northwestern Burma.

The Teacher Preparation Center (TPC) graduated 79 students. Many will serve as teacher trainers throughout Burma and on the Thai-Burma border.

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ENGLISH EDUCATION WORLD

English Education World is the biggest attempt to make the students and non-students more efficient in English. It covers most of the important branches of English like sentence, tense, completing, transformation, voice change, narration, fluent speaking, freehand writing, etc. it contains a good number of exercises which have been cautiously and methodically added for the students of all level.

In preparing this site we have always kept an eye on the needs of the students. In order to fulfill their actual needs we have consulted a number of brilliant teachers and students who have rich and varied experience of teaching English at different institutions. We are sure that this site will help the students in preparing as well as securing better marks in the examinations and his/her personal life.

Students and non-students who are interested in improving their skill in English this site will help them best. It is very fruitful to the young learners

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English 'world language' forecast By Sean Coughlan BBC News education reporter, Edinburgh

Report warns against complacency among native English speakers

A third of people on the planet will be learning English in the next decade, says a report. Researcher David Graddol says two billion people will be learning English as it becomes a truly "world language".
This growth will see French declining internationally, while German is set to expand, particularly in Asia.
But the UK Education Secretary, Charles Clarke, has warned against the "arrogance" of English speakers who fail to learn other languages.

Learning in English
The Future of English report, launched in Edinburgh at a British Council conference on international education, has used computer modelling to forecast the onset of a "wave" of English-learning around the world.
In the year 2000, the British Council says there were about a billion English learners - but a decade later, this report says, the numbers will have doubled.
The research has looked at the global population of young people in education - including 120 million children in Chinese primary schools - and how many countries are embedding English-language learning within their school systems.
The linguistic forecast points to a surge in English learning, which could peak in 2010.

'Pernicious'
Speaking earlier at the same conference, Mr Clarke argued that the UK needed to improve language skills - and conceded that the country was still lagging behind in learning languages.
"To be quite candid, I'm the first to acknowledge there is an immense amount to do," said Mr Clarke. "Not least to contest the arrogance that says English is the world language and we don't have to worry about it - which I think is dangerous and pernicious."
The report's author agrees that English speakers should not be complacent because they can speak this increasingly widely-used language.
He says Chinese, Arabic and Spanish are also going to be key international languages.
"The fact that the world is learning English is not particularly good news for native speakers who cannot also speak another language. The world is rapidly becoming multi-lingual and English is only one of the languages people in other countries are learning," said Mr Graddol.
He also says that language learning numbers will decline as English becomes a "basic skill" - learnt by primary-age children, rather than something that older children or adults might want to acquire later.
Mr Graddol also warns there could be a backlash against the global spread of English and a reassertion of national languages.

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How to Teach 1st Grade

Teaching 1^st grade will be different by teaching high school students. Required certain techniques so that the child can absorb lessons more fun considering the psychological child is still in the early learning stages.

The voice sounded clear enough by children, intonation, etc. are things that are very important to be possessed by the teacher. For early elementary grades, they are still considered early childhood, before providing early childhood learning, as teachers need to recognize the characteristics of elementary school age children first. Do not forget to always give something new and varied for them. No need expensive, objects in the environment can be the object of exploration for children.

The period is also very short of their concentration. Thus, teachers must have a second plan, and even third, fourth plan needs to be prepared for them so they do not saturate. Keep in mind that early childhood is a period play. Thus, the instruction given to them should be based on the principles of play (fun, children can explore, gain a lot of experience).

Children are not miniature adults but they have the characteristics and uniqueness of each. So, do not equate them with the high school kids that are easier on the set and was able to concentrate for a long time.

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Benefits of Education from an Online High School

