March 3, 9:45 am

Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization

At a time when globalization and technology are dramatically altering the world we live in, is education reform in the United States headed down the right path? Are schools emphasizing the knowledge and skills that students need in a global society—or are they actually undermining their strengths by overemphasizing highstakes testing and standardization? Are education systems in China and other countries really as superior as some people claim?

In this presentation, Dr. Yong Zhao addresses these and other questions based on his new book of the same title. Born and raised in China and now a professor at Michigan State University, Zhao bases many of his observations on extensive research and firsthand experience as a student in China and as a parent of children attending school in the United States. His unique perspective leads him to conclude that “American education is at a crossroads” and “we need to change course” to maintain leadership in a rapidly changing world.

Beginning Jan 1, 2011, Yong Zhao will be the Presidential Chair of Global Education and Online Learning at the University of Oregon, where he also will serve as the Associate Dean for Global Education and Online Learning and the Director of Center for Advanced Technology in Education (CATE ). He is a fellow of the International Academy for Education.

Zhao is currently University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also serves as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, executive director of the Confucius Institute, as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence. His research interests include computer gaming and education, diffusion of innovations, teacher adoption of technology, computer-assisted language learning, and globalization and education.