American Education System Freshman-1st year

nd sophmore-2
L/O/G/O

year

junior-3rd year senior

th 4

year

L/O/G/O

What is the difference between Chinese and Western Education? Confucius, Socrates Imperial Civil Service Exam 1+1=??

Unit Goals
To get a general knowledge of the American education system To get acquainted with American school life

The Educational Ladder

Americans view their public school system as an educational ladder:

College

High school
Elementary school

Kindergarten
Pre-College

Preschools (age 2-4)

Day Care () Center Nursery School Kinder -garten

Early Childhood Education

Preschool

All school systems in the US have 12 years of elementary, middle school and senior high school. Elementary school High school

6 years

Junior high school

Senior high school

2/3 years

4 years

Junior high school: A difficult period for many children due to the onset of puberty

 The American education system requires that students complete 12 years of primary & secondary education prior to attending a university or college. This may be accomplished either at public schools, or at private schools. These 12 years of schooling may also be completed outside the USA, thus giving foreign students the opportunity to pursue the benefits of the American education system & obtain a quality American education.
Home schooling, Un-schooling

Public Education
American public schools have 4 basic characteristics in common:
locally controlled,

free from religious influence,

coeducational

publicly supported by taxes.

Critical Thinking and Communication/Collaboration Skills are more important than rote memorization

college
After high school, the majority of students go on to college.

2 years of study at a community college

Undergraduate studies

Associate degree
bachelors degree, or college diploma Masters degree and doctoral degree PHD

Graduate studies

Community college
The tuition for associate degree programs at community colleges is typically much less than at a 4-year college or university, even a public one. Therefore many American students choose to attend a US community college for 2 years as a way of lowering the cost of getting a bachelors degree. Students with associate degrees from accredited community colleges or junior colleges can transfer into their 3rd year at a 4-year university or college. Under US$2,000 -- US$4,000

Community college
Many different types of students study at community colleges. Many students are adults with children and sometimes with grandchildren. The community college serves the community and anyone who lives nearby may go. After they receive an associate degree, they may then go to a college or university for two more years to get the bachelors degree. They are nearly always publicly funded, by the state, county, or city governments.

Masters Degree
The US masters degree is a graduate(postgraduate) school degree that typically requires 2 years of full-time graduate school coursework to complete. Unlike students pursuing a bachelors degree, students in a masters degree program will complete courses that are highly focused in their field of study (their major). Thesis research project As such, students must have already decided on their major before applying to a masters degree program.

 The US PhD degree or doctoral degree is even more focused & specialized than the masters degree. Some students will complete a masters degree before applying to a doctorate degree program, but thats not always necessary. Completion of a doctorate degree typically takes between 3 & 6 years. The length of time will depend on the students educational background (a student with a masters degree may take less time if its in the same field), the field of study selected, the students dedication & ability, & the complexity of the thesis the student has chosen for his PhD. The thesis is a very long, extensive & original research paper that is a requirement for completing the PhD program. (Some masters degree programs also require a thesis, but its much simpler & shorter than the PhD program thesis.)

Ph.D. Degree
Requirements: Pass oral & written examinations in his specialty. Produce a long research paper which makes an original contribution to his field of study.

Diploma mill
A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study (poorqualified education).

Two diploma mills in one community

 Questions: What tests should American high school students take if they want to apply for a college or a university? What tests should American university students take if they want to further their education in a graduate school? Besides test scores, are there any other things important when applying for a college or a graduate school in America?

Harvard University

In America, there isnt a universal exam for enrolling a college or a university, because different universities have different requirements. In the last year of high school, the students have to apply several schools and take the exams of each school respectively. Hampshire College

Tests
SAT: Scholastic Assessment Test
Scholastic Aptitude Test

ACT: American College Testing GRE: Graduate Record Examination

Reading Vocabulary and reading comprehension Writing- Short Essay optional on the SAT Math basic geometry and algebra

Higher Education
American education on the college level is provided by more than 3,000 institutions. Most are coeducational. Admittance: good high school record & test scores also, extra-curricular activities Classification: college -- offer only undergraduate courses university -- have undergraduate, graduate(postgraduate) & professional schools

What are the differences and similarities between a university and a college?
No graduate or professional programs

university
Four years for undergraduates Admit students with a high school diploma

Much larger Several different colleges in it

college

 Colleges look for students who are well-rounded

Grades in high school Extracurricular activities

Scores on tests like the SAT

Extracurricular activities
Athletics or competitive sports Student government Clubs and other activities

Teach the student the winning spirit

Designed to develop competitive, organizational and social skills

Art, music, drama, debate, photograph, volunteer work

All aimed at helping the students to become more successful in later life.