Whether you are an adult who never completed your primary education or the parent of a child in need of special attention and flexibility, getting a diploma from an online high school may be the right choice for you. With this option, you will have a number of benefits. You will be able to take control of your education. You can learn everything you would be taught in a classroom in the comfort of your own home. You can take charge of the decisions that you make and the path that you will take during your education.
An online high school can offer an array of advantages. Mostly, you will have complete control over your education. You will have the ability to study your own assignments at your own pace. You can focus on the assignments that may take you a bit longer to complete, while easily and quickly going through assignments that are easier for you. The flexibility on education on the Internet is unmatched. Most programs allow you attend your virtual class at any time of the day, so you can work around your busy schedule. Many people that take classes on the Internet have busy schedules and often full time jobs. This form of education will allow you to work on your own terms and on your own time.
Traditional education for many people means more than just learning. When getting your diploma on the Internet, you can avoid the distractions that come along with the traditional classroom. You won’t have to deal with the cliques and other distracting students while you work on your own time. You can study when you want and where you want. Plus, many times a teacher in a traditional classroom just cannot spend extra time during class time helping each individual student with his or her own specific problems. When working within the online high school, if you do not understand a particular topic, you can take your time and pace yourself to gain a better understanding of the subject.
Whether you are an adult with a full-time job, and you want to move up in the world, or you think that your child would benefit from the pacing and attention involved in an online high school, this educational choice may be the one for you. There are a variety of options out there, so do some research and find out which one will work best for your circumstances.

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Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences:
A Theory for Everyone

Being intelligent does not always mean that someone tests well -- a problem with which teachers and school administrators have struggled since the earliest days of organized education. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences helps educators think differently about "IQ,"  and about what being "smart" means. The theory is changing the way some teachers teach.

When Howard Gardner's book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Basic Books, 1983) burst on the scene, it seemed to answer many questions for experienced teachers. We all had students who didn't fit the mold; we knew the students were bright, but they didn't excel on tests. Gardner's claim that there are several different kinds of intelligence gave us and others involved with teaching and learning a way of beginning to understand those students. We would look at what they could do well, instead of what they could not do.

Later Gardner books, such as The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach (Basic Books, 1991) and Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice (Basic Books, 1993) helped us understand how multiple intelligences could help us teach and evaluate our students in new and better ways.

WHO IS HOWARD GARDNER?

Howard Gardner, Ph.D. is a professor at Harvard University and the author of many books and articles. His theory of multiple intelligences has challenged long-held assumptions about intelligence -- especially about a single measure of intelligence. Dr. Gardner also co-directs Harvard's Project Zero.

THE ORIGINAL SEVEN INTELLIGENCES

Howard Gardner first identified and introduced to us seven different kinds of intelligence in Frames of Mind.

• Linguistic intelligence: a sensitivity to the meaning and order of words.
• Logical-mathematical intelligence: ability in mathematics and other complex logical systems.
• Musical intelligence: the ability to understand and create music. Musicians, composers and dancers show a heightened musical intelligence.
• Spatial intelligence: the ability to "think in pictures," to perceive the visual world accurately, and recreate (or alter) it in the mind or on paper. Spatial intelligence is highly developed in artists, architects, designers and sculptors.
• Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: the ability to use one's body in a skilled way, for self-expression or toward a goal. Mimes, dancers, basketball players, and actors are among those who display bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
• Interpersonal intelligence: an ability to perceive and understand other individuals -- their moods, desires, and motivations. Political and religious leaders, skilled parents and teachers, and therapists use this intelligence.
• Intrapersonal intelligence: an understanding of one's own emotions. Some novelists and or counselors use their own experience to guide others.

Then, Gardner identified an eighth intelligence, the naturalist intelligence.

HOWARD GARDNER TALKS ABOUT AN EIGHTH INTELLIGENCE

Gardner discussed the "eighth intelligence" with Kathy Checkley, in an interview for Educational Leadership, "The First Seven... and the Eighth." Gardner said, "The naturalist intelligence refers to the ability to recognize and classify plants, minerals, and animals, including rocks and grass and all variety of flora and fauna. The ability to recognize cultural artifacts like cars or sneakers may also depend on the naturalist intelligence. (S)ome people from an early age are extremely good at recognizing and classifying artifacts. For example, we all know kids who, at 3 or 4, are better at recognizing dinosaurs than most adults."

Gardner identified Charles Darwin as a prime example of this type of intelligence.

The naturalist intelligence meshed with Gardner's definition of intelligence as "the human ability to solve problems or to make something that is valued in one or more cultures." And the naturalist intelligence met Gardner's specific criteria:

• "Is there a particular representation in the brain for the ability?
• "Are there populations that are especially good or especially impaired in an intelligence?
• "And, can an evolutionary history of the intelligence be seen in animals other than human beings?"

IMPLEMENTING GARDNER'S THEORY IN THE CLASSROOM

When asked how educators should implement the theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner says, "(I)t's very important that a teacher take individual differences among kids very seriously The bottom line is a deep interest in children and how their minds are different from one another, and in helping them use their minds well."

