Task 1 Question #1 (From CHP 1) - Write Down 3 Things (Points/topics/ideas) That The Author Is Trying To Get Across in This Chapter

EDUC 200 -- The Smartest Kids In The World Mellick 1
Task 1
Chapter 1
Question #1 (from chp 1) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas) that the
author is trying to get across in this chapter.
1. The PISA is not about test scores for individuals, but rather an
understanding of a whole country. This would take the pressure off of
individual classrooms/schools/cities.
2. PISA tests critical thinking and has more than one “right” answer. It is more
about real-life skills than how well you can regurgitate or parrot answers
back. I think that this is the best part of the test. Students are not studying
for a test that they will not remember the answers to in five years, but
rather they are forming a thought process and life skills.
3. the PISA is not perfect, but it tests for things that most other standardized
tests are not looking for. It asks for the test takers’ opinions and gives
options to answers.
Question #2 (from chp 1) - Write down one thing that you personally connected
with in this chapter.
I really appreciate that the author, Amanda Ripley, took the time to take
the PISA to gain a better understanding of the test as a whole. That really
impressed me. I would also like to take the PISA. I like the way Amanda described
her anxiety, and excitement overtaking the test. “I got there early, probably the
only person in history excited to take a standardized test” (Ripley 20). I think that I
would enjoy taking this test as well. I would like to see if I can answer the
questions and perform well. I know that this is not the purpose of the PISA, but I
would like to see my individual scores and the average American score. I also
realize that I am ten years older than the target test taker, but I would like to see
this information regardless.
I really enjoyed reading this chapter. I am looking forward to the rest of the
book. I enjoy the way Amanda Ripley writes and gets her point across.
Question #3 (from chp 1) Write down one thing that you need clarification on.
In other words, what are you now curious about? What else would you like to
know?
I was very curious about the actual test. I wanted to know things that were
not answered in the chapter about the PISA. Why is this not a test that every
school in America or the world take? Why are we still taking the ISATS? Can I take
the test? What are some examples or sample questions? These are all questions
that I had while reading through the first chapter of our text “The Smartest Kids in
the World”. The activity that we did this week on the PISA website really solidified
my understanding of the test, who takes it, when it is taken, and even provided
sample questions and data!
Chapter 2

1. Students benefit from early intervention. Kim was drawn to learning more,
and discovering that she was testing higher than students older than her. It
really seemed to motivate Kim from the first invitation to take the SAT
early. After the test, and seeing how well she did, Kim was drawn to go
further and further to teach herself.
2. Kim, like many students, wants to discover other cultures, learn new things,
and have new experiences.
3. Families want to encourage their children to be the best they can be, and
give them an opportunity for growth. But often money gets in the way of
learning. I could tell that Kim’s mom wanted to give Kim everything she
could, but money seemed to be on Charlotte’s mind the whole chapter. I
understand both Charlotte’s and Kim’s struggles throughout the chapter.
As I said in chapter 1, I really resonate with Amanda Ripley’s writing style.
The way the chapters are focused on one child or person’s life is a really great way
to structure the information. Reading through this chapter, I really felt for Kim. I
liked the way the town was described, and Kim’s family. Kim also seems to be
similar to many people I know. Math was difficult for them around middle school,
and they have decided that it was not for them ever since. I also know quite a few
high school football coaches who would rather talk to football players than teach
their subjects. Kim’s story about wanting to get out of her own little world, and
travel “somewhere where people are curious” (Ripley 38). Three of my siblings,
and I all exchanged in Germany in high school. It was a really great experience
that I suggest every student does, but I also understand the money constraints. I
was elated to finish the chapter and discover that Kim will get to travel to Finland.
know?
I have never heard of a student or group of students being allowed to take
the SAT test early. This is really interesting, and to see what the data shows
would be really interesting as well. I am curious to see how Idaho would do
if given a similar opportunity. I like that it really drew Kim into discovering
more about her education after she took the test. I am glad that Kim was
able to see her goals, and fight to achieve them. “being a teacher in Finland
was prestigious, like being a doctor here” (Ripley 41). This information just
blows me away. Maybe this is a big factor as to why Finland has the
“smartest kids in the world” (Ripley 39).
Task 2
Chapter 3

