World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students [Paperback]

Yong Zhao (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 26, 2012 | ISBN-10: 1452203989 | ISBN-13: 978-1452203980 | Edition: 1

To succeed in the global economy, students need to think like entrepreneurs. Zhao unlocks secrets to cultivating independent thinkers who can create jobs and contribute positively to the globalized society.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this important book, Yong Zhao demonstrates persuasively that the race for higher test scores is harmful to our society. It contradicts the need to develop our young people's creativity and entrepreneurship. If we ignore Yong Zhao's warning, we risk hurtling back to an industrial model of standardization and conformity. What is needed most now, he reminds us, is freedom to think, freedom to invent, and freedom to differ from bureaucratically devised norms." (Diane Ravitch )

"Professor Yong Zhao's latest book, World Class Learners, is unusual, wide-ranging, provocative, and amusing. Dr. Zhao himself exemplifies the creative entrepreneur, someone who roams across disciplines to synthesize new ideas based on insight and research. Having spent his youth in China and his adulthood in the U. S. gives him a clear-eyed view of the strengths and weaknesses of schooling in both the East and the West. His account of the unexpected consequences of well-intentioned policy should be read by every policymaker, from education secretaries to school board members. Teachers and parents will also benefit from his views on educating children to be creative, independent thinkers." (Milton Chen, Former Executive Director, The George Lucas Education Foundation 20120628)

"Yong Zhao dares to challenge prevailing "standardized" education policies and practices in favor of more individualized, holistic approaches that tap into and enhance the talents of every child enabling all children to be better prepared to live productively in a globalized society. Zhao's book portrays a new global entrepreneurship paradigm for teaching and learning in our schools and imparts a sense of urgency and call to action for education policy makers everywhere to shift away from standardization to globalization for the sake of our children and the well-being of our nation. Zhao's thoughtful and thought-provoking vision will inspire educators and his global entrepreneurship paradigm is bound to intrigue, inform and enhance their practice.
The National Association of Elementary School Principals applauds Yong Zhao's vision and encourages educators to draw upon his new global entrepreneurship education paradigm for inspiration and practical ideas for engaging students and enhancing their talents and exceptionality." (Gail Connelly, Executive Director 20120703)

"Zhao zeroes in on entrepreneurship and the sorts of open-ended learning that produce creative problem-solvers most likely to succeed in the competitive world of business. In spite of the obstacles our mania for test scores have put in the way, Zhao shows us how educators and students are succeeding on this path." (Anthony Cody, Writer )

“Professor Zhao has provided a different and compelling view of what education can and should be if we want to remain the global, creative, entrepreneurial, innovation nation going forward. Policy makers at every level need to read and act on the ideas in this book as though our future depends on it. Because it does.” (Tom Watkins, Former Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction )

"Yong Zhao has provided the most compelling case I have read that many (mainly Western) nations are on the wrong track in educational reform. The unrelenting focus on high-stakes testing, the narrowing of the curriculum, and the continuing faith in outdated models of schooling ensure that they are short-changing students and weakening their societies and economies. The good news in this book is that there are outliers of preferred practice in schools around the world. The challenge is to provide schools with the autonomy to innovate with an entrepreneurial spirit and to resist the pressures for more centralized command-and-control approaches to change in schools." (Brian Caldwell, Professor, University of Melbourne )

"The 21st Century Education movement requires us to be more intentional and purposeful about the outcomes that will help our students become 21st century citizens and be successful in the new global economy. In his latest book, World Class Learners, Yong Zhao has forcefully challenged us to focus on entrepreneurship and innovation. Zhao has established himself as one of the most compelling voices in 21st century education. He is not an ed reformer, trying to improve our performance within the old system. He is truly an ed transformer, trying to articulate the outcomes that will matter most to our 21st century students. Yong Zhao continues to 'lead the way'."
(Ken Kay, CEO of EdLeader21, Founding President of Partnership for 21st Century Skills, co-author, The Leader's Guide to 21st Century Education: 7 Steps for Schools and Districts 20120517)

“Many of us who study innovation struggle with ways to domesticate the unruly habits of creative entrepreneurs into a useful framework for education and learning. Dr. Yong Zhao’s World Class Learners brings the lessons of global entrepreneurs home to the 21st century classroom, at a moment when those lessons are sorely needed. World Class Learners is a timely and important contribution to our understanding of the relationship between practical skills, creativity and technology in preparing young people for an entrepreneurial world.” (Rob Salkowitz, Author 20120517)