An awareness of multiple-intelligence theory has stimulated teachers to find more ways of helping all students in their classes. Some schools do this by adapting curriculum. In "Variations on a Theme: How Teachers Interpret MI Theory," (Educational Leadership, September 1997), Linda Campbell describes five approaches to curriculum change:

• Lesson design. Some schools focus on lesson design. This might involve team teaching ("teachers focusing on their own intelligence strengths"), using all or several of the intelligences in their lessons, or asking student opinions about the best way to teach and learn certain topics.
• Interdisciplinary units. Secondary schools often include interdisciplinary units.
• Student projects. Students can learn to "initiate and manage complex projects" when they are creating student projects.
• Assessments. Assessments are devised which allow students to show what they have learned. Sometimes this takes the form of allowing each student to devise the way he or she will be assessed, while meeting the teacher's criteria for quality.
• Apprenticeships. Apprenticeships can allow students to "gain mastery of a valued skill gradually, with effort and discipline over time." Gardner feels that apprenticeships "should take up about one-third of a student's schooling experience."

With an understanding of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, teachers, school administrators, and parents can better understand the learners in their midst. They can allow students to safely explore and learn in many ways, and they can help students direct their own learning. Adults can help students understand and appreciate their strengths, and identify real-world activities that will stimulate more learning.

- See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr054.shtml#sthash.uPYBciPk.dpuf

Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences:
A Theory for Everyone

Being intelligent does not always mean that someone tests well -- a problem with which teachers and school administrators have struggled since the earliest days of organized education. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences helps educators think differently about "IQ,"  and about what being "smart" means. The theory is changing the way some teachers teach.
When Howard Gardner's book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Basic Books, 1983) burst on the scene, it seemed to answer many questions for experienced teachers. We all had students who didn't fit the mold; we knew the students were bright, but they didn't excel on tests. Gardner's claim that there are several different kinds of intelligence gave us and others involved with teaching and learning a way of beginning to understand those students. We would look at what they could do well, instead of what they could not do.
Later Gardner books, such as The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach (Basic Books, 1991) and Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice (Basic Books, 1993) helped us understand how multiple intelligences could help us teach and evaluate our students in new and better ways.

WHO IS HOWARD GARDNER?

Howard Gardner, Ph.D. is a professor at Harvard University and the author of many books and articles. His theory of multiple intelligences has challenged long-held assumptions about intelligence -- especially about a single measure of intelligence. Dr. Gardner also co-directs Harvard's Project Zero.

THE ORIGINAL SEVEN INTELLIGENCES

Howard Gardner first identified and introduced to us seven different kinds of intelligence in Frames of Mind.

• Linguistic intelligence: a sensitivity to the meaning and order of words.
• Logical-mathematical intelligence: ability in mathematics and other complex logical systems.
• Musical intelligence: the ability to understand and create music. Musicians, composers and dancers show a heightened musical intelligence.
• Spatial intelligence: the ability to "think in pictures," to perceive the visual world accurately, and recreate (or alter) it in the mind or on paper. Spatial intelligence is highly developed in artists, architects, designers and sculptors.
• Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: the ability to use one's body in a skilled way, for self-expression or toward a goal. Mimes, dancers, basketball players, and actors are among those who display bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
• Interpersonal intelligence: an ability to perceive and understand other individuals -- their moods, desires, and motivations. Political and religious leaders, skilled parents and teachers, and therapists use this intelligence.
• Intrapersonal intelligence: an understanding of one's own emotions. Some novelists and or counselors use their own experience to guide others.

Then, Gardner identified an eighth intelligence, the naturalist intelligence.

HOWARD GARDNER TALKS ABOUT AN EIGHTH INTELLIGENCE

Gardner discussed the "eighth intelligence" with Kathy Checkley, in an interview for Educational Leadership, "The First Seven... and the Eighth." Gardner said, "The naturalist intelligence refers to the ability to recognize and classify plants, minerals, and animals, including rocks and grass and all variety of flora and fauna. The ability to recognize cultural artifacts like cars or sneakers may also depend on the naturalist intelligence. (S)ome people from an early age are extremely good at recognizing and classifying artifacts. For example, we all know kids who, at 3 or 4, are better at recognizing dinosaurs than most adults."
Gardner identified Charles Darwin as a prime example of this type of intelligence.
The naturalist intelligence meshed with Gardner's definition of intelligence as "the human ability to solve problems or to make something that is valued in one or more cultures." And the naturalist intelligence met Gardner's specific criteria:

• "Is there a particular representation in the brain for the ability?
• "Are there populations that are especially good or especially impaired in an intelligence?
• "And, can an evolutionary history of the intelligence be seen in animals other than human beings?"

