After watching 2 Million Minutes, what are your thoughts about how American education differs from other parts of the world? In your opinion, how does education in other parts of the world compare and contrast to education in America? Do you think American education should be more like education in China and/or India? Why or why not?
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I have very mixed feelings about the documentary 'Two Million Minutes'. In the documentary, the American students were portrayed as lazy, and uncapable of hard work while the other students from China and India were portrayed as diligent, well rounded students. I really disagree with this generalization of American students. I think there are many students in America who work just as hard as the others. One thing I noticed about the other students was that they never mentioned anything about having a part time job while in school. In America, most teens have part time jobs in order to pay for things such as car insurance, gas, and to have spending money. I think having a job while in high school teaches you responsibility and makes you a well rounded person. In my experience, I have built a good resume by having a job the past few years and I have met some really awesome people who I have learned a lot from. On the other hand, I do feel like some American students really need to step up and start working hard.
ReplyDeleteI found the documentary "Two Million Minutes" very interesting. I think that American students are more rounded when it comes to school, social life, and physical activity while Chinese and Indian students are soley focused on education. While that is an admirable quality and beneficial to their society, I, personally, believe that life should be more rounded though it wouldn't hurt some American students to be more dedicated to their personal education.
ReplyDeleteNicole, I agree what you said about having a job in high school makes you a more rounded person and teaches responsibility; however, I would argue, American students would be able to study more and be dedicated to education without a part time job. I think that is part of America's problem, that we start working at a part time job so early. I have a friend from Chile, and she told me students never have a job as a student because there job is considered going to school so many hours of the day. Students at her school in Chile don't work and thus, have more time to study and go to school.
ReplyDeleteI thought the video 2 million minutes was interesting. It was a little expected but still kind of crazy to hear. One of the big differences that I noticed was the students willingness. Both the Chinese and Indian students made comments about how they really enjoy their studies and how they find the hard work stimulating. I personally like doing well in school but do not always find the work that comes with it enjoyable by any means. I think they are more eager to go the extra mile, while a lot of students here (not all) just do what they have to. I also thought it was crazy how hard the Chinese and Indian students worked, yet not one of them got into their school of choice. Very insane.
ReplyDeleteNicole I agree with 1.about the film maybe being a little bias and 2. working. I think here it is pretty much expected for students to have a job. It does take some time away from studies, but I think it also teaches balance. I learned to never to procrastinate because I would not have time to do homework later. It really taught me time management, but I could see how with some kids it would just cause time crunched, less than their best work. But overall I think being involved in activites, working, etc. makes a very well rounded person, which is useful in almost every aspect of life.
ReplyDeleteThe video of 2 million minutes was intersting and very thought provoking. I believe many of the things and people's ideas in the video were true but some were not. I agree that overall in places such as Bangalore, China, other Asian countries and other countries overall are more involved and advanced than America in academics.As well as overall the students are more focused and study more in their studies. I believe America as a whole is lazy in alot of things though, not just academics, so of course in academics it would be the same thing. But in my opinion I think people get too carried away when they get down on American studnets as if we don't study enough or at all and when they say we always put extra curricular above our studies. Because yes many students who are not focused do that but there are alot and more than what they give us credit for that are very focused and study alot, do homework and are very intelligent and test well, just like the students in Bangalore, India and China. I think people look at the negative students first and let that form their opinion of all the American students and out us all in one category and that's not fair. I also believe that is good for people to do many things, have a variety of dedication in things so you can be well rounded and ready for anything life throws at you because only knowing your books and being book smart can't help you in everything in life. In this day in age it's getting to be who you know just as well as what you know. i believ people in other countries are focused on studying really hard so they can make it into a University in the US and have a better life than they have at home in their country, whereas American students are already here.
ReplyDeleteKylie I agree with you when you say they go the extra mile when alot of American students here just do what they have to do to get by or pass.
ReplyDeleteAlly, i agree with you when you say that American students would have more time to study if they didnt have part time jobs. ALthough, isnt it necessary for some students to have a part time job? For example, in order to drive the car my parents have provided for me, i am responsible for paying the insurance and gas each month. How would i earn the money if i didnt have a job? I think the solution is for students to learn how to balance their time correctly, then they will have time for a job.
