Hi, Ayesha, your blog remind me of a recently popular concept of education: degree inflation. Students use college degree as a ticket to a good job, so more and more students go to college wanting this ticket. Right now we have way too many people holding the tickets but the seat is fixed. So employers have to raise their selection threshold to a higher level. Previous work that only need a college graduate right now demand a mater degree. Therefore college degree is not enough to guarantee a good job, so people are seeking a master degree. I do feel it challenging to motivate our students under such environment.

Hi, Xiao. Thanks for commenting. I think “may be” has already challenged the original “is” knowledge. “is” means universally true, while “may be” says conditional true. I guess, that’s what this mindful teaching is all about: challenging the original stereotyped knowledge. Anyway, it is good to know a different perspective

Hi, Sihui, thanks for sharing your experience. I think your personal story really shows how a mindful teaching can change one’s learning experience. Both of the teachers you mentioned are mindful teachers. The first one considered your special needs in class and adapt to an more friendly language. The second teacher tailored the class requirement to your individual needs. BTW, I am also jealous of your multi-cultural learning experience! Finland then, and USA now!

Hi, Debarati, thanks for your input. That’s something also in my mind while I was writing the blog. Yes, in teaching, we need to keep in mind the cognitive learning level of our students. And then adapt teaching method accordingly.

Hi, Yujun, your blog reminds me a lot of feelings because I share similar education background with you. I agree with you that the standard test in China provides a relatively equal opportunity to low SES group, while in USA the Ivy League’s door to the low SES group is closing. I have to admit that in certain sense I am lucky that I am a Chinese, because I don’t what my life would be if I were born in the USA.

But I won’t support standard test complete because I am a beneficiary. We all know how students and teachers are tortured. They are studying and teaching for the score only, not for knowledge. I understand its necessity for the time being, because we haven’t worked out other ways to substitute it.

I agree to the use of test as a reference for students to know what position they are, for teacher to know how exactly is the teaching goes. As long as it is not deterministic for students’ future, it is still a useful tool.

Hi, Aritra, thanks for commenting. I agree with you that other possible situation should be listed when the conclusion doesn’t hold. It is more scientific and it also opens the possibility for students to explore later. I am just afraid it will make the book heavier and cost us more money~~

I shared similar idea with you about blogging. But when I submitted my first blog last week and started to read blogs by other people in this Contemporary Pedagogy, I found myself enjoying this reading experience. This leads to my reflection on why this change.

I think the main reason is the blogging community. In my previous blogging experience, I was surrounded by totally different people, sharing eye-catching news, posing superficial articles. But in this community, I see serious reflections and candid communications. So I think the main point is to be aware who are we surrounded in this blogging environment. It is like going to a party finding no one you are interested in talking to or find a group of people that are similar to you. So it makes me feels better by thinking blogging is just an environment to bring people you are interested in together. So a lesson I learnt is be selective with the company in blogging.

Hi, Yesim. I experienced exactly the same struggle as you. But just recently, I read a book recently about teaching, which changed my mind a little bit. In that book, the author mentioned that the future students in college will be the new generation. They grow up surrounded by high technologies. We have to admit the difference between us and them. They communicate with each other using social media; they learn things faster in images not words. That’s the way they are; that’s the way they learn. So as a future teacher, it may facilitate our teaching if we keep their cognitive learning features in mind as well.