Yong Zhao, Ph.D., was the keynote speaker at the 2019 Cathey Simmons Humphreys Distinguished Lecture Series, held Feb. 28 on the OU Norman campus. Zhao is the Foundations Distinguished Professor, School of Education, at the University of Kansas.
A crowd of students, faculty and educational professionals gathered at the Sam Noble Museum to hear Zhao lecture about the implications for globalization and technology in education.
In his view, each learner should be treated as an individual with his or her own talents and aptitudes. He advocates a “strengths-based” approach that celebrates uniqueness, in contrast with the deficit model reinforced by traditional assessment and efforts to produce learners who conform to some “perfect profile for success” set by the curriculum.
One idea raised during the discussion was how recent education reforms, such as college readiness, or efforts to address problems such as achievement gaps, are still based on a system of existing societal structures that favor the elite and a single path to success. He believes a shift is needed to achieve true social mobility and change.
As Zhao has stated: “The fundamental reason for people to worry about achievement gaps stems from two assumptions underlying education today. First, there is a set of skills and knowledge everyone must have in order to live a successful life in the world. Second, all children are capable of and interested in acquiring the skills and knowledge at a similar pace. Thus, if a child is found be behind others, we must act to help him or her catch up at any cost. These assumptions are not true any longer.”
Zhao’s belief is that every learner should be treated as an individual and celebrated for his or her unique strengths and aptitudes. He gave an example of his own childhood growing up in China, when it became clear that his strength did not lie in the farming work of his own family. Instead, he was better suited to pursue the educational realm, where he was able to achieve great success.
Later than evening, Zhao was the featured speaker at an OU President’s Associates dinner at Oklahoma Memorial Union.