A.J. Tallo
Attitudes towards education
Cultural differences are apparent in every aspect of a culture including work environments. Different cultures value some skills that employees have, while other cultures may not value the same skills. A good example of this is the difference in European attitudes towards certain skills in employees, compared to the attitudes of American workers specifically in Connecticut.
In European countries, the background of higher education students was dominated by two fields, Engineering, and Economic studies. Studies showed that 98% of companies claimed to hold skills like computer literacy and teamwork higher than skills such as foreign language. The companies also said that they valued communication skills as well as computer skills. Right behind these skill sets, the next in line of value was problem solving ability. The European companies emphasized that they are interested in people who have sector specific skills. You don’t have to be well rounded or intellectual in every aspect. They are just looking for people who have certain skills and that will only work with that specific skill. The data showing value of numeracy skills seemed rather unimportant to European employers. When the companies were asked what skills they are looking for in the next 5 to 10 years when hiring they replied : Sector specific, reading/writing, computer skills, communication, and teamwork. These were at the top of the list while the bottom consisted of organizational skills, ability to adapt, and foreign language.
Results from an American study done in Connecticut had rather different results. 82% of the companies reported that they have issues with finding qualified workers by their standards. 56% of companies said they believe we need to reform educational systems in Connecticut to produce better graduates and workers. Most business in Connecticut are looking for workers with backgrounds ins manufacturing or service. These combined make up 68% of our industry. The American companies were more worried about the overall quality and education of employees rather than the specific skill sets like the Europeans. They want well-rounded workers rather than workers who specialize in maybe one or two fields.
A.J. Tallo
Essay 4
Education and National Development
When it comes to the subject of International or Cross Cultural Education, aspects of development are closely related as these two things have a relationship. For instance, there is a positive relationship between an educated population and and the development of a nation as a whole. The international business of aid to education is a consumer and producer of educational research linked to the development of countries. Education plays a large role in national development in many ways. It can be seen as an investment for governments of developing countries. The more funds provided for greater education, the higher payout the country will see in the end due to their citizen’s further intellectual abilities. Education can also help to reduce poverty rates.
There are different dimensions to educational context in the development of nations. One of them is the aspect of demographics. Trends such as high birth rates, teen pregnancy, and rural to urban migration can be linked to problems in provision of school systems. There is an economic toll paid for having low standards of education. It could be either low-income rates, or structural adjustment, it leaves vulnerability in changes in international markets. A low standard of educational systems can be a harmful cycle. Low standards means low intelligence of students, this causes for low paying jobs and economic issues. In turn, as the nation’s economy suffers, there are no available funds to pay for better teachers, systems, or materials needed t properly educate students.
It is a simple fact that for a country to be successful in many different aspects, there must be a requirement for high standards of education so that the nation can develop.
A.J. Tallo
Mid-Term Assessment
Examine Culture as Dynamic and Contested:
Culture is constructed by the individuals in each certain area. It exists no matter what. As long as people are alive culture will be an existing concept that is only changed by the ideologies of the people within each culture. There is an endless amount of sub cultures within each culture. Then there are sub cultures that are even smaller existing within the original sub cultures. You cannot change culture because it is something that only changes with the majority of the people. It has so many aspects to it that it s ever changing and morphing. Every second something about a culture is changing. It may be through different types of education or realization. But at the same time cultures are know for the practices they have stuck with since the culture was started and will always carry on. This is what distinguishes one culture from another. Each has set ideas beliefs, and practices that make other cultures look upon in disagreement. These differences are so contested by other cultures that since the start it has caused for segregation, racism, hatred, and in worst case scenarios: war.
Critically examine paradigm shifts in understanding culture:
People around the globe believe they understand everything there is to know about each culture and at the same time say that their original culture is the best suit for them. No one person understands the various amounts of cultures our earth has to offer. There is much education being offered worldwide on cultures of the planet but understanding culture means more than being educated on it. There is much to know about each cultures beliefs and practices yet the only way to know is actually live a life in each culture for an extended period of time. To walk in one’s shoes in each culture is the only true way of understanding everything one must know. People have rapid changes in their view of cultures. The media and news may lead one to believe certain things about a country or culture. Our understandings of cultures are changing all the time as we have new biases and information that leads us to believe things about a culture that very well not be true. Stereotypes may be true in some cases but in the end there is a lot more truth than we can know about each individual culture.
Analyze variability and heterogeneity within and across cultures:
Each culture has many differences within itself. Many people of the same culture have totally opposite views and ideologies. They may have different religions, philosophies, and worldly outlooks. America is a prime example of these variables in a culture. A melting pot of people of all types and cultures who have come together in a country and formed a large mainstream culture. Is it possible that part of the reason America’s values and activities are taken in by people worldwide is because we have a culture that encompasses all cultures? It may be possible. There are such dynamics and differences in each cultures that every single one has variability’s that are unimaginable. It is obviously foolish to group a culture together as all being very similar to each other. People vary themselves, everyone is different and if we weren’t then there would be no such thing as culture or variability in culture itself.
