Learning, Teaching and Schooling in China:
Ideals, Realities and Prospects
Date: 11/9/2021
Time: 3:30 - 5:00 pm EST
Presenter: Dr. Jun Li
Chair & Professor of Critical Policy | Equity and Leadership Studies Western University, Canada
With a rich heritage and stunning performance in PISA and TALIS, learning, teaching and schooling in China have drawn wide attention across the globe. How have Chinese learners and educators made all of these together? What are the secrets of such miracles? What challenges have they encountered? What could be their prospects in the near future? And more broadly, what experiences may be reflected on and learned from, especially to those who are in such different contexts as the United States? This talk is to help solve these puzzles by addressing three key aspects of learning, teaching and schooling in China: ideals, realities and prospects. It will also critically illustrate what American learners, educators, policymakers and other stakeholders can do with Chinese lessons. Learning, Teaching and Schooling in China: Ideals, Realities and Prospects Online talk by Dr. Jun Li Chair & Professor of Critical Policy, Equity and Leadership Studies Western University, Canada
Improving Students’ Learning
East Meets West in Mathematics Classroom
Date: 10/26/2021
Time: 3:30 - 5:00 pm EST
Presenter: Dr. Jinfa Cai
Kathleen and David Hollowell Professor of Math Education | University of Delaware
The focus of this presentation will be on the discussion of six insights from a series of studies involving Chinese and U.S. students. These insights include: (1) Having computational and routine problem-solving skills does not necessarily imply having non-routine, creative problem-solving skills; (2) Concrete experiences do not automatically lead to generalization and conceptual understanding; (3)Students can think algebraically in earlier grades; (4) Problem-based mathematics instruction has a positive impact on students’attitudes toward mathematics and achievement; (5) Teachers are at theheart of improving students’ learning, but adequate support must takeplace; and (6) Parents play a motivational and monitoring role forstudents’ learning. This talk will situate the discussion of theinsights in a dialogue in a cultural context.
Bad Dragon?
Why China Has the Best (and Worst) Education System in the World
Date: 9/28/2021
Time: 3:30 - 5:00 pm EST
Presenter: Dr. Yong Zhao
Foundation Distinguished Professor | School of Education, University of Kansas
In this presentation, Dr. Yong Zhao offers an entertaining, provocative insider’s account of the Chinese school system, revealing the secrets that make it both “the best and worst” in the world. Born and raised in China’s Sichuan province and a teacher in China for many years, Zhao has a unique perspective on Chinese culture and education. He explains in vivid detail how China turns out the world’s highest-achieving students in reading, math, and science—yet by all accounts Chinese educators, parents, and political leaders hate the system and long to send their kids to western schools. This presentation is based on his book Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon?: Why China Has the Best (and Worst) Education System in the World.
Follow the Women
A Nursing Historian’s Reflections on China’s Experience with SARS-COV2
Date: 9/20/2021
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 pm EST
Presenter: Dr. Nicole Elizabeth Barnes
Assistant Professor | Departments of History and Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies | Duke University
Nicole Barnes begins this talk with a history of the formation of professional nursing in China in the 1930s and 40s. She uses her understanding of this history to inform analysis of the place of women in China’s medical profession today, with a focus on China’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cosponsored by the UB Gender Institute, Department of History and Confucius Institute
Moving Toward an Inclusive Housing Policy
Migrants’ Access to Subsidized Housing in China
Date: 9/17/2021
Time: 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm EST
Presenter: Dr. Youqin Huang
Professor | Department of Geography and Planning | State University of New York
Director | Confucius Institute | State University of New York
Due to the discriminatory Household Registration (Hukou) System, urban migrants in China have been denied welfare benefits. The Chinese government has been promoting inclusive urbanization, yet, its impact on migrants is not clear. This talk examines whether housing is becoming more inclusive to migrants in Chinese cities.
Cosponsored by the UB Department of Geography and Confucius Institute