I found this article rather interesting. The quote with which I most agree is the following: "Teaching science is sharing a passion rather than merely imparting knowledge."
Not having read the article, I would say that's so about ANY subject! It was certainly true for me when I was in the classroom! I taught special needs children; the majority of them would never read beyond a 4th to 6th grade level. My goal was not to "teach" them to read (though we DID work on reading skills), but to instill in them a love for literature. That way, I felt they would WANT to learn to read, and that desire would push them as far as they could go. But to "teach reading" without giving them that love would just be having them prod along, doing something they didn't enjoy. And ask my kids about my passion for history, lol!!!
Interesting article. A lot of Asian schools are known to be all about drills, just pumping all those facts into your head. I love the new approach, which is how it should be, in my opinion. I completely agree with Jackie, that instilling a love for reading comes first. I make it a point to answer every question in detail to my children, which makes them ask even more questions, which hopefully will one day make them adults always hungry for new knowledge.
I have three very good friends and former coworkers who are Asian. One is Japanese, one is Vietnamese, and one is Chinese. This was a hot topic when we discussed education in the US. I lamented public education here, but my friends' consensus was that the pressure to conform in Asian countries stifles creativity. My friends pointed out that most research and discovery is done in European countries and the US.
