Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
US/China relations and education reform
I am typing this with my newborn on my lap, excuse the mistakes they're from his flailings and my one handed typings, and I am thinking about his and my other chilren's future.
China is the elephant in the room that we Americans doing talk about. America is losing it clout in the world and its economic power. See http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e9306da0-0461-11df-8603-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1 This has been a trend since the 1970's but is truley scary in the teens now. We are no longer competitive in manufacturing and our economy is mostly service based. We don't producing much anymore and most of what we design is now "Made in China." These are not new insights nor am I saying US firms should not seek out the means of production that cost them the least and bring the most profits.
What I am saying is that Ameica needs to deceide what we are. Being a nation of consumers will not work. I propose we become a nation of ideas and R&D. We create the items, software, and ideas that make the world better. We let others build it. We can do this. Education would need to become our biggest expiditure. Not NCLB but real education reform would be required.
There is a problem with this. First is this article from the Financial Times http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7ef3097e-09da-11df-8b23-00144feabdc0.html and second is this one from Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60P0Z620100126. China is leading the world in research growth and young Americans are jobless. American kids are smart but stupid. They have high Intelligent scores but used Wisdom as a dump stat (Thank you D&D!) Most kids today, geez I'm feeling old at 34 calling 20 somethings kids, can do all kinds of electronic jobs but waste their time on Xboxs and MMO's. Lets use those intrests and get kids excited about learning. CHANGE THE SYSTEM.
If we don't we follow the example of the British Empire and its decline from 1930-1970.
On that note my kids are taking Mandarin and Hindi....
China is the elephant in the room that we Americans doing talk about. America is losing it clout in the world and its economic power. See http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e9306da0-0461-11df-8603-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1 This has been a trend since the 1970's but is truley scary in the teens now. We are no longer competitive in manufacturing and our economy is mostly service based. We don't producing much anymore and most of what we design is now "Made in China." These are not new insights nor am I saying US firms should not seek out the means of production that cost them the least and bring the most profits.
What I am saying is that Ameica needs to deceide what we are. Being a nation of consumers will not work. I propose we become a nation of ideas and R&D. We create the items, software, and ideas that make the world better. We let others build it. We can do this. Education would need to become our biggest expiditure. Not NCLB but real education reform would be required.
There is a problem with this. First is this article from the Financial Times http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7ef3097e-09da-11df-8b23-00144feabdc0.html and second is this one from Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60P0Z620100126. China is leading the world in research growth and young Americans are jobless. American kids are smart but stupid. They have high Intelligent scores but used Wisdom as a dump stat (Thank you D&D!) Most kids today, geez I'm feeling old at 34 calling 20 somethings kids, can do all kinds of electronic jobs but waste their time on Xboxs and MMO's. Lets use those intrests and get kids excited about learning. CHANGE THE SYSTEM.
If we don't we follow the example of the British Empire and its decline from 1930-1970.
On that note my kids are taking Mandarin and Hindi....
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