IMPLEMENTING GARDNER'S THEORY IN THE CLASSROOM

When asked how educators should implement the theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner says, "(I)t's very important that a teacher take individual differences among kids very seriously The bottom line is a deep interest in children and how their minds are different from one another, and in helping them use their minds well."
An awareness of multiple-intelligence theory has stimulated teachers to find more ways of helping all students in their classes. Some schools do this by adapting curriculum. In "Variations on a Theme: How Teachers Interpret MI Theory," (Educational Leadership, September 1997), Linda Campbell describes five approaches to curriculum change:

• Lesson design. Some schools focus on lesson design. This might involve team teaching ("teachers focusing on their own intelligence strengths"), using all or several of the intelligences in their lessons, or asking student opinions about the best way to teach and learn certain topics.
• Interdisciplinary units. Secondary schools often include interdisciplinary units.
• Student projects. Students can learn to "initiate and manage complex projects" when they are creating student projects.
• Assessments. Assessments are devised which allow students to show what they have learned. Sometimes this takes the form of allowing each student to devise the way he or she will be assessed, while meeting the teacher's criteria for quality.
• Apprenticeships. Apprenticeships can allow students to "gain mastery of a valued skill gradually, with effort and discipline over time." Gardner feels that apprenticeships "should take up about one-third of a student's schooling experience."

With an understanding of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, teachers, school administrators, and parents can better understand the learners in their midst. They can allow students to safely explore and learn in many ways, and they can help students direct their own learning. Adults can help students understand and appreciate their strengths, and identify real-world activities that will stimulate more learning.
- See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr054.shtml#sthash.uPYBciPk.dpuf

Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences:
A Theory for Everyone

Being intelligent does not always mean that someone tests well -- a problem with which teachers and school administrators have struggled since the earliest days of organized education. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences helps educators think differently about "IQ,"  and about what being "smart" means. The theory is changing the way some teachers teach.
When Howard Gardner's book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Basic Books, 1983) burst on the scene, it seemed to answer many questions for experienced teachers. We all had students who didn't fit the mold; we knew the students were bright, but they didn't excel on tests. Gardner's claim that there are several different kinds of intelligence gave us and others involved with teaching and learning a way of beginning to understand those students. We would look at what they could do well, instead of what they could not do.
Later Gardner books, such as The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach (Basic Books, 1991) and Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice (Basic Books, 1993) helped us understand how multiple intelligences could help us teach and evaluate our students in new and better ways.

WHO IS HOWARD GARDNER?

Howard Gardner, Ph.D. is a professor at Harvard University and the author of many books and articles. His theory of multiple intelligences has challenged long-held assumptions about intelligence -- especially about a single measure of intelligence. Dr. Gardner also co-directs Harvard's Project Zero.

THE ORIGINAL SEVEN INTELLIGENCES

Howard Gardner first identified and introduced to us seven different kinds of intelligence in Frames of Mind.

• Linguistic intelligence: a sensitivity to the meaning and order of words.
• Logical-mathematical intelligence: ability in mathematics and other complex logical systems.
• Musical intelligence: the ability to understand and create music. Musicians, composers and dancers show a heightened musical intelligence.
• Spatial intelligence: the ability to "think in pictures," to perceive the visual world accurately, and recreate (or alter) it in the mind or on paper. Spatial intelligence is highly developed in artists, architects, designers and sculptors.
• Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: the ability to use one's body in a skilled way, for self-expression or toward a goal. Mimes, dancers, basketball players, and actors are among those who display bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
• Interpersonal intelligence: an ability to perceive and understand other individuals -- their moods, desires, and motivations. Political and religious leaders, skilled parents and teachers, and therapists use this intelligence.
• Intrapersonal intelligence: an understanding of one's own emotions. Some novelists and or counselors use their own experience to guide others.

Then, Gardner identified an eighth intelligence, the naturalist intelligence.