1. The Korean education system can be related to a pressure cooker. Studying
is cram packed into their days, and they are at risk for exploding.
2. Students in Korea work extremely hard, and are exhausted. Sleeping pillows
are designed to help students catch extra sleep in class. Students spend
more of their time at school or studying than they do at home!
3. Even though Korea places in the top with testing scores, this system cannot
last long, and is not healthy. Finland also places in the top without pressure
cooking their students. The Education Minister is trying to rework the

system. Students and their parents do not like the way that the system
works, but they are stuck in the cycle of perpetuation.
I was very captivated by this chapter. My heart went out for those students
that are doomed to spend most of their young lives working, and studying to be
set for the rest of their lives. What about the kids that do not get placed on this
track for success? It does not matter how hard they work, if their scores are
beaten by others. When the chapter explains about the young man, Ji, that killed
his mother so that she would not go to parent teacher conferences and see his
“low” scores. That young man placed in the top 1% of students. Then the author
describes that Ji’s actions were not seen as “an isolated tragedy; it was a
reflection of a study-crazed culture that was driving children mad” (Ripley 61). ,
the public understood. The public seemed to be more upset with his mother, and
her “tiger mom” actions. This is insane to me. A line that really stuck with me was
stated at the end of the chapter. “...the important question was not just which
kids lived there, but what they had gone through to get there” (Ripley 66).
know?
I do not think I need clarification on anything from this chapter. Something
that I did find interesting, and would like to learn more about are ‘Hagwons’. I did
a little bit of research and found more information about them on wikipedia, and
teachaway.com. I have noticed that most often hagwons are referred to as “cram
schools”. This seems to be related back to the chapter title of our text, “The
Pressure Cooker”, referring to the South Korean educational system. I am curious
to see if many children in the United States attend similar schools. From my
general knowledge, most people I know only sought tutors for tests, or if they
struggled in a certain area. The tutors were for extra help understanding, but not
just to ensure that every subject was covered in a more indepth manner. I cannot
imagine spending a “double day” at school like most korean students do.
Chapter 4

1. “Failure” is okay. It is not meant to be seen as the end, demoralizing, or
traumatizing. Failure should be seen as having room for improvement, or
that an attempt was made. It seems in America, students are horrified by
failing, but in Poland, failure is not viewed the same. “If the work was hard,
routine failure was the only way to learn” (Ripley 72).
2. Math is the main focus of this chapter. Math is the area that most American
students seem to test the worst in. Ripley compares Korea, Poland and the
United States math techniques and contrasts them to find what American
math classes are missing. Calculators are used in almost every American
math class, but in Poland they are not allowed. Students in America are told
to show every step of the work, and to not use mental math, but in Poland
this is encouraged.
3. “For too long, what American kids learned had been a matter of chance”
(Ripley 78). Standards are important, but they need to be recognized across
the board. What Idaho is learning needs to be what Maine is learning. The
geometry class across the hall needs to be teaching the same material in
the same ways that the geometry class in the town over is being taught.
I really connected with the math portions of this chapter. My parents are
both teachers, and my mom has a masters degree in mathematics. This means I
should be good at math right? Wrong. I have hated math since middle school,
which the chapter has reminded me, is incredibly common among American
middle school students. Through my college courses, specifically CWI Math 095, I
have learned that Math is not this big, scary subject that I will never use, or
understand. I have learned how to do problems, in so many different ways. If one
way of working a math problem was not working, the teachers in 095 would find a
different way to relate it to me. Suddenly, math was not hard, or scary anymore!
It just took work, and work I was willing to do. I relate to what Ripley had said in
chapter 4 about calculators being too present in American systems. I am horrible
at mental math because I have never had to memorize the simple problems. This
really connected some thoughts in my brain.
know?
I was very interested to read about Korean school systems interweaving
calculus, and trigonometry lessons into geometry lessons. I would like to see an
example of this. I think that this would be very helpful for our school systems to
try.
At the end of chapter 4, Ripley discusses that from an early age, children
are encouraged to listen to music, participate in art, and learn languages. She
describes that “playing with numbers is still considered taboo”(Ripley 77). I have
found this interesting. I have a son who is a year and four months old. Most of his
toys have letters, shapes and numbers attached to them in one spot or another.
There are so many music songs that are about counting, and shapes. I think that
this bit of information is a little off base. Perhaps Ripley means mathematical
concepts should be taught at a younger age, but I am not sure.
Task 3. Chapters 5, 6 and 7