ReplyDeleteI learned from the movie that American education differs from education in other parts of the world for a couple different reasons. The first is that it seems that we don't attend school as long as other nations do. It is a proven fact that their school years are longer, and their school days are longer. The second reason is that it seems they have tutoring or group study periods incorporated in their school days. A lot of the kids in the movie talked about how much more time they spend at school than we do, but most of the time they spend at school is for extra activities like turoring etc... Also it seems like other parts of the world are really concerned with their students fully understanding the concepts they are teaching. For instance many of the kids in other parts of the world know what they want to do by the age of seventeen. Teachers seemed to be much more committed to the students because they need to fully understand the concepts at an early age. I don't think America needs to more like other countries because we don't have to have a degree to succeed in life. Most of the kids in school over seas are trying to get a degree in order to get out and have a successful life.
ReplyDeleteKylie I agree with your statement about Kids over seas seeming more eager toward their studies. But the reason I think kids in the U.S. don't seem to go the extra mile is because they don't have to do it in a certain time period. We don't have to graduate in 4 years in order to get a job, it could take 6 or even 8 years, and we could still get the same job. They have to be eager and enjoy it because they need a way out as quickly as possible.
ReplyDeleteI was very intrigued by Two Million Minutes. I am sure there are students in India and China who do not work as hard in their studies. And I am sure that there are students here in the US who study and are as dedicated as the students in India and China. The majority become the stereotype. I was homeschooled.... believe me I know what it means to be stereotyped and I don't like it. It's sad that the majority of high school students do what they can just to get by instead of taking a sincere interest in their studies and being diligent in their work and therefore set the norm or standard for "all" American students.
ReplyDeleteBut what I thought was interesting was the primary reason Indian students do so well in their studies - to assure them of a stable job away from the poverty of their country. America does not have that problem to the extent that India does. So in a sense, Indian students MUST be successful in school if they want to have a better life than, say, their parent's.
In response to Kylie's comment, yes, I wish I found MY schooling stimulating... The students from India and China LOVED what they were doing, and it floored me! Maybe we just need to step up and dive into our subjects... get immersed in the world of math, science, english or whatever we are interested in, so that we may somehow find it fascinating and continue to pursue that area with dedication, curiosity, and enthusiasm!
ReplyDeleteI have different feelings about the video we watched in class. I feel that American students should be able to have fun and not study every minute they are awake. With that being said it seems that American students are behind the rest of the world when it comes to education. Not all students are this way because are country has a fair share of very intellectual students. The students in the video seemed like their parents raised them to be very concerned about education and not have much free time to learn how to interact with others. I think americans could use a little more time studying but not as extreme as the students in the video.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I had seen, the schooling of the diffrent students are a cultural thing. While Americans have had a culture based on a comunal theme, we are always pushed to get out and meet people. While Asian cultures are more family orientaded and reward hard work more than the West. Therefor, they have a much higher push to be a contributer to society.
ReplyDeleteAt least that is what I got from the film. I'm sure if I was there from the beginning I would probably have a diffrent outlook.
I think American students still work as hard as students in other countries do. I think Americans may get a bad repuation because they do not always like to do the work that is given to them in school and start to get lazy. Not all American students are like that, but a majority of them are. Students in other countries seem to go to more school than Americans do and have less social activities during actual school hours. I think that is why they are seen as harder workers. It is hard to make generalizations like this because there is always an exception to the rule. That being said, those students that are the "exception" should be a role model for other students. American education shouldn't necessarily be just like Indian or Chinese education, but we can follow their ways. Students can find new ways to study or do homework and then they will work harder.
ReplyDeleteMatt, I agree with what you said about American students being able to have fun. I do, however, think that sometimes American students focus too much on having a social life and going out and having fun and that could be why Americans seem behind other parts of the world in education like you said. I think the amount of effort and time a student puts into school and being interested in their education all depends on the student. The education system can change, but it is up to the student to also change with it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you sarah. American student try to hard to have a social life. It becomes a problem for students because they focus too much on that social life.
