Connect a historical event, person, or development with your own life
The Taiwanese education system is often questioned by parents who are exposed and aware of the success of the Western world. Taiwanese education to these parents is merely the regurgitation of facts, severely lacking the heart of western education: Critical Thinking. As a result, these parents, who also believe that Taiwan’s future is dim, would prepare their children to study in high school or college abroad. I am one of these lucky child, and PAS introduced me to the Western way of thinking. The introduction of Western education to me can be compared to the Columbian Exchange in terms of the interchange of culture and technology. The paragraphs that ensues will give background to the Taiwanese education system, western education, and discuss the change the introduction of western education has brought about me just like how the Columbian exchange has brought changes to the world.
Taiwan’s education system is characterized by the regurgitation of facts. Students’ homeworks and tests are replete with fill-in-the-blank, true-or-false, multiple choice, and matching problems. There are little or no projects or essays for students to argue their thesis and convey their ideas. This “think-in-the-box” way of education not only undermines one of the most important ideas of renaissance that education stimulate one’s “creative power”, also it does not develop Taiwaneses’ critical thinking and group-projects-related skills. The Taiwanese education system is not only flawed in its structure that discourages thinking skills, but its contents are also extremely narrow. First, none of the subjects in high school are pertinent to international relations, a topic that should be prioritized over many others. As a tiny island who China see as its province, diplomacy plays a major role to Taiwan’s survival both economically and politically. Second, in history courses, the system provide two years of Taiwanese history and two years of world history. This over-emphasizes Taiwan’s short, 200-years history and understates the 4 millenniums of world history. Therefore, the Taiwanese education system is both structurally and contently narrow.
The Western education, on the contrary, stresses critical thinking and teamwork. History courses of American education are designed to stimulate and train students’ critical thinking skills by pushing them to argue in all forms. The system also encourages creative power by including group projects into its curriculum. This type of work trains teamwork, creativity, and leadership skills that are crucial for the real world. For example, teamwork is needed for colleagues to put together a report; creativity is needed for innovation and invention; while leadership is absolute necessary for a company or nation to be guided towards the right path. The Western education succeeds in preparing students for the future.
Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America brought about great changes for the whole world. Conquistadors followed Columbus by conquering America, plundering and enslaving Native Americans, in search of gold and low-cost labour on plantations. This brought about the Columbian exchange, which was the exchange of plants, animals, culture, and other things between the Old and New World. First, tomato, potato, and corn were brought back to the Old World as foods, while wheat, banana, livestocks, and other flora and faunas were introduced to America. Second, the Native American population declined due to diseases from the Old World and the conquistadors’ genocide. But most important of all, the discovery of America led to the exchange of cultures between the people from the Old World and the New World. For instance, Christianity was introduced into the European colonies, while the African slaves’ traditional singing and performances were joined into the Church services. As a result the Church in South America integrated the culture of both Europeans and Africans. The Latin culture was also formed from the exchange between Native American, African, and European culture. This exchange of cultures can be compared to the imbibe of Western culture when I came to PAS. For example, I begin to listen to English songs, read English books, and most of all, adopted the Western form of thinking, which includes creativity and independent thinking. The Columbian exchange also introduced technologies such as gun, steel, and the use of horse and donkey. This made the New World more developed and the life there easier. And just like the Columbian exchange of technologies, entering PAS exposed me to the use of powerpoint presentations, debating, running group meetings, and managing a group such as the student council. These skills learned can be used as a tool for my life later on as a manager in a company just like how horses were ridden on when the Native Americans were hunting for buffalos.
In conclusion, the Columbian Exchange can be similar to the introduction of Western education for me. In both events, culture was integrated and technologies were improved. Latin culture developed as a result of the Columbian exchange, while I imbibed American cultures such as its books, songs, and most important of all creativity. Horses and donkeys, guns and steels, were tools that made life easier in the New World, while the skills Western education taught me, such as presentation(projects) , creative(projects) , debate(extracurricular MUN), and management (extracurricular Student Council) skills are life tools that could help my career. The introduction of Western education helped me leave behind the flawed Taiwanese education system, and doing so provides me a better opportunity for the future due to my English skills and critical thinking skills.