1. I believe that Ripley was trying to express through this whole chapter that
Finland teachers are better than American teachers because the
qualifications are higher for Finnish teachers. This seems to make Finnish
teachers better than American teachers.
2. Finnish students are better than American students because more is asked
of them. Similar to the teachers. Students in Finland are asked to work
harder and yield better results in test scores.
3. American students don't care as much about their education because it is
not deemed as important when compared to students in Finland.
“A large majority of elementary education majors are afraid of math (Ripley, 94).”
As an elementary education major, I feel like I have an opinion on this statement.
I used to be very afraid of math. I was not good at math. Math, fractions
especially, made me feel inadequate. I had, what I would consider, bad math
teachers in highschool and middle school, with one exception of an Algebra B
teacher in 9th grade. I failed math three times when I attended LCSC in 2012-
2014. I came to CWI terrified of my math 095 class. I took two semesters of 095
and I am currently in my second semester of “teacher math”. I have excelled at
math while taking it from professors at CWI. Why?? I feel that it is because the
professors actually took time to sit with me and work until I understood what I
was doing. This helped me build my confidence, which I believe also really helped.
Working in the math lab instead of in a lecture hall really helped. I have talked to
others who have agreed with me. I am not afraid of math any longer. I think this
would be beneficial to other schools to adopt as well. Something that I have
learned from Teresa Isom over the two semesters I have had her as a professor is
“there is not one way to learn or teach something. If a student doesn’t
understand, try a different method. What works for one student will not work for
another.”
know?
This chapter was a little bit frustrating tois chapter was a little bit frustrating for
me if I am being honest. The author describes and focuses a majority of the
chapter focusing on the difference between Finnish teachers, and American
teachers. I understand that living in America grants us freedoms and
opportunities that a lot of other countries don’t. It was frustrating to me because I
felt like the author was trying to convey that most teachers don’t work hard, or
don’t deserve to be a teacher. This was a very different attitude than her previous
chapters so I am surprised. I come from a family of teachers, I am working to
become a teacher and I am married to a teacher. My parents have worked hard
all their lives and I felt a little insulted by this chapter. My parents both have
masters degrees in their fields, but this doesn’t make them work any less hard
than they would without the degree. “The combination of low standards and high
supply plagued education systems around the world, dumbing down the entire
teaching profession” (Ripley, 88).That was really discouraging and disappointing
to read from an author I had admired. I work hard in this program and plan to
keep working hard. If I were placed in Finland, I most likely would not be selected
for their teaching program. This doesn’t automatically mean that I would be a bad
teacher, but it is kind of insulting.
Chapter 6

1. Korea and Finland have similar views on what is expected of their students.
Although, Korea is much more forceful about how hard they expect their
students to work.
2. Parental involvement is important, but it varies on how it affects students.
There are good ways that parental involvement can influence education
and there are ways that good parenting has no effect on test scores. I found
this really interesting.
3. This chapter really went into more detail about how hardcore Korea is
about education. There was a line that really stood out to me in this
chapter that sums it up perfectly. In response to Jenny not wanting to leave
her friends, “But they keep telling me how jealous they are -- that I’m
escaping” (Ripley, 106).
I really connected with this chapter and the data surrounding parenting. I
have done a lot of research into parenting after I had my son. I have also learned
about styles of teaching or parenting that were described in the book in my
Education 220 class. The four types of parenting listed are Authoritarian,
Permissive, Neglectful, and Authoritative. I think that parenting is a hard job, and
it also takes a lot of work to stay within the bounds of your parenting style. I
found it incredibly interesting that parents volunteering had little to no effect on

test scores. This made a little bit more sense when Ripley suggested that the
parents that are volunteering often are the parents of students that need a little
extra help. While I find that I disagree with Ms. Ripley, I am still surprised by this
data.
There was some information about Korean parents, and their role as
“coaches” throughout the chapter. I found this interesting, and helpful. It makes
sense as to why Korean students push themselves so hard. It is demanded of
them from their parents, communities, friends, and schools. I am not sure of my
opinion on if this is the right way to parent or not, but I lean towards “no”.
know?
I believe that this chapter was relatively straightforward. I found the
parallels between Korea and Finland interesting, and I can see the similarities. I
still stand by my opinion of the harsh schooling Korean students endure, but I
think Finland is on the right track. I felt bad for Eric when he described wanting to
drop out of Korean school because of the pressure he saw his fellow students
endure. This made me sad. School should be a safe place for students. I think that
is an important bit of information that is overlooked in this book. Students should
feel safe, and welcome in the classroom.
Chapter 7