ReplyDeleteWhat came to my mind while watching "Two Million Minutes" was how much more emphasis we Americans put on extra curricular activies than students in other countries. I was always told throughout high school "do as much as you can because it will look good on your college application." So along with school and a part time job I played sports, was in band and yearbook, and took part in many other various clubs and school organizations. I think this is one reason why American students are falling behind other countries. Many students have so many commitments they don't have as much time to study as those students in other countries whose main focus is their schoolwork. Another thing with American education is that American kids "have to" go to school no matter what their intelligence level or income is. For many kids in different countries, going to school is a privilege only for the very intelligent or rich. Schools overseas also seem to put more of a focus on the students future careers than in the U.S. As we saw in the documentary, the Chinese and Indian students mainly took science or engineering classes. In the U.S., we seem to have more general education and elective classes that aren't really focused on potential careers. The documentary was very thought provoking to say the least!
ReplyDeleteNicole, I agree with your post that the American students weren't portrayed very well. The girl, although they said how smart she was, seemed really ditzy and the guy just seemed not to care about anything. I'm sure they could've found some super intelligent American students that were more comparable with the kids in India and China.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I agree with your comment that American students have too much to handle. I do, however, think that there are some students who can handle that much.
ReplyDeleteI think that none of the countries that were examined in two million minutes really did a good job. I think that the students from India and China worked far too hard. They spend all of their time on academics. I know that working hard is an essential part of success, but these students work so hard, that they don't have the opportunity to have healthy social lives, and that could have consequences just as severe as not studying hard enough. On the other hand, the American students do not work hard enough. They are far too concerned with other things. They have social lives, and they have fun, but there has to be a healthy balance of work and play.
ReplyDeleteNone of these countries balance work and play properly. The proper balance is somewhere in between the three.
In response to Nicole's comment- the male American student did have a job, and they did factor that into the equation. I do agree with everyone that has said that having a job as a teen is a good thing. I have been working since I was twelve, and I have learned so much from doing so. I have learned about work ethic, money management, and time management.
ReplyDeleteI think I both agree and disagree with the statement presented on this movie. I agree in the general sense that American students are less immersed in their academics than students in countries like China and India. But then again the kids in China and India, if you noticed, were both really focused on certain subjects, like math and physics. As I see it, every country's education system focuses on different things that are considered important in the society they exist in. In America, having extra curricular activities is considered really important, having a part-time job is many times important too, because the goals America has are different from the goals India or China may have. America is an obviously developed country, students here are less likely to think "I need to improve my country, I need to step up" than kids in a country like India...I you remember the girl from India says she wanted to get rich...that's because in other countries the main reason kids go to school and get excellent grades is to be better than their parents, have a better life...they don't believe art, music and sports can get them anywhere. The situation in quite different here. Culture over here is different...it is completely logical for someone to want to be an artist or an athlete and have the support form their parents and their society...that would never be the case in many other countries...Goals in each country are different...so yeah, I think that sometimes American students can be lazy in the academic sense...but so can be Indian students, or Chinese students. As I understand, students here have the option of taking advanced courses if they want to...so those who are pursuing a career in fields where doing this would be beneficial, they do it. Not everyone needs to be a math and physics genius, in America you have many other options. You don't have to be a nuclear engineer like in India to be considered a successful person.
ReplyDeleteSo yeah, education in America is much different from education in other countries...but when you look at the bigger picture...education isn't the only thing that's different.
In response to what Kyle and Laura said about how stimulating school seemed for students in those other countries...I think this is because in these countries kids have a drive to be better, to improve their economical situation, to get a better job and be able to make money and be able in the future to provide better opportunities for the next generation. In America...you don't really see education in that context...you see school not as a means to get what you want in the future necessarily...school is something you HAVE to go through, something you HAVE to learn to balance with all those other things you actually love doing: playing music, working on your art, excelling in your sport, and so on.
ReplyDeleteI think '2 Million Minutes' was decently spot on. I know that for myself I wasn't pushed as hard as I needed to be to succeed, by my parents as well as my teachers. Because of that I got bored and went to seek out something to grab my attention other than school. I know I'm good at socializing, I have been all my life because that's what was expected of me. I pretty much agree with the film. If you look at the statics of America vs. China, India, even Europe and Canada, we fall short. Which for a country that prides itself on being the best, that is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteI think that as teachers we should push our kids to do their best, and not be the teacher who is liked because we have an 'easy class'. I knew many teachers in high school and college that I should aim for because their class was an 'easy A'. I think it's time for us to buckle down as a country and start concentrating on school more than how our social skills are.