The Taiwanese education system is often questioned by parents who are exposed and aware of the success of the Western world. Taiwanese education to these parents is merely the regurgitation of facts, severely lacking the heart of western education: Critical Thinking. As a result, these parents, who also believe that Taiwan’s future is dim, would prepare their children to study in high school or college abroad. I am one of these lucky child, and PAS introduced me to the Western way of thinking. The introduction of Western education to me can be compared to the Columbian Exchange in terms of the interchange of culture and technology. The paragraphs that ensues will give background to the Taiwanese education system, western education, and discuss the change the introduction of western education has brought about me just like how the Columbian exchange has brought changes to the world.
Taiwan’s education system is characterized by the regurgitation of facts. Students’ homeworks and tests are replete with fill-in-the-blank, true-or-false, multiple choice, and matching problems. There are little or no projects or essays for students to argue their thesis and convey their ideas. This “think-in-the-box” way of education not only undermines one of the most important ideas of renaissance that education stimulate one’s “creative power”, also it does not develop Taiwaneses’ critical thinking and group-projects-related skills. The Taiwanese education system is not only flawed in its structure that discourages thinking skills, but its contents are also extremely narrow. First, none of the subjects in high school are pertinent to international relations, a topic that should be prioritized over many others. As a tiny island who China see as its province, diplomacy plays a major role to Taiwan’s survival both economically and politically. Second, in history courses, the system provide two years of Taiwanese history and two years of world history. This over-emphasizes Taiwan’s short, 200-years history and understates the 4 millenniums of world history. Therefore, the Taiwanese education system is both structurally and contently narrow.
The Western education, on the contrary, stresses critical thinking and teamwork. History courses of American education are designed to stimulate and train students’ critical thinking skills by pushing them to argue in all forms. The system also encourages creative power by including group projects into its curriculum. This type of work trains teamwork, creativity, and leadership skills that are crucial for the real world. For example, teamwork is needed for colleagues to put together a report; creativity is needed for innovation and invention; while leadership is absolute necessary for a company or nation to be guided towards the right path. The Western education succeeds in preparing students for the future.
Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America brought about great changes for the whole world. Conquistadors followed Columbus by conquering America, plundering and enslaving Native Americans, in search of gold and low-cost labour on plantations. This brought about the Columbian exchange, which was the exchange of plants, animals, culture, and other things between the Old and New World. First, tomato, potato, and corn were brought back to the Old World as foods, while wheat, banana, livestocks, and other flora and faunas were introduced to America. Second, the Native American population declined due to diseases from the Old World and the conquistadors’ genocide. But most important of all, the discovery of America led to the exchange of cultures between the people from the Old World and the New World. For instance, Christianity was introduced into the European colonies, while the African slaves’ traditional singing and performances were joined into the Church services. As a result the Church in South America integrated the culture of both Europeans and Africans. The Latin culture was also formed from the exchange between Native American, African, and European culture. This exchange of cultures can be compared to the imbibe of Western culture when I came to PAS. For example, I begin to listen to English songs, read English books, and most of all, adopted the Western form of thinking, which includes creativity and independent thinking. The Columbian exchange also introduced technologies such as gun, steel, and the use of horse and donkey. This made the New World more developed and the life there easier. And just like the Columbian exchange of technologies, entering PAS exposed me to the use of powerpoint presentations, debating, running group meetings, and managing a group such as the student council. These skills learned can be used as a tool for my life later on as a manager in a company just like how horses were ridden on when the Native Americans were hunting for buffalos.
In conclusion, the Columbian Exchange can be similar to the introduction of Western education for me. In both events, culture was integrated and technologies were improved. Latin culture developed as a result of the Columbian exchange, while I imbibed American cultures such as its books, songs, and most important of all creativity. Horses and donkeys, guns and steels, were tools that made life easier in the New World, while the skills Western education taught me, such as presentation(projects) , creative(projects) , debate(extracurricular MUN), and management (extracurricular Student Council) skills are life tools that could help my career. The introduction of Western education helped me leave behind the flawed Taiwanese education system, and doing so provides me a better opportunity for the future due to my English skills and critical thinking skills.