Electives:

Courses you choose yourself -Liberal Arts Education: History, Art, Music, Literature, etc

Educating the individual

The development of social and interpersonal skills may be considered as important as the development of intellectual skills. To help students develop these other important skills, schools have added a large number of extracurricular activities. These activities are almost as important as the students class work.

Whats the significance of extracurricular activities?

Demonstrate their special talents Demonstrate their level of maturity and responsibility Demonstrate their leadership qualities Demonstrate their ability to get along with others

How do a university or a college get money for its expenses?

They are funded in one of the following three ways.

A publicly funded one

A privately funded one Get money from private sources

Funded by a religious group

Get money from the state government

Public or Private
Most college students in the US are in public institutions, and only a minority are in private ones. The oldest, and in some ways the most prestigious, colleges are private, founded partly from endowments, and partly by contributions from business and above all, former students.

The rapidly rising cost of higher education:

Cost

Harvard University (private): tuition + housing & food + personal expenses = $28,000 + $9,500 + $10,000
Arizona State University (public): tuition + housing & food + personal expenses =($7,000-$8,000) + ($2,000-$3,000) + ($4,000-$5,000)

The Ivy League (

Some of the best-known private universities in the United States are located in the Northeast. They are the oldest ones in America as well, known informally as the Ivy League. These include Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, and University of Pennsylvania, with the first three known as The Big Three.

Harvard University
Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the eastern coast of the US.

Harvard University

Harvard University
Harvard College was established in 1636. It was named for its first benefactor, John Harvard of Charlestown, a young minister who upon his death, left his library and half his estate to the new institution.

Yale University

Yale University was founded in 1701.

Yale University

Princeton University
Located in the heart of Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton simultaneously strives to be one of the leading research universities & the most outstanding undergraduate college in the world.

College Grades
from highest to lowest, run A, B, C, D, F. F is a failing grade. A student does not get credit for having taken a particular course if he receives an F in that course. College students must maintain at least a low C average in order to remain in school.

Graduation

Graduation, Harvard, 2005

Graduation Ceremony
A.k.a. (Commencement Ceremony) In American high schools and colleges, the last day of the school year is graduation day. The people who come to watch the graduation are teachers, parents and friends of the graduates. Those students who will graduate will wear long robes and caps with square tops. The graduate who has the best record in school will make a speech. The school principal and other officials will also make speeches.

Graduation Ceremony
Then each graduate will receive a piece of paper which has his name and the name of the school. The paper which the students receive in high school is a diploma. The paper which the students receive in college is a degree. After the ceremony, students often chat with their teachers, friends and relatives who come to congratulate them. They take pictures of each other. Graduation is a memorable event.

Greek life
Greek life is a term used to describe all Greek letter organizations at a college or university. Typically Greek life is made up of fraternities (men) and sororities(women). Typically the process of joining a fraternity is called pledging, and joining a sorority recruitment.

Fraternity and Sorority Letters

The Greek letters found on fraternity and sorority houses and fraternity and sorority members chests represent the organization they belong to. Most fraternities and sororities are made up of two or three capital Greek letters. Each Greek letter organization has its own secrets, rituals and beliefs.

Dues
Fraternities cost money. The money you spend in dues will be nothing compared to how it will change your life for the better (if you choose the right one). The good thing is, once you pay fraternity dues you are typically covered for all parties and events for most of the year. Some fraternities own their own houses at big schools and have live-in chefs. This is great on big campuses where you can go down stairs and get a meal instead of walking across campus to the dinning hall.

Skull and Bones

Skull and Bones

Its members include some of the most powerful men of the 20th century. Bonesmen, as theyre called, are forbidden to reveal what goes on in their inner sanctum( ), the windowless building on the Yale campus that is called the Tomb. Over the years, Bones has included presidents, cabinet officers, Supreme Court justices and often their sons and lately their daughters, a social and political network like no other.

 Skull and Bones was founded in 1832. Since then, it has chosen only 15 senior students a year, which means there are about 800 living members at any one time. The main purpose of this secret society: to get as many members as possible into positions of power.

Whats So Great about An American Degree?

World class learning institutions Endless study choices Worldwide recognition Training & research People and culture Technology Flexibility / Ability to transfer credits from universities and change programs Campus experience Global focus

L/O/G/O

What are the characteristics of an American education? And how does it differ from a traditional Asian education?

 In order to construct Asking questions or personal meaning challenging a students are teachers encouraged to ask presentation of questions and material can be challenge ideas. disrespectful.

 The teachers role is to be a facilitator ()of learning rather than a dispenser of knowledge.

The teachers role is to be a dispenser of knowledge & a model of scholarship & virtue.

 Students are taught to be & encouraged to be critical thinkers, creative problem solvers & decision makers.

The ability to imitate & produce accurate replicas of something is highly valued.