HOWARD GARDNER TALKS ABOUT AN EIGHTH INTELLIGENCE

Gardner discussed the "eighth intelligence" with Kathy Checkley, in an interview for Educational Leadership, "The First Seven... and the Eighth." Gardner said, "The naturalist intelligence refers to the ability to recognize and classify plants, minerals, and animals, including rocks and grass and all variety of flora and fauna. The ability to recognize cultural artifacts like cars or sneakers may also depend on the naturalist intelligence. (S)ome people from an early age are extremely good at recognizing and classifying artifacts. For example, we all know kids who, at 3 or 4, are better at recognizing dinosaurs than most adults."
Gardner identified Charles Darwin as a prime example of this type of intelligence.
The naturalist intelligence meshed with Gardner's definition of intelligence as "the human ability to solve problems or to make something that is valued in one or more cultures." And the naturalist intelligence met Gardner's specific criteria:

• "Is there a particular representation in the brain for the ability?
• "Are there populations that are especially good or especially impaired in an intelligence?
• "And, can an evolutionary history of the intelligence be seen in animals other than human beings?"

IMPLEMENTING GARDNER'S THEORY IN THE CLASSROOM

When asked how educators should implement the theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner says, "(I)t's very important that a teacher take individual differences among kids very seriously The bottom line is a deep interest in children and how their minds are different from one another, and in helping them use their minds well."
An awareness of multiple-intelligence theory has stimulated teachers to find more ways of helping all students in their classes. Some schools do this by adapting curriculum. In "Variations on a Theme: How Teachers Interpret MI Theory," (Educational Leadership, September 1997), Linda Campbell describes five approaches to curriculum change:

• Lesson design. Some schools focus on lesson design. This might involve team teaching ("teachers focusing on their own intelligence strengths"), using all or several of the intelligences in their lessons, or asking student opinions about the best way to teach and learn certain topics.
• Interdisciplinary units. Secondary schools often include interdisciplinary units.
• Student projects. Students can learn to "initiate and manage complex projects" when they are creating student projects.
• Assessments. Assessments are devised which allow students to show what they have learned. Sometimes this takes the form of allowing each student to devise the way he or she will be assessed, while meeting the teacher's criteria for quality.
• Apprenticeships. Apprenticeships can allow students to "gain mastery of a valued skill gradually, with effort and discipline over time." Gardner feels that apprenticeships "should take up about one-third of a student's schooling experience."

With an understanding of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, teachers, school administrators, and parents can better understand the learners in their midst. They can allow students to safely explore and learn in many ways, and they can help students direct their own learning. Adults can help students understand and appreciate their strengths, and identify real-world activities that will stimulate more learning.
- See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr054.shtml#sthash.uPYBciPk.dpuf

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Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Modern

Dalam beberapa dekade terakhir, Bahasa Inggris telah berkembangan sebagai bahasa yang sangat penting dalam komunikasi internasional. Bahasa Inggris digunakan oleh hampir semua orang di dunia dibandingkan dengan bahasa lain dan diklaim sebagai ‘bahasa global’.

Bahasa Inggris memiliki peran yang sangat penting di dunia dan juga kajian mengenai faktor sosial, politik, dan budaya pun turut mempengaruhi perkembangannya. Maka pendidikan Bahasa Inggris modern tentu tidak dapat disamakan dengan pendidikan Bahasa Inggris klasik. Terutama di negara yang menjadikan Bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa resmi (contoh: Ghana dan Nigeria), Bahasa Inggris menjadi syarat.

Pemerintah Ghana dan Nigeria meletakkan Bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa utama agar dapat mengantisipasi isu-isu dalam pemerintahan, pendidikan, perdagangan, media, dan sistem hukum. Maka dalam kasus ini, masyarakat perlu mempelajari Bahasa Inggris jika mereka ingin terlibat dalam kehidupan bernegara. Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris modern di kedua negara ini menjadi salah satu elemen penting dalam komunikasi mereka secara garis besar.

Salah satu negara yang berjuang dengan pendidikan Bahasa Inggris modern adalah negara Jepang. Dengan bahasa ibu yang sama sekali berbeda dengan Bahasa Inggris baik itu dari segi struktur bahasa, penulisan, dan kosa kata, masyarakat Jepang berjuang keras untuk dapat menggunakan Bahasa Inggris dalam pemenuhan kebutuhan mereka.