I was pretty appalled at the cast that those kids from other countries tried so hard to get into schools and even get into American schools and were denied while those American students admitted to not caring too much about school and got scholarships to schools of their choice.
Kylie I agree with you that their attitude is very different with their approach to school. I also agree that it was crazy that they didnt get into their choice after all their hard work. I would be completely devastated if I were them.
ReplyDeleteI dont think that the movie was necessarily biased, I think that it's just something we don't want to hear.
I wasn't in class to see 2 Million Minutes, but I've been aware of the same stereotype Nicole Villhard was talking about. Often times, compared to Asian/Indian students, Americans come off as lazy or less intelligent. A lot of the times this isn't true at all. Like Nicole said, I've had to work since I was in high school. This along with playing sports took a toll on my academics. These kids with nothing else to do but go to school would have it a lot easier, being that they would only have to focus on school, whether then job performance & performance on the field.
ReplyDeleteTwo millon minutes is very interesting. I don't believe American students are as lazy as people think. most countries put more focus on education whereas American students focus on school, jobs, as well as a social life. Most amerian students have to have jobs to pay for higher education as well as a car because in America to get around you really need a car because walking and taking the bus are not the most efficent ways to get around.
ReplyDeleteNicole i definitly agree with you there are a lot of american students who work really hard at school and putting a generalization on american students that we are all lazy is wrong and unfair.
ReplyDelete"Two Million Minutes" made me realize just how different the American society is from others. This movie makes American students look very lazy and unthankful for what they have. They made it seem as if students here are just handed everything and they don't work for it. Other countries are more focused on school work and their future while america is focused not only on school work, but also jobs, friends, sports and many other things. But it kind of bothered me that the students from other countries worked so hard for what they wanted but couldn't achieve it. I don't think that it would hurt our society if we focused more on school. But I think people here need to prioritize their time better than they do now.
ReplyDeleteafter watching this movie it made me realize how easy we have it. how we go to school and do so many other things. how in the other counties school was their life and they were very lucky if they could do something else. in high school i did 3 sports and worked and had a life and did school. and also at the end of the movie you see the kids from the other schools didn't get into the main school they wanted after all that work. it shows how much harder it is other places thats why they have to work so hard. for america we just do what is needed yes there are those who go over the top but how many people took the act more then 2 times cause they were just happy with that score i bet in other countries they would keep trying. i just feel america is settling and so people are above what is needed but not enough to keep up with these other growing countries.
ReplyDeletei agree with anna... the movie did make us look lazy. but people call us that all the time in other aspects then education. the teens in the movie did make college and getting in to college seem so easy and they had no worries unlike the other teens from other countries.
ReplyDeleteI think the movie was interesting. What i found kinda funny was the fact that it showed how the American kids had other things on their agendas like work and hanging out with friends or watching t.v. shows but the kids in china and india mainly did like tutorial stuff or things to enhance thier learning experience but yet in the end the American students got into the schools they wanted to and were happy with the way they spent their 2 million minutes but the kids in china and india did not get into or accepted to where they wanted to go. I mean yeah they make us seem lazy compared to the other kids but also what one of the guys said was that we have different drives. Which is true they were motivated to succed in high school to get out of the predicament they were in but most of the kids here in america are kind of comfortable and dont see a reason to work any harder than we do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Matt we could use maybe a little extra studing time but also what we learn in our everyday lives by hanging out with friends and working while we're in school helps us in the future which the other kids from different countries might not have. We learn how to balance life like family, work, school, and life whereas the other kids only see that education and working is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteI believe America is caught up on more of the social side rather than studies and we may have a better trait rather than how they approach school just as hard work and long stressful studies. In some ways I agree its right but other ways I feel Americans compared to these two countries are stronger in not just the schooling side of this issue.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Nicole and Justin said that to some countries we may seem lazy or not as with the studies as other countries. But they have to look at the other activities Americans do that they might not have or might not even have the chance to enjoy such as sports. Also these countries may miss out on the social learning not just through books but through situations and learning from what others actions cause them to succeed or fail.
ReplyDeleteI love it, I love it! You guys are really thinking and sharing your thoughts, even if you disagree with each other.
ReplyDeleteDanielle, I appreciate your honesty. I tend to agree with you. I do believe the film is biased, but I think we don't want to believe the differences because it is a bit painful to think that we do not take academics as seriously as these other countries. It's good for us to learn about other cultures!