1. Poland has a similar poverty rate as the United States, yet, they score
higher than Americans on the PISA. Polish students, specifically ones who
attend school in or similar to the “bermuda triangle”, were not lost causes.
Many of these students made it out, and accomplished better things.
2. In order to achieve better test scores, smarter kids, and have a better
environment for learning, change must happen in America. Reform of
education is not a simple or easy task, but it must be done in order to see
results. This is a point that the author has been stating every chapter, but I
really think it is incredibly strong in this chapter.
3. Vocational students are important and holding back their transfers greatly
helped the PISA Poland scores.
A common theme in this book is that students can do more than what we
expect of them. Students in Poland achieved great things when the bar was
raised. After the expectations rose, the students rose to meet them. I think this is
great, but here are some concerns that come up to me. I’ll address them in
question three. I liked that a large focus on this chapter has been on students who
would attend vocational schools. I think that this is very important, and often
looked over. In the United States, we have a large number of students that do not
attend college, or that do attend college, but would be better suited into a
vocational program. The data stated in this chapter discussing that the jump in
scores largely came from the students who would have been sent to vocational
training, and not onto an academic route. I think this is an area that American
schools would greatly improve from. We failed with “No Child Left Behind” but I
think that it would be good to take a second look at those older students.
know?
Something that has been coming to mind while reading this book is “where
is the line”? I know that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence suggesting
that if the stakes are raised, students will rise to meet them. This was evident in
many of the countries studied by “The Smartest Kids in the World”, and the
students who took the PISA over the years. My concern is what is the difference
between Finland, and Korea. Students in Korea are working themselves so hard
that they cannot stay awake during the day. I don’t want this to become our
educational standard, but where is the line? Sure, in a perfect world, this would
be an easy answer. But we do not live in a perfect world, we live in the real world.
How do we raise our scores, and teach better without running our students into
the ground? Where is the line and how do we ensure that it is not crossed?
Task 4. Chapters 8, 9 and 10
Question #1 (from chp 8) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas)

that the author is trying to get across in this chapter.
1. Finland is not very diverse in population or culture. The author
stated that during her time in Finland she saw “exactly one black
person” (Ripley, 158).
2. Finland has a great trust in their students and children. Kim stated
that she has regularly seen children walking around her host town
alone. When she went to Helsinki, she saw much of the same. I
think that this is really different than the United States.
3. The U.S. has a bias surrounding different ethnicities, and
education. For example, the text states that African American
students were repeatedly told “Your time is not precious, and
your odds are not good” (Ripley, 159).
Question #2 (from chp 8) - Write down one thing that you personally
connected with in this chapter.
During this chapter, what really stood out to me was the
discussion about Poland being more impoverished than the students in
the U.S. Yet, These poor students in Poland out-score poor students in
the United States by quite a lot on the PISA. My favored area in schools
is working with exceptional students. I really appreciate how Finland
helps students. “Finland assumed that all kids could improve” (Ripley,
164). Over half of Finnish students had received special education help
or services by the time they finished school around the age of 17. Over
half! That is incredible to me, and I think that we need to adopt a
similar style in the United States. In our schools, students that are in
the resource room, or receive special education services are treated
differently. Receiving help should not alienate our students. This should
be normalized.
Question #3 (from chp 8) Write down one thing that you need
clarification on. In other words, what are you now curious about?
What else would you like to know?
I feel like in a lot of these chapters, my mind is trying to defend
the educational system in the United States while I am reading. During
this chapter, teachers in the U.S. were described as “too friendly” and
tried too hard to engage their students (Ripley, 157). I think that trying
to engage your students and be seen as a person is not a negative. I
think if American teachers were more rigorous (to put it nicely), it
would not make a significant difference on our test scores. I believe
that teachers should be caring, and responsive with their students.
Making connections with students is incredibly important to me. I do
agree that if more is expected of our students, the better that most will
do. The hard part is finding the right balance between pushing students
to be better, and being demanding.
Chapter 9

