Appendix to Early Thoughts - Outline of a Global Economy

Pre-Thoughts
After reading my "Early Thoughts on the Korean and American Education Systems" I realized that some people may not wrap their brain around the information with the same global perspective with which it was written. Therefore, I have decided to add this additional thought that may help clarify the point of view of "Early Thoughts."

I teach between 28 and 34, 40 minute classes on average a week. This adds up to a decent amount of teaching. Despite my concerted effort to impart knowledge, since I have been in Korea I have learned more that I have taught. Though my students have taught me much, the majority of my lessons have come from my good friend and fellow foreign teacher, Warren.

One day, paused on the sidewalk outside of our apartment building on the way to school, Warren nonchalantly revealed the commercial interrelationship among the United States, Korea, and China in an attempt to further shed light on his impatience with the Korean education system. He brought it up as if it was obvious, and explained it with such simplicity as if it was just a passing thought, equivalent to a comment on the weather. Here is my attempt to recreate what he was attempting to explain.

Background - Poor Korean Children are in School all Day
We teach Korean children anywhere from age 11 to age 15. They are basically upper Elementary and Middle school children. Everyday we see these poor children sometime between 4:20 in the afternoon and 10:45 at night. Yes - at night. They come to our "English Academy" after already attending regular school during the day from 8 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. The majority of the middle school children we see are so stressed about school, homework and tests that we cannot help but feel sorry for them. I would love to not give any homework, because of course if I were them, I wouldn't want any. I would love to be that cool teacher that never gives homework. However, as teachers, we have to give homework. Why, do you ask? Because if we don't give them homework, their parents will call the school and complain. Yes - complain that their children weren't given more homework from the "English Academy" on top of all the children's homework from regular school. So, it is policy, a rule, that we must give homework. Not optional. Interesting, huh?

This is how important education is in Korea. Don't get me wrong - I'm all about the importance of education, and I see the benefits of homework. However, I also have a strong belief in balance. In this case, I'm all about the balance between studying and homework with playing and having fun as a 13 year old! Our students are just kids. They just want to have fun, go outside, hang out with their friends.... play! But no - their parents make them go to school all day, then more school at night, then homework from both schools to do when they are home. No sleep, no play, no creative release, no opportunity to pursue personally interesting intellectual pursuits, and no opportunity to apply or use the knowledge that they're too busy memorizing. You know how they're taught English in regular school? They have to memorize a passage or story word-for-word and then they have to regurgitate it on a test. They aren't taught to understand the story. They aren't taught to think about the story or talk about what the story means. They simply memorize the page, take a test. Memorize the next page, take a test. Repeat until you get a job.

These are just a few background reasons why Warren is "impatient" with the Korean educational system. The implications of this system are that Koreans are not taught to think analytically or creatively. They are taught to think in strictly concrete, mathematical terms. This is the foundation of the response to the question why America has "more geniuses" in the "Early Thoughts" article. Compared to other countries (specifically Korea), Americans think more analytically and creatively (more 'outside the box' if you will).

Point of the Story - Outline of a Global Economy
Well, now for Warren's further explanation on the implications of this system:

America's primary export is more and more becoming service-related. We are exporting less goods and more services. Services is just a more acceptable way of saying "ideas." America basically sells ideas. And America is clearly making tons of money off of the selling of ideas (America is the world's largest economy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_GDP_%28nominal%29). Well, America happens to be a pretty good breeding ground for people who come up with good ideas. I mean, even the guy that came up with the idea that he could make money by simply selling ideas; that was a pretty smart American. However, America is good at coming up with the idea, but not very good at putting it into production. Hence many goods are made outside of the US and Americans end up with products "made in China" or "made in Taiwan."

Well, Warren explains it this way. America will come up with a good idea. They will figure out that something is possible. Then they will sell that idea to Korea and Korea will actually make the idea into something concrete. For example, America will say, "we should make a computer processor that's twice as fast. I bet you could make one really fast, and even really small so that you can put it in a laptop, or cell phone, or digital camera. Hey Korea, make a really small, really fast computer chip." Korea responds, "Hmm, great idea." A couple days later they say "sure enough, America was right. You can make this computer chip. See, we just made a couple, and they do work just like America said they would. Hey China, make a couple million of these computer chips. We're going to put them in everything." China responds "you can't make a computer chip that small." Korea says "yes you can. Here. Here's the first two we made. Here's how you make them. Just follow these instructions." China responds "okay." Then, boom! The next thing you know, China's whipping out hundreds of computer chips a day.

America has the creative, analytical thinkers that come up with the great ideas. Korea has the technical, mathematical knowledge and can actually make the idea come to fruition. Then China has the manpower and factories to put the idea into mass-production. You can't get any more simple than that when it comes to the outlined basics of our global economy.

Now, all you have to do is thread the difference in education systems into this fabric and you've got a pretty good idea why things are the way they are. Interesting.

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