It's interesting comparing our learning styles to that of other cultures. In commenting on the movie, I think the students from China and India deffinately have drive. They new what they wanted and they went for it. I kind of wonder though, when that started? How early were the books handed to them and did the learning begin? It's amazing to see how dedicated they are to reach the goal they need to achieve. Some were working so hard at perfection, it seemed to be thier choice of social life.
ReplyDeleteThe students featured from the US were in no way lazy from what I could see. Yes, they had social lives, but they were involved in sports, had scholarships, and interests beyond school. They may have had relaxed conversations on camera, but I don't see a full ride scholarship, and an admittance to college with a 3.94 GPA nothing. From what I have been taught, to be successful from the time you are in 7th grade until you graduate, you need to keep your grades up in school, be involved in as many clubs and organizations as you can, be committed to a faith, involve youself in healthy friendships, and get regular sleep on the weeknights. This may not be the perfect formula, just a nice outline to go by that I have tried to follow.
I think those who strive too hard for perfection without looking around and seeing what the world holds for them if they might possibly fall short are missing a lot. The world is a big place and not that easy to deal with some times. Experience is necissary, and learning all you can before you get thrown into it is key. Stop and smell the roses, enjoy life while you can, but learn all you can along the way so that you can support yourself.
Justin, although you may not have been in class, I agree with you on stereotyping. I think that American's have been labeled "lazy" and I don't see that as the case for all of us. There are many who have to work very hard for their education and their way of life. I agree that may need to take our education more seriously and in some cases, not take it for granted.
ReplyDeleteafter we watch the documentary, I feel like the future will be more challenging for the kids that we will teach. may be we will not really feel the competition with students from china or india, but in a few years it is going to be really hard for kids that finish their education here.
ReplyDeletein the other side looks like that in those countries if you are not a genius means that you are absolutely incompetent. I think that is not healthy for kids to feel that presure all the time.
I am agree with paul. at least here kids have more options to success and have a happy life than over those countries.
ReplyDeletechildren in American class rooms get good education, but the cases of children we are seeing in the 2 millions mins are cases of gifted children. those kids we saw there are the upper part of their societies even though they might come from lower class families. American kids are suited for american life not for life abroad. Our education system is fine, maybe children should be required to take more math and science but there is not anything wrong with our system it just needs tweaking.
ReplyDeletei concur with Paul American life is more social. the children we saw in the video have no social life, their almost hermits and their only teenagers.
ReplyDeleteI think that it differs between how often students study and how motivated they are to do school work. And how much parents push you to do it. Education is good for how the students act in each country respectively. It's just how they were brought up. If education in America was like education in China and/or India, Americans would still be failing english courses. Not all but the ones who don't really try. As I said before, Americans should just stick with what they already know.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Trent. American kids are definitely suited for American life. And most wouldn't last if they tried to study abroad.
ReplyDeleteI agree with things Ally mentioned about American students being more rounded when it comes to school, social life, and physical activity and also that american students could dedicate more time to school.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the movie I felt kind of embarrassed I couldn’t believe how much time the other countries spent studying. They had no life it seemed like. However, I think American education could defiantly use some work we do not spend enough time in the class at all its kind of pathetic
ReplyDeletei also agree with paul food points as well
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I thought the comment made by Emily was something I had similar feelings about. Students having so many things going on resulting in less time and attention dedicated to school.
ReplyDeleteI think that america is doing a fine job of schooling their youth. Kids need to have free time in order to relax. We are competing for jobs here in the united states, not world wide. However, we should be trying to challenge our kids more in the time they spend at school rather than having them go to school longer.
ReplyDeleteI agree with jonathan in respect to the fact that education is what you make of it. People should be educated because they want to, not because they are forced to. Students should choose for them selves whether or not they want to take an interest in certain subjects
ReplyDeleteon the documentary we watched, i think that america is, in a sense, digging their own grave. i mean american schools can prepare you for whatever you want, but they arent pushing students. i feel that the documentary was accurate and presenting americans as some what lazy and other countries hungry for higher education and very motivated.
ReplyDeleteto what josh said, i think that we spend enough time in the classroom, but not enough time studying outside of class. there are too many oppurtunities to slack off and spend free time doing other things. better studying techniques should be taught to american students.
ReplyDelete