Around the World - 2012 Kick-off!

UAE
AMEinfo.com reports that according to a survey by the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the emirate spends Dh1bn on healthcare every year to treat diabetics who are young and who are very likely to suffer from heart disease in the near future, Gulf News has reported. The study showed that 18% of the Abu Dhabi Emirati population suffer from Type2 diabetes and that 24% are "losing control of their sugar level" and will soon become diabetic, HAAD said.
Commentary: To spend that amount on one disease that is preventative in a small nation is alarming. It seems that a number of initiatives are needed to combat diabetes. The same issue mentioned that a diabetes clinic bus was launched to tour the United Arabian Emirates (UAE) which is a good start. But a fundamental education program is needed at school and community levels to turn this ship around - and it will take many years. To their credit, we have seen an uptick in sport promotion and physical education in this Kingdom which all contributes to the fight against preventative diseases.

FINLAND
The Finnish education system has been at the center of global attention for exactly a decade, reports ASCD SmartBrief. Ten years ago Finland's performance was mediocre compared to the rest of the world but then it changed drastically to be the leader today. What may come as a surprise is that Finland has neither engaged in researching its own, distinctive reform measures, nor generated change knowledge to steer education policy implementation. Instead, Finnish researchers have relied on the theories and insights of their international peers. In short, the Finns have been open to learning from other education systems.
The key driver of education-development policy in Finland has been providing equal and positive learning opportunities for all children and securing their well-being, including their nutrition, health, safety, and overall happiness. Finnish authorities, in this regard, have defied international convention. They have not endorsed student testing and school ranking as the path to improvement, but rather focused on teacher preparation and retention; collaboration with teachers and their union representatives; early and regular intervention for children with learning disabilities; well-rounded curricula; and equitable funding of schools throughout the country.
Commentary: The search for the optimal education system has been ongoing since the 1800's. So many factors come into play to develop a system that accommodates a large population and keep track with knowledge and development. Being a small country the Finns could take 'best practices' from all over the world to create their model. That is easier said than done. Tons of resources and a steady political commitment were needed to get to this point. Interestingly, their focus is on developing the whole child which is perhaps a message in our day of 'races to the top".

UNITED KINGDOM
Technology is changing the face of teaching and learning in England where computer games are used to teach math and animation with computer graphics are also used in this core subject.
Commentary: This is no surprising in a world where the cell phone with texting has replaced normal conversations and relationships. Officials say that the use of technology helps students with the understanding of subject matter but more importantly, keep them engaged. And every time a student is engaged, learning takes place!

USA
Teachers in Chicago in the US are testing a professional-development method known as "lesson study", which often is used in Japan. The system allows teachers to design lessons and explain their aim to colleagues. A teacher then will give the lesson to students, while dozens of colleagues observe, later offering suggestions for improvement. (WBEZ-FM - Chicago)
Commentary: There are more positives than negatives to group and peer review. Hats off to this experiment as it takes commitment from the teachers for proper preparation and for the administration to set time aside for observation by others. This type of 'spot check' is invaluable for teacher evaluation and the method allows for full disclosure.

Michael Cordier