The Shanghai approach

[DWx]

When it comes to academic excellence, China, or more specifically Shanghai, consistently places high on the PISA Global rankings. Due to the high levels of success, The Shanghai method of teaching is being adopted in British schools for maths and is very different approach to how most Westerners learn at school.

The are some key differences in the Shanghai approach compared to how things are done in Britain (and I suspect in Europe and America). Notably:

* The class moves on together

In the Shanghai method, each student in the class must understand the lesson before the class can move onto the next topic ensuring no student gets left behind. The class will stay with a topic until every student in the class can explain the concepts and demonstrate understanding. It is an "all children will succeed" model compared to "most children will" or "some children will" model.

* Small incremental steps

Often we tend to place value on learning lots of things and progressing quickly with the material. In the Shanghai method learning is broken down into smaller building blocks for students to master and fully understand. The idea behind this being that the teacher can then build upon this prior knowledge and not have to recover the topic at a later date.

* Multiple methods and conceptual understanding

When teaching using the Shanghai method, teachers will discuss different approaches to solving problems. Students are expected to be able to think about a problem in different ways, with lessons involving questions and discussions. The idea is for a student to obtain a conceptual understanding rather than learning a method by rote.

* Fewer distractions

In contrast to most Western classrooms, Chinese classrooms can seem bare and basic. Rather than brightly coloured posters and displays, classrooms can seem rather stark to reduce sensory overload and encourage students to maintain focus.

* Clear lesson goals

Every lesson has a clearly defined lesson objective and the teacher doesn't deviate from this.

http://schoolsweek.co.uk/what-is-south-asian-mastery-maths/

https://www.mathematicsmastery.org/four-lessons-from-shanghai/

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38568538

There is no streaming according to ability and every student must understand before the teacher moves on. In the early years of school basic arithmetic is covered more slowly than in the UK, says McMullen, who has travelled to Shanghai in one of the groups of British teachers sent every year by the Department of Education to watch and learn.

"They looked at our curriculum and were horrified by how much we were trying to teach," he says.

"They wouldn't teach fractions until year four or five. By that time, they assume that the children were very fluent in multiplication and division.

"This is essentially a 'teaching for mastery' approach: covering less and making smaller incremental movements forward, ensuring the class move together as one and that you go over stuff again and again until it's truly understood."

Would this approach work in Martial Arts?

In general we tend to treat martial arts as a very individual pursuit. Even though we all train together, we allow students to progress at different rates. Students test once we feel they are ready and sometimes this means that some students advance faster than others. Often we give students new techniques or exercises to do to keep them interested.

If we were to follow the Shanghai model, students would thoroughly learn the curriculum at each stage, back-to-front and inside-out. The class would only move on once the instructor thinks everyone deserves the next belt. Would this work in your school?

[bushido_man96]

I'm not sure it would work well in the Martial Arts. For starters, you wouldn't have the class "set" early on, and you always have students coming or going throughout the year.

I also feel that one's training and potential should be held in check based on that of the rest of the class.

[MatsuShinshii]

I'm not sure it would work but then again I have never taught in terms of all students being able to perform techniques and applications to a specified level before moving on to the next.

The reason I question it's feasibility is because we are now interjecting not only a students ability to learn mentally but also physically.

No one student is the same in terms of physical ability. Strength, speed, mobility, dexterity, etc. etc. Not to mention each students learning capability in terms of memorization and complex thinking.

I think this would reduce the interests of the more naturally capable students do to waiting on those less capable.

I have always thought in terms of one on one basis or each student progresses at their own pace according to their abilities both mental and physical. This is why I don't understand set time limits on grade because not everyone learns at the same pace or is physically capable of the same pace.

I think if you rush those that are not as capable it will discourage their interest or they just will not absorb the material as well and if you hold back those more capable they will get bored and ultimately find something else.

And as Bushido_man96 stated, what would you do about those that join later than others? Start a separate calls? Hold back or go back to the beginning level of instruction until they progress to where everyone else was? In these terms no one would every progress beyond Hachikyu as students join at different intervals through out the year. It's giving me a migraine just thinking about the complexities of implementing this type of learning structure.