Engage in reflexivity about their own culture and identity:
Being an American I have so many dynamics to my culture. I have multiple cultures one could say. There is the idea that we are all part of the American culture here in this country. This American culture can be viewed in a positive or negative light around the globe. As an American you also have a background culture. Wherever your family is from is one of your sub cultures. And also, every person is involved in very much smaller cultures in their communities and local areas. Each of these has different view and some may even be opposite ones. Its not about what culture was given to you at your birth, as much as it is important to know what aspects of each culture you would like to carry on or take part in. I myself, am an Italian – American. Although I only carry out some cultural aspects of my family’s Italian heritage it is my blood and therefore my culture. As an American I take part in everyday actions that an outsider would see as American aspect. However I don’t even notice since I am so used to this culture and the lifestyle that comes along with it. Also every group or organization I take part in is my culture as well. For instance being a college student makes me part of a college culture that exist within other larger cultures. I take small parts of each of these cultures that I truly believe in and make my own set of beliefs and practices I follow. I think the majority of people do the same thing although many do not think about it. You should be able to see your cultural identity for what it is but through what I have learned the most important thing is the idea of global citizenship. Understanding that you are not so different from other cultures and countries from around the world. Everyone should identify a part of his or her culture as being a global citizen.
A.J. Tallo
Mid Term Experiential Transcript
Radio Beta 3/9/11,
10 p.m.Radio Beta is a website where you can listen to different radio stations of all types from around the world. I was introduced to this in class and explored the site for some time listening to other culture’s music stations. My current studies are Cross Cultural and International Education. I was educated during this time about music of different cultures around the world. A culture’s music says a lot about the culture itself to better understand it. What I got out of this experience is that I was able to hear radio from whatever country I want. This helped me to see what kinds of things other cultures enjoy listening to. I never thought this was possible without visiting a certain country.
50th Annual Celebration0f Peace Corps Dodd Center, Uconn, 2/14/11, 4– 6 pm. This was a celebration of the Peace Corps members, former members, and organization. There were many former Peace Corps members in attendance and some of them gave speeches on their personal experiences. Former Senator Dodd also gave a speech on his experiences and ideas about the Peace Corps. I am currently studying Cross Cultural and International Education. The Peace Corps encompasses these ideas better than any other organization. To be a member means that you are put into another country and help as well as teach the people that live their. It also is an educational experience for the members because you are introduced to a new culture. This experience introduced me to the Peace Corps Organization for the first I got a grasp on what it is all about. It helped me to understand alternative options after graduation like Peace Corps. It definitely showed me that it is an educational experience that you cannot get through a college or university.
People Helping People Meeting.1/31/11, 6- 7:45 p.m., ECSU student center. This was a club meeting of the group called “People Helping People”. It is basically a community service group on campus. They help to serve the surrounding community as well as donating to people around the world that need it most. This meeting taught me about service opportunities and helping people of different cultures globally. Also it showed me how things like this are done. My studies of International Education tie right into this. The value this added to my education is the fact that I had never before seen how service projects are started or executed. It also showed me that groups like this exist in my community and I can possibly join and take part in it.
Eastern Ski trip to Stratton Mt. Vermont 3/5/11- 3/6/11,
Mt. Stratton VT. This was a two day trip that Eastern set up so that each student only had to pay a flat fee for transportation, lodging, and a ski pass for the weekend in Vermont. It made it affordable to college students to visit a mountain and ski for a couple days. This is connected to my studies in cross-cultural education. We got to go visit a new place that nobody has been before and do something new that many people can’t afford to do without opportunities like this. That is what International Education is all about. The only thing is that we didn’t go to a foreign country. This weekend experience basically just gave me another new experience. I got to meet some different people and try new things, which is a value in itself.
A.J. Tallo
Essay 3
Diversity
Comparative and International Education systems are closely related. It is hard to figure out when one starts and another ends because of the amount of similarities. Forces of globalization have acted on education internationally , and this has created a greater standard for teaching and learning. The higher education sector has the most apparent internationalization of education than has ever been seen before. These policies and practices were initially driven by increased student mobility. Programs like this seek to enhance the quality and reinforce the dimension of higher education by encouraging transnational cooperation between universities. About 1.2 million students in Europe have participated in a similar variety of these types of courses.
Forms of borderless education are starting to be implemented. Through the use of technologies on the Internet like video – conferencing, and online discussions, students from different contexts are able to share ideas and experiences. This is causing for increased opportunities for graduates that include networking and working abroad.
Global Education or international education, seeks to influence learners to have a sense of belonging and responsibility to a global community as opposed to an individual country. It increases the interconnection and nature of different nations with separate cultures and backgrounds. While having a standard curriculum it also offers a number of non-governmental adult, and community organizations. This Global citizenship idea emphasizes on learning about the world and having a wide understanding of physical and social geography. It includes a core in the learning of concepts like citizenship, sustainable development, social justice, values, perceptions, diversity, interdependence, conflict resolution, and human rights.