"Rarely do I read a well written and engaging book that offers a research-based critique of current practices in education with a workable prescription for the future. World Class Learners is such a book. Moreover, its implications for the field of teacher preparation are profound, and the ideas presented in the book should become the basis for significant discussion within our field. As Zhao points out, the world is changing so rapidly, and the context that our schools and institutions of higher education confront is so dynamic that we must embrace the need for change and make adjustments or potentially lose the franchise for preparing the next generation of educators. This book should be required for all those interested in education, but most significantly, those preparing for careers in the field." (Rick Ginsberg, Dean of the School of Education 20120614)

"World Class Learners contains a clear call for teacher preparation to begin producing teachers capable of thinking differently about the purposes of schooling. If we ignore our opportunity to do so, our future is, at best, uncertain." (Mark Girod, Chair, Division of Teacher Education 20120614)

"Professor Zhao describes in rich detail how our world is rapidly being pushed by the triple forces of demographic change, economic globalization, and technological innovation toward ever more demanding requirements for educational improvement in our schools. He shows that focusing excessively on test scores undermines the very kinds of creativity and initiative that are most badly needed for economic success, social well-being, and environmental sustainability." (Dennis Shirley, Professor of Education 20120625)

"In this provocative book Professor Zhao argues that creativity and entrepreneurship, rather than test scores, ought to be the goals that mobilize societies as they improve education. He suggests that policies aimed at improving test scores harm the development of creativity and entrepreneurial skills. This is a fresh and important contribution to the global conversation on education reform, a compelling call for systematically generalizing the opportunities to develop creativity that are at the root of child centered education." (Fernando M. Reimers, Ford Foundation Professor of International Education 20120706)

About the Author

Yong Zhao is the Presidential Chair of Global Education and Online Learning at the University of Oregon, where he also serves as the Associate Dean for Global Education and Online Learning and the Director of Center for Advanced Technology in Education (CATE). He is also a full professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership (EMPL). He is a fellow of the International Academy for Education.

Before joining the University of Oregon, Zhao was previously University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also served as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, executive director of the Confucius Institute, as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence.

Zhao has published over 20 books and 100 articles. His most recent book is Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization. He has also developed computer software, including the award-winning New Chengo/ZON (http://enterzon.com), the world’s first massively multi-player online role-playing game for studying Chinese.

Zhao is an internationally known education expert. He has been invited to speak on educational issues in nearly 20 countries on six continents over 400 times over the past three years. He has been interviewed as an education expert on global education issues by international media outlets such as USA Today, The New York Times, NPR, China Xinhua News Agency, The Times Education Supplement, and Voice of America. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Education Week, Educational Leadership, and The Kappan. He maintains an active blog with a large audience at http://zhaolearning.com. One of his blog posts received over 10,000 views within a week of posting.

Zhao was born in China’s Sichuan Province. He received his B.A. in English Language Education from Sichuan Institute of Foreign Languages in Chongqing, China in 1986. After teaching English in China for six years, he came to Linfield College as a visiting scholar in 1992. He then began his graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993. He received his A.M. in Education in 1994 and Ph.D. in 1996. He joined the faculty at MSU in 1996 after working as the Language Center Coordinator at Willamette University and a language specialist at Hamilton College.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Corwin; 1 edition (June 26, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1452203989
• ISBN-13: 978-1452203980
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Education & Reference > Schools & Teaching > Education Theory > Reform & Policy

More About the Author

Yong Zhao is currently Presidential Chair and Associate Dean for Global Education, College of Education at the University of Oregon, where is a full professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy and Leadership(EMPL). He is a fellow of the International Academy for Education.

Until December, 2010, Yong Zhao was University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also served as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, executive director of the Confucius Institute, as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence.

His research interests include educational policy, computer gaming and education, diffusion of innovations, teacher adoption of technology, computer-assisted language learning, and globalization and education.

Zhao has extensive international experiences. He has consulted with government and educational agencies and spoken on educational issues in many countries on six continents. His current work focuses on designing 21st Century Schools in the context of globalization and the digital revolution.

Zhao has published over 20 books and 100 articles. His most recent book is Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization and the Handbook of Asian Education. He has also developed computer software, including the award-winning New Chengo/ZON (http://enterzon.com), the world's first massively multi-player online role-playing game for studying Chinese.

Zhao was born in China's Sichuan Province. He received his B.A. in English Language Education from Sichuan Institute of Foreign Languages in Chongqing, China in 1986. After teaching English in China for six years, he came to Linfield College as a visiting scholar in 1992. He then began his graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993. He received his A.M. in Education in 1994 and Ph.D. in 1996. He joined the faculty at MSU in 1996 after working as the Language Center Coordinator at Willamette University and a language specialist at Hamilton College.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars coffeechug book reviews October 26, 2012

By A. Maurer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Let me start by stating that this book pretty felt like the ideas were taken from my head and Yong Zhao just brought clarity and data to support the ideas.

