Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon?: Why China Has the Best (and Worst) Education System in the World

Yong Zhao

Jossey-Bass

Handbook of Asian Education

Taylor&Francis

The secrets behind China's extraordinary educational system—good, bad, and uglyChinese students' consistently stunning performance on the international PISA exams—where they outscore students of all other nations in math, reading, and science—have positioned China as a world education leader. American educators and pundits have declared this a "Sputnik Moment", saying that we must learn from China's education system in order to maintain our status as an education leader and global superpower. Indeed, many of the reforms taking hold in United States schools, such as a greater emphasis on standardized testing and the increasing importance of core subjects like reading and math, echo the Chinese system. We're following in China's footsteps—but is this the direction we should take?Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? by award-winning writer Yong Zhao offers an entertaining, provocative insider's account of the Chinese school system, revealing the secrets that make it both "the best and worst" in the world. Born and raised in China's Sichuan province and a teacher in China for many years, Zhao has a unique perspective on Chinese culture and education. He explains in vivid detail how China turns out the world's highest-achieving students in reading, math, and science—yet by all accounts Chinese educators, parents, and political leaders hate the system and long to send their kids to Western schools. Filled with fascinating stories and compelling data, this audiobook offers a nuanced and sobering tour of education in China.Learn how China is able to turn out the world's highest achieving students in math, science, and reading. Discover why, despite these amazing test scores, Chinese parents, teachers, and political leaders are desperate to leave behind their educational system. Discover how current reforms in the U.S. parallel the classic Chinese system, and how this could help (or hurt) our students' prospects.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon?

Education & Teaching

Schools & Teaching

Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio

Overemphasizing test scores as measures of achievement is potentially harmful to education. The contributors identify key traits such as mindset, motivation, social skills, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit that students, teachers, and schools need to acknowledge and cultivate. Educators are asked to shift the evaluation paradigm to focus on a multiplicity of skills necessary for success in the 21st century. Benefits: 
<ul>
<li>Examine the problems with current measures of students' skills, including why tests have great limitations as a means of measuring human qualities. </li> <li>Review the crucial role of personality traits in academic and lifelong achievement. </li> <li>Learn how motivational factors interact with each other and the impact they may have for educational evaluation. </li> <li>Discover the importance of and how to measure global competence. </li> <li>Appraise strategies for improving school climates. </li> <li>Explore nonacademic qualities valuable to long-term educational outcomes. </li>
</ul>
Contents: Introduction: The Danger of Misguiding Outcomes: Lessons From Easter Island Chapter 1: Numbers Can Lie: The Meaning and Limitations of Test Scores Chapter 2: Celebrity for Nothing: The Rise of the Undervalued Chapter 3: Personal Matter: Personality Traits Chapter 4: Dreams and Nightmares: Motivational Factors Chapter 5: The Makers: Creativity and Entrepreneurial Spirit Chapter 6: Globally Speaking: Global Competence Chapter 7: Friends and Enemies: Social Network and Social Capital Chapter 8: Nature via Nurture: Developing Nonacademic Skills Chapter 9: Shifting the Paradigm: Assessing What Matters Index

Counting What Counts: Reframing Education Outcomes (A Research-Based Look at the Traits and Skills that Contribute to School and Life Successes)

Kendra Coates

Brian Gearin

Yue Shen

Sarah Soltz

Michael Thier

Daisy Zhang-Negrerie

Ross C. Anderson

Solution Tree

Improbable Probabilities is an analysis of opportunity as seen through the journey of renowned scholar Yong Zhao. From an obscure village in a China wracked by the Cultural Revolution to acclaim as one of the most influential international voices in education today, Yong’s journey reveals that disadvantages may become advantages and assuming risks that others avoid can open unforeseen opportunities. 
In this instructive title, you will learn about: Why families are important for children, through Yong’s experiences growing up impoverished in a supportive but illiterate family How low or no expectations may benefit some children, as illustrated by an absence of familial expectations that freed Yong to explore and discover a love of language, reading, and writing Students’ potential to find and take advantage of opportunities How Yong discovered, explored, and pursued opportunities others failed to see in order to become internationally recognized as a researcher, professor, and writer Why Yong’s publications and perspective challenge many of the current orthodoxies in education, especially regarding how to improve the learning of students living in low-wealth communities 
Contents: 
Preface 
Introduction 
Chapter 1: The Boy From Sichuan Province 
Chapter 2: The Budding Scholar 
Chapter 3: The Traveler 
Chapter 4: The Entrepreneur 
Chapter 5: The Breadwinner 
Chapter 6: The Global Citizen 
Chapter 7: The Distinguished Professor 
Chapter 8: Themes in Yong’s Thinking and Writing 
Epilogue 
Endnotes 
Index

Improbable Probabilities: The Unlikely Journey of Yong Zhao (A memoir about growth and development in educational leadership and equity)

Biographies & Memoirs

G. Williamson McDiarmid

Community & Culture

Solution Tree Press

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Books by Yong Zhao