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Why are educational comparisons so popular? Should educational reform be driven by economic competition? Think critically about these questions as you examine which countries and cultures are and aren’t comparable, and consider the United Arab Emirates’ unique strategy of importing 50 Finnish teachers to reform two schools based on the Finnish model..
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Piano Sonata no. 26 in E flat, op. 81a (Les Adieux) was dedicated to the Archduke Rudolph, an aristocratic patron and friend of Beethoven's who was fleeing Vienna ahead of Napoleon's armies, hence its name: the Farewell Sonata. We look at the piece as a mirror of contemporary events and as program music.
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Trace how the ideologies of mass education emerged in the U.S. and became central tenets of education around the world. Survey the ideas of key educational thinkers such as Horace Mann and James Bryant Conant, then consider why, despite its strengths, the U.S. might be ranked low relative to international standards..
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The U.S. and other countries may not be able to replicate Finland’s educational system, but they can level the playing field by making adjustments that contribute to equality in policies, curricula, and pedagogy. Focus on gender-based equity, looking at areas where real progress is being made as well as institutionalized gender inequalities masked by egalitarian values..
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Thanks to the PISA and other internationally comparative data, each nation’s policymakers, educators, and the public know exactly how well their students perform compared to their peers. Consider why Finland sits at the top of these rankings, and examine reforms countries such as Indonesia and Japan have implemented in response to their results..
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Assuming something is “wrong” with schools, how might they be fixed? Analyze how the larger forces of imposition, invitation, and innovation can lead to change through examples from Saudi Arabia, the U.S., and Myanmar, where Buddhist monks have established non-religious schools at their monasteries to remedy the poor quality of government-provided education..
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Beethoven completed his final piano sonata, no. 32 in C Minor, op. 111, five years before his death. Opus 111 seems obviously Beethoven's valedictory statement for the genre; it ties up loose ends, yet it is so stunningly original that it caps, rather than continues, the composer's run of 32 sonatas for piano.
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America’s blueprint for mass education has been followed across the globe—yet international student assessments show that achievement varies sharply, with the U.S. and much of Europe typically scoring average, at best. Not surprisingly, this state of affairs has sparked anxieties about an educational crisis. Adding even more fuel to the fire: many cite a growing disconnect between what schools teach and the needs of a rapidly changing market....
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Borrowing or benchmarking one national education system against another is not necessarily a remedy or the most useful analytical tool for educational reform, yet these are among the most common approaches. Begin to understand why this approach falls short as Professor Wiseman lays out his general thesis for the course..
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This episode explores the Classical style that Beethoven inherited from Haydn and Mozart, highlighting some of its more notable features. Then we look at Beethoven's Piano Sonata no. 1 in F Minor, op. 2, no. 1, from 1795, as both an homage to Mozart and an example of Beethoven's pianistic audacity.
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Is low student performance the fault of teachers? Consider this question as you study characteristics of students, teachers, curriculum, and culture in the “model” educational systems to see what makes them different (or not) from the U.S. and other middle- or low-performing countries. Look at the elusiveness of quality teachers in the Gulf region..
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Examine two Beethoven sonatas that deserve more attention than they are generally accorded: no. 22 in F, op. 54, and no. 24 in F sharp, op. 78. The former is an inspired, virtuosic, and genuinely experimental piece of music; the latter is one of the strangest and most adventurous works in the repertoire.
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Teachers accept children of all backgrounds into their classrooms, and they’re delighted to do so. However, sometimes it might seem as if there just isn’t any way to give all these kids what they need to excel. But don’t despair! In fact, it is possible to design a curriculum which can at once address the needs and interests of all your students. In this program, we illustrate how a well-designed curriculum even improves discipline.. Learn to...
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