I think in terms of the MA's you have an up hill battle because it's not forced, meaning that everyone must go to school. No one has to go to MA class. I would have to say it's an interesting theory but after thinking about it I would stick to allowing students to progress per their abilities.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I feel like it would be difficult to incorporate in a Martial Arts Club, especially where Distractions can be hard to manage especially in a rented space.

At my Hombu Dojo, we rent the space and there are colourful things hanging up all the time. Whereas at our Secondary Dojo which is currently being updated has nothing hanging up.

But we may have a couple of trophies won by our competition squad, albeit may be living on the second floor of the dojo.

I feel like it is achievable to move on together as a unit, because then everyone is learning and achieving together. And allows them to encourage each other in what they're doing.

[LLLEARNER]

It could work in a club with highly defined classes which are broken up by skill levels rather than age groups.

In schools this is easy. Nearly all 6 year olds are in the first grade for instance.

In a recreational activity, you might have a 40 year old who just joined and is working on Heian Shodan, while at the same time a 17 year old working on Bassai Dai.

[DWx]

Maybe the "everyone moves on together" bit would work better in a more structured setting. For instance a 6-week self defense course or other short course.

I do think there are elements to the Shanghai approach which could be beneficial. A lesson objective is something I've been trying to incorporate into my lesson plans anyway. And I do think it could be useful to have a discussion-led lesson occasionally.

[singularity6]

This is an interesting thought! Unfortunately, I don't think this as a whole will work with martial arts.

As an educator, I've seen these practices. We're frequently looking for a "one size fits all" approach in most everything we do. Ultimately, it comes down to working with individuals. Those who excel will become bored and could become a distraction for the class. They might also resent those who need more time. A student who's struggling could also take away from the class, as s/he could potentially monopolize the instructor's time.

Some components could certainly be easily adapted to a martial arts (or any) class! And with great potential!

[Alan Armstrong]

Shaolin monks were once, not allowed to leave the temple, until they were, at the very end of their training, to be physiologically ready.

This stands to reason as they have developed many deadly skills.

To unleash the fighting Shaolin monks, into the world prematurely, would be considered irresponsible.

Releasing children in to the world, collectively or one by one, before they are realistically capable is also being irresponsible.

[sensei8]

To me, the "everyone moves on together", reminds me of the "No Child Left Behind". In that act, I always felt that children were passed from one grade to another no matter what. In the end, I felt that students were graduating unequipped without understanding fully the three R's [Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic] .

As far as it working in the MA...well...sure it would work!! I'd have nothing to do with it, of course because I don't believe in passing every student at every Testing Cycle. Speaking quite frankly, to pass everyone on every Testing Cycle will be akin to having a score of students that couldn't defend themselves out of a wet paper sack, if their life depended on it.

Building false securities within students is an injustice, as well as it being cruel, act. And for what?? Money?? Increasing ones Student Body?? There's no valid reason to pass every student UNLESS every student earns it. The odds of that occurring are uncalled for, and for it occurring as a norm are inappropriate.

But since when does that ever matter to those who prey on the innocent!?!

Imho.

[singularity6]

To me, the "everyone moves on together", reminds me of the "No Child Left Behind". In that act, I always felt that children were passed from one grade to another no matter what. In the end, I felt that students were graduating unequipped without understanding fully the three R's [Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic] .

As far as it working in the MA...well...sure it would work!! I'd have nothing to do with it, of course because I don't believe in passing every student at every Testing Cycle. Speaking quite frankly, to pass everyone on every Testing Cycle will be akin to having a score of students that couldn't defend themselves out of a wet paper sack, if their life depended on it.

Building false securities within students is an injustice, as well as it being cruel, act. And for what?? Money?? Increasing ones Student Body?? There's no valid reason to pass every student UNLESS every student earns it. The odds of that occurring are uncalled for, and for it occurring as a norm are inappropriate.

But since when does that ever matter to those who prey on the innocent!?!

Imho.

Agreed! I was thinking "NCLB" as well.