Kementerian Pendidikan memiliki panduan khusus yang digunakan dalam pendidikan Bahasa Inggris modern di Jepang. Panduan ini membatasi kosa kata Bahasa Inggris yang harus dipelajari selama 3 tahun di bangku sekolah menengah pertama sejumlah 1.000 kata. Textbook yang akan digunakan juga melewati proses screening dari Kementerian Pendidikan dan hasilnya adalah pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris di Jepang menjadi terstandarisasi.

Melihat beberapa negara yang mencoba menyesuaikan dirinya pada situasi komunikasi global, pendidikan Bahasa Inggris modern sebagai bahasa kedua membutuhkan perhatian khusus. Baik itu dari metode maupun kurikulum, Bahasa Inggris perlu ditempatkan secara tepat dan akurat agar tidak harus bersaing dengan bahasa ibu, namun keduanya dapat digunakan untuk kebutuhan-kebutuhan khusus.

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KILAS BALIK DUNIA PENDIDIKAN DI INDONESIA

Sebagai salah satu wahana pembentuk karakter bangsa, sekolah adalah lokasi penting dimana para "Nation Builders" Indonesia diharapkan dapat berjuang membawa negara bersaing di kancah global. Seiring dengan derasnya tantangan global, tantangan dunia pendidikan pun menjadi semakin besar, hal ini yang mendorong para siswa mendapatkan prestasi terbaik.

Namun, dunia pendidikan di Indonesia masih memiliki beberapa kendala yang berkaitan dengan mutu pendidikan diantaranya adalah keterbatasan akses pada pendidikan, jumlah guru yang belum merata, serta kualitas guru itu sendiri dinilai masih kurang. Terbatasnya akses pendidikan di Indonesia, terlebih lagi di daerah berujung kepada meningkatnya arus urbanisasi untuk mendapatkan akses ilmu yang lebih baik di perkotaan.

Menurut pegiat pendidikan Indonesia, Anies Baswedan keterbatasan akses pendidikan di daerah menjadi pangkal derasnya arus urbanisasi. "Yang menjadi persoalan, di Jabodetabek jumlahnya sudah proporsional, tapi jangan kita hanya bicara urban. Justru di luar urban itu kita punya masalah dan itu yang menyebabkan migrasi ke Jakarta," ujar Anies. Secara tidak langsung, masyarakat Indonesia didorong untuk melakukan urbanisasi karena keterbatasan fasilitas di daerah. Ia menilai akses pendidikan harus dibuka seluas-luasnya untuk seluruh masyarakat dengan penyediaan fasilitas yang mendukung program tersebut. "Kalau sekolah hanya di ibukota kecamatan, maka yang jauh kan jadi nggak bisa sekolah," tandasnya.

Selain itu, jumlah guru yang sesuai dengan kualifikasi saat ini dinilai masih belum merata di daerah. Menurut Direktur Jenderal Pendidikan Dasar (Dikdas) Kemendikbud Hamid Muhammad saat ini banyak sekolah dasar (SD) di Indonesia kekurangan tenaga guru. Jumlahnya diperkirakan mencapai 112 ribu guru.

Untuk mengatasinya, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Kemendikbud) akan bekerja sama dengan pemerintah daerah, baik tingkat provinsi maupun kabupaten/kota, dalam hal distribusi guru di daerah-daerah supaya lebih merata. "Jika manajemen guru bisa ditangani lebih optimal, tidak parsial, maka bisa dipindahkan ke kabupaten atau daerah yang berdekatan," ungkap Hamid.

Kemudian, untuk meningkatkan kualitas para guru, Kemendikbud akan meningkatkan kualifikasi guru melalui beasiswa S-1 bagi guru SD dan SMP. Hamid menjelaskan, jumlah guru SD di sekolah negeri dan swasta sekitar 1.850 ribu guru. Dari jumlah tersebut, hanya 60 persen guru yang sudah memenuhi kualifikasi dengan gelar S-1, sedangkan 40 persen lainnya belum memenuhi kualifikasi. Tiap tahunnya, Kemendikbud juga menyiapkan beasiswa untuk 100 ribu calon guru guna menempuh pendidikan S-1 melalui bantuan beasiswa S-1 untuk guru SD dan SMP. Di dunia internasional, kualitas pendidikan Indonesia berada di peringkat ke-64 dari 120 negara di seluruh dunia berdasarkan laporan tahunan UNESCO Education For All Global Monitoring Report 2012. Sedangkan berdasarkan Indeks Perkembangan Pendidikan (Education Development Index, EDI), Indonesia berada pada peringkat ke-69 dari 127 negara pada 2011.