1. A teacher in Korea, Andrew Kim, made $4 million dollars in 2010
teaching at a hagwon. I do not even see how a teacher anywhere
in the world could make that much money. The text states that he
was paid based on the demand for his skills, but I cannot even
fathom a teacher making that much money.
2. Hagwons are intense, tutoring services that keep parents involved
in their child’s education. They also seem to be far more efficient.
I am crediting this to the fact that teachers have to follow
curriculum and standards that are set for them, while hagwons
can mainstream the information.
3. While results are being met, the Korean education system is not
something that Koreans are proud of. The bar seems to be set too
high for students. They are reaching their goals, but is all the work
and effort worth it? “No one should ever have to go to Korean
highschool” (Ripley, 179).
In many schools today, parents and teachers can communicate
through messages, text or email. Many schools have automated grades
sent out to parents, weekly. Parents have access to their students
grades at all times, electronically. I think that this is a great way for
parents to become more involved in their child’s education. This
should, although sometimes it doesn’t, eliminate parents requesting
more and more information from their child's teachers, when they have
constant access to all the information they need online. It seems that
hagwons track students progress similar to this, although hagwons are
far more aggressive with their updates. I think that this might help
some circumstances in schools here. It would be incredibly useful to
motivate students to work hard because their parents are getting
constant updates about progress, time spent working, etc. In physical,
public schools, there would be no way to track this information. That is
a benefit of these online hagwons.
Hagwons are still incredibly interesting to me. They sound like

tutoring services, like Khan Academy, but they seem to act as a second
school to most Korean students. It just continues to baffle me that
Korean students and their families value their education so highley as
to spend all of their time doing school work and studying. “Students are
the customers” (Ripley, 158). I am sure that there are families that
adopt a similar practice, even here in the United States, but surely not
on this wide of a scale. It was stated in a previous chapter, that the
country even shuts down air travel, and the stock market to ensure that
students can make it to a country wide test. I just do not see this ever
happening in America, maybe in tiny towns, but not in larger cities. It is
clear to me that Korea, as a country, values their students' education
more than education is valued in the U.S.
Chapter 10

1. A problem with American schools is that there is little consistency
to what is taught across the nation. Idaho students in sixth grade
might learn one thing, while students in Oklahoma learn the same
lessons in 5th grade. We follow standards, but these standards
vary by state. Students arrive at college with different levels of
preparedness, regardless of where they graduated from.
2. Teachers are far more relaxed in the United States than they are
in other countries. Jenny gives an example of this in her story
about her algebra helping students solve problems during a math
test (Ripley, 189).
3. Americans tend to value sports, and fitness over education,
especially math. I find this to be true as well.
It is interesting to me that sports in America seem to be valued
above education. “The Smartest Kids in the World” touches on this fact
in a few chapters, but it stands out to me in chapter 10. Jenny describes
the presidential physical fitness tests that gym classes take. She finds
that this test is taken more seriously than her Algebra test had that
same week, even though the P.E. test did not count towards the
student’s grades. This seems to be pretty common in American schools.
It is extremely common that teachers coach and teach at the school. I
know that for many teachers, the boost in pay that coaching provides is
a big incentive. I also am not saying that coaching is always a bad thing
for teachers, but it can have negative aspects. Teachers could extend
favoritism towards their athletes, or focus less on lessons because of a
game after school. I do think that teachers as coaches provide a positive
relationship between students and teachers in many cases.
I do not need any more clarification on any aspect of chapter ten.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I found that there were several times
where I became frustrated by the treatment of the American education
system by Amanda Ripley. I also had many instances agreeing with
ways to improve our system for the betterment of our students. I have
a much better idea of how I plan to teach in my classroom now because
of the stories told in this book. I think it was a valuable lesson, and that
all teachers should take the opportunity to read this. I hope to raise the
bar for my students, but plan to keep my classroom from turning into a
hagwon!

Task 1 Question #1 (From CHP 1) - Write Down 3 Things (Points/topics/ideas) That The Author Is Trying To Get Across in This Chapter

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EDUC 200 -- The Smartest Kids In The World Mellick 1

Question #1 (from chp 2) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas) that the

Question #1 (from chp 3) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas) that the

cooking their students. The Education Minister is trying to rework the

Question #1 (from chp 4) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas) that the

Task 3. Chapters 5, 6 and 7

Question #1 (from chp 5) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas) that the

Question #1 (from chp 6) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas) that the

found it incredibly interesting that parents volunteering had little to no effect on

Question #1 (from chp 7) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas) that the

Task 4. Chapters 8, 9 and 10

Question #1 (from chp 8) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas)

Question #1 (from chp 9) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas)

Hagwons are still incredibly interesting to me. They sound like

Question #1 (from chp 10) - Write down 3 things (points/topics/ideas)

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