Where Essay 2-CE will be posted:
A.J. Tallo
International Cross Cultural Education
Essay 2-CE
Comparative Education can historically be tracked back to times before the phrase was even coined. Many people say Persia and Greece is where texts started to be used comparatively. But it’s at the beginning of the 19th Century where you can see a deliberate attempt to have a system of comparative learning. This is mainly because of the fact that travel became more accessible at this time. Before this, most comparative education came from tales of travelers.
People started using comparative education for a certain purpose. This was to inform people in a political manner about positive and negative practices of other countries so that they might be “borrowed” or used in America. The U.S. used many educational ideas from Europe and specifically Germany when developing the early education systems. German travelers wrote about the education in Prussia, and even England made provisions in Education with ideas from France. These were implemented in Oxford University. The ideas that were “borrowed” eventually became regarded as interwoven in to the fabric of societies and were a constant thing.
Today the works of the IEA and the OECD have contributed to a large accumulation of data to describe educational provisions internationally. They also have developed systems by which they can determine which nation’s practices are measured in high performance. There is even a council where 33 different educational societies come to meet and share educational systems of their own nations and what they have found elsewhere. It is truly an accomplishment to see how far the field of comparative education has grown in just the last century.
This is where the essay will be posted:
A.J. Tallo
Intercultural Survey Essay
Every culture has its values, views, and opinions on foreign cultures as well as their own. The survey I took had me express my own view on cultural diversity in my life. The European countries also took the same survey with similar results in some places, and different opinions in others.
One question asked “What comes to your mind immediately after hearing the word culture?” Or what do you associate with the word culture? My answer was a communities values and beliefs. I don’t know if that is the American answer but it is what I thought immediately after hearing the word culture. The European results showed that 39% of people said they thought of the arts when thinking of culture. The arts could be performance and visual, architecture, paintings, or galleries. It could mean any type. Only 9% said values and beliefs in the European results. Of course the answers varied by country.
Another question was about the importance of culture. I believe I said it was fairly important to me. 46% of Europe said the same while 31% said it was very important. The rest answered that it wasn’t that important to them along with the 1% that wasn’t sure. The question after that was about how much and how often do you take part in different cultural activities. I said that in the last 12 months I have taken part in a lot of cultural programs on either TV or radio, I have gone to the cinemas, and I have gone to sports events along with concerts. The European results said that they also take part in cultural TV or radio, and they also go to the cinemas at least 5 times a year. But what differed is that reading books, and visiting historical monuments was higher on that list than it was for me. Not that I don’t read or haven’t visited monuments but it is definitely more prevalent in their society than it is for me in mine.
The next question was about participating in cultural arts or activities. There was a list of things on the list to check off if you participate in them or not. 36% of the Europeans who took this survey participate in some decorating, handcrafts, or gardening. Another 27% said they have done some photography or film work. I only took part in playing a musical instrument and a little gardening at my house in the summertime. I am not surprised by the European results; I have read a lot of studies that show that people in Europe have a better attitude towards nature than Americans. I believe that’s why so much gardening is done there. What surprised me is that the highest percentage answered for Europe was none. 38% of people answered that they do not take part in any cultural activity that was on the list.
The question I found most interesting is one that asked about people’s barriers to accessing cultural activities. My answer was that there is a lack of time for me along with limited choices in my area for cultural activities. Also a lot of the activities I would like to take part in cost a lot of money. The European results are not too far off. 42% said that they also have a lack of time to take part in activities. Another 29% said that its too expensive which is definitely a factor for most people. 27% said that they have a lack of interest, which is a little upsetting. But only 16% said they have a limited choice of cultural activities in their area. This must mean that there is a larger number of cultural activities in Europe than in my area or even perhaps America. I can’t really be sure. I definitely think Americans and Europeans have different views and values on cultural ideas, but overall I see that we are not that different from each other. A lot of the age groups in Europe are taking part in the same activities as people of the same age in America. The only things separating us are some culture differences and opportunities. I think both America and Europe can learn a lot from each other’s cultural ideologies.
This is where I am going to put my essay:
A.J. Tallo
Essay 1: Making Comparisons
Comparative Education has great value on both students and teachers. It is very beneficial to be able to look into another culture’s education system. You can see how students learn differently and with what techniques and philosophies that you may not have. For teachers it is important to see what other teaching styles are being used around the world. There is a lot to be learned since there are such a variety of cultures around the planet that all have something useful to offer that one may not be aware of. It is important when being comparative that you understand the culture you are studying and almost immense yourself in it to the point that you almost know it. If you cannot understand the culture then you may not be able to understand the style of education or what exactly is going on. Comparative Education is a very free and synthetic field. You can really focus on people’s ideas, which are always changing and evolving. There is no one disciplinary way to think as opposed to many other fields of study. It is more of a context than a discipline which one could more than one field. It’s a multidimensional subject that includes things like history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and many more. The value of studying other cultures education will result in knowing and understanding our own education better. Furthermore, it promotes a sense of international goodwill. Every education system could improve from learning about others. It is a good way to be a more well off judge of your own education system. The subject will promote students and teachers of all kinds to improve themselves by being comparative to other ideas and methods. It can help improve anyone’s educational experience.
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A.J. Tallo 