Most Likely to Succeed by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith

In Most Likely to Succeed, Wagner and Dintersmith explore the idea that even though everyone always seems to be talking about education reform it's almost always in regards to helping boost student performance (and, depending on the reform, school and teacher accountability) in our current system. However, they posit that the system itself is the actual problem; education is preparing 21st century children for a 20th century society. Students still memorize facts, dates, and equations when most of this information can be looked up on the computers, smartphones, and tablets they have at their disposal; and memorizing an equation doesn't necessarily mean they understand what the equation does (I can still sing, because that's how my teacher taught it, the quadratic equation, but I can't tell you how the information I get from it is useful) and in today's world understanding how something works and can be used and manipulated is far more marketable than being able to rattle off something that anyone can google.

While the focus is education it can also put a new perspective on who to hire (what does an excellent GPA from a good university really say about someone?) and what would make for a good employee or colleague.

This book offers an intriguing look at the education system, why it is set up the way it is, why that way should possibly be dismantled, and ways certain programs and schools are working on doing that.

Lisa

The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley

On many international education tests the United States scores below average for the world's developed countries; especially in the subjects of science and math. In The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way, Amanda Ripley looks at the education systems of the countries that scored highest on the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), these countries include South Korea and Finland. Ripley not only speaks to teachers, school officials, and politicians, but also follows American students studying abroad in Finland, South Korea, and Poland.

What Ripley found to be a fairly straight forward difference between the United States and higher performing countries is the expectations teachers and parents had for students. However, that isn't to say that all of these countries achieved this in the best way possible, South Korea was called a pressure cooker more than once and after school tutors have a legally mandated curfew for closing (and their school days already goes until 5:00pm). Ripley discusses what makes American schools different (such as our emphasis on school sports) and what steps the high performing countries took to get their education systems where they are. I found this to be a fascinating look at education in a global context.

Lisa