EDTC Module 3 Post

In reading this week's assigned reading which addressed where U.S. students' are at in the global scheme of technology comprehension and use, I found myself reflecting on the different countries I've been to, and whether or not that claim seems to line up. Certainly, the students that I worked with last year impressed me to no end with their technological savvy; from that perspective, U.S. students seem to be hanging in just fine. I've visited a number of countries in Europe, and I remember feeling that my tech know-how seemed pretty comparable to the people I was meeting. In Africa, I would say that technology was much less a part of every day life; the U.S. would be considered "at an advantage" in comparison there. However, when seeing the steps that countries like China, Australia, and South Korea are implementing to ensure their students achieve technological prowess, it seems as though our own American attempts are a bit lackluster. Furthermore, when reading articles about the hours that students spend in classrooms in countries like Japan, I admit, I worry about our kids keeping up in general-- in technology, or any other subject.

Is this okay, I wonder? Does America need to continue being the BEST in everything? Certainly, I think, we should try to achieve that excellence in our kids' education. But unless we agree to longer hours in school- something that no one likely wants to agree to-- and until education starts getting the funding it needs and deserves, I question how competitive our educational system will be in the global scheme.