This book is a must read!

As the American Education System works towards spending billions of dollars in creating a Common Core curriculum, other countries are trying to emulate what America schools once were. I am not stating that the school system we had was perfect, but it allowed students to pursue their interests and there is a reason that we have more creative awards, innovators, Novel Laureates, and patents than any other country. Forcing everyone to teach the same way is going to cause schools to eliminate those opportunities for students to explore their passions.

This book discusses what America is doing wrong and questions why we want to be like a China education system that can have students pass tests, but cannot innovate? China is striving to be us and vice versa. We are in a pivotal moment right now in education and this book shows what can be if we continue down this path.

It is imperative that teachers have freedom within their classroom. When a teacher can no longer teach a project because other teachers in the subject field don't want to and teachers cannot add their own flare to their subject, then students lose out. This mindset is settling in not only with policy makers, but communities as well.

Parents want more work. More homework, harder classes, more tests, etc. At what point do we say enough! A child should not have to attend school for 6-7 hours a day and then go home to hours of homework each night. It is very important for kids to have time to explore, play, sports, art, music, drama, etc. These avenues allow students to find out who they are and what they want to pursue.

Yong Zhao, the author of this book lays out what he thinks needs to happen to allow students to think like entrepreneurs and prepare for the world. The way things are going right now we are not allowing for this to happen.

This is a well written book. He supports all ideas with several facts, figures, and examples. Being a book review I won't go into all my thoughts and ideas with each section of this book, but I will tell you that this a necessary read for anyone involved in education and wondering what the future holds for us. If we don't start to rethink how we teach and how schools operate we are going to find ourselves falling behind. Creating a national curriculum driven by people who have not stepped foot in a classroom is not the answer. Teachers need to be willing to step up and take risks to challenge their students. As Rabindranath Tagore stated, "Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time."

It is time for teachers to change and adapt how we teach. It is time for administrators to step up to the challenge and change the system. And it is time for policy makers to get out of the way and quit acting like they know what they are talking about. If our students don't prepare to be a global citizen and learn to seek out problems and learn to solve them, then the future could be different from life today! Read this book and find out more about how we can change things to better prepare our students for their future.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you care about our, or your, children and grandchildren this is a must read August 6, 2012

By Fun Life

Format:Paperback

If you are convinced No Child Left Behind, the Race to the Top, or the new Common Core Standards (which our state allocated some 5 million dollars to investigate how it might be implemented in our state) is the answer to education reform this is a book you should read.

If you are a teacher, administrator or a professor of education this is a book to read if you want to know what is really being planned for how to ensure that educational professionals play a major part in the economic and political failure of our democracy and the sure destruction of our children's dreams.

My father was a college president and head of the department of education in more than one college. Education was talked about at our dinner table. I have been an administrator of an apprentice program working with local high schools helping them prepare students for employment with the General Electric Company, have worked in corporate America, worked for an Indian tribe in the human resources department, have worked at the International headquarters for two major international companies responsible for the compensation and benefits of expatriates in more that 15 countries and have worked for years in alternative education.

Every CEO should read this book and think about helping to support the implementation of the paradigm proposed.

Every governor and legislature at the state and national level should read and study this book to gain an understanding of how the path currently being supported by politicians and many educators is a sure path to destruction.

If you are wanting to be remembered as a philantropist who made a difference in the future of our country read this book and, after thinking about what Zhao wrote, want to work with home schoolers and alternative education students contact me. The primary point lacking in this book is how to obtain funding to pay for the training of leaders and to pay for the resources needed to enable already successful models to be replicated.

This book energized me. The only question in my mind is how could I possibly find the time to gain the needed skills and resources to implement the paradigm in our small rural community which has about 500 students (regular and alternative) in our K-12 program. If anyone has an idea they would like to share please contact me.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read July 21, 2012

By John M. Gould

Format:Paperback

This is a must read for policy makers, business leaders, students, and parents!
Yong Zhao has written one of the best educational books to help all sectors of our society to rethink the purpose of education in a globalized world. It is written for all people who are concern about the present state of education in America. It helps to frame the arguments against the "blind" submission to the standardization of learning.

Robert Pirsig once pointed out in his famous book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, that if a factory is torn down but the rationality which produced it is left standing, then that rationality will simply produce another factory. Zhao helps us to understand the consequences for the next generation, which are enormous if we are not willing to let go of our present assumptions that schools are still based on the factories that most of us attended. Those schools worked well for an industrial-based economy that is losing its relevancy in a highly interconnected planet. This book sets the baseline for a dialogue about new assumptions for the future of learning!

This should be required reading in classes for economics, education, business, policy, and any recent graduate from higher education that can not find a job.