Di sisi lain, kasus putus sekolah anak – anak usia sekolah di Indonesia juga masih tinggi "Berdasarkan data Kemendikbud 2010, di Indonesia terdapat lebih dari 1,8 juta anak setiap tahun tidak dapat melanjutkan pendidikan,  Hal ini disebabkan oleh tiga faktor, yaitu faktor ekonomi; anak – anak terpaksa bekerja untuk mendukung ekonomi keluarga; dan pernikahan di usia dini,” menurut Sekretaris Direktorat Jendral Perguruan Tinggi Dr. Ir. Patdono Suwignjo, M. Eng, Sc di Jakarta. Dalam laporan terbaru Program Pembangunan PBB tahun 2013, Indonesia menempati posisi 121 dari 185 negara dalam Indeks Pembangunan Manusia (IPM) dengan angka 0,629. Dengan angka itu Indonesia tertinggal dari dua negara tetangga ASEAN yaitu Malaysia (peringkat 64) dan Singapura (18), sedangkan IPM di kawasan Asia Pasifik adalah 0,683.

"Kita harus menyelesaikan permasalahan pendidikan ini, karena kepemilikan atas pengetahuan adalah kunci seseorang mencapai kesejahteraan," menurut  figur pendidikan Indonesia, Anies Baswedan. Dalam perkembangan pendidikan Indonesia, pemerintah telah melaksanakan berbagai kebijakan untuk meningkatkan kualitas pendidikan guna menghadapi persaingan bebas dunia yang akan segera berlaku dengan terwujudnya komunitas ASEAN pada tahun 2015 mendatang.

Untuk meringankan beban serta memperkokoh dasar pendidikan pada siswa Indonesia, Kemdikbud memastikan akan sepenuhnya memberlakukan Kurikulum 2013 mulai tahun 2014, bahkan sudah menyiapkan anggaran untuk mendukung operasional kurikulum tersebut. "Sudah siap dan tahun depan hampir semua (sekolah) bisa melaksanakan Kurikulum 2013," ujar Wakil Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan RI Musliar Kasim.

Kurikulum 2013 merupakan Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (KTSP) yang berfokus pada penguasaan pengetahuan yang kontekstual sesuai daerah dan lingkungan masing-masing.  Kurikulum tersebut menitikberatkan penilaian siswa pada tiga hal: sikap (jujur, santun, disiplin), keterampilan (melalui tugas praktek/ proyek sekolah), dan pengetahuan keilmuan. Pada tingkat dasar seperti SD, kurikulum ini lebih fokus pada pembentukan sikap dan keterampilan  hidup,  sedangkan keilmuannya lebih 'ringan' daripada Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan.

Pada tingkat lanjutan seperti SMP dan SMA, porsi penguasaan keilmuan lebih ditingkatkan karena pribadi murid dianggap sudah terbentuk pada tingkat dasar. Menurut Musliar, kurikulum baru akan diterapkan pada siswa SD kelas 1, 2, 4 dan 5; siswa SMP kelas 8 dan 9; serta siswa SMA kelas 10 dan 11. Pemerintah tidak akan mencetak buku bahan ajar. Seperti pelaksanaan pada tahun sebelumnya, Kemendikbud akan mengunggah buku bahan ajar ke dalam situs internet.

Kemendikbud akan menetapkan harga eceran tertinggi atas buku yang ditargetkan akan beredar bebas tersebut. Kurikulum 2013 sendiri sebenarnya sudah dilaksanakan sejak pertengahan tahun 2013 di sejumlah sekolah yang telah diseleksi, meski sempat dikritik karena pelaksanaannya terkesan dipaksakan.

Sebagai lembaga bantuan internasional yang bekerja di sektor pembangunan sosial-ekonomi, USAID Indonesia memberikan penekanan besar pada pengembangan kualitas pendidikan melalui sejumlah program yang berjalan sekarang salah satunya adalah melalui program beasiswa S2 USAID-PRESTASI. Pada tahun ini, USAID -PRESTASI memberikan beasiswa S2 kepada 31 profesional Indonesia. Program ini dibuka untuk umum dan diharapkan dapat mendukung pengembangan sumber daya manusia yang kompeten di bidangnya masing – masing yang pada akhirnya akan memberikan kontribusi positif di lingkungan kerja mereka masing – masing setelah merekakembali ke Tanah Air.

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