Reflection on 'Tinkering'

After reading the book for our lessons I had a few thoughts come to mind about my personal experiences with some of the points discussed in the last chapters.  I do remember the old film projectors and the one or two televisions on carts that would be wheeled into our classrooms for films or videos.  I remember the teacher's frustration with setup and when the equipment would not function for some reason.  I remember the first Laserdisc and its bugs as well.  Soon after this, I remember the school getting televisions in every classroom, not that we watched much on them, but they were now in every classroom.  Some of the other technological advances that I remember were the overhead projectors (as archaic as they now seem) and the improved blackboard- the Dry Erase Board that I now see in College classrooms and have heard are moving into the more affluent schools.  

I suppose that I was lucky in my High school that we took a computer class that taught us the general basics of typing and Word programs.   It was a required class at my school.  I hope that these classes are more advanced now but I am not sure.  The Internet was just becoming popular when I was in High school so I did not really explore it until I was in college.  

Looking at the many different 'shooting star' reforms that have had some impact in our schools makes me also think about our schools measuring up to other countries.  Has it ever occurred to anyone to look at what other countries are doing in their schools as a guideline for our own?  I spent some time in Austria as a student ambassador in my teens and, even though I did not truly attend the school I did spend some time with my homestay sibling in his school.  They spoke three languages, standard and were surprised that I did not.  They learn multiple languages from the very beginning of school and I personally think that it would be easier to learn another language while you are learning your own.  Research into brain development proves that young children are still developing their language centers.  

I do understand that we as Americans tend to think of ourselves as superior to other cultures in all things but if our education system is not measuring up to international standards, why don't we take some of the ideas and concepts that apparently work in other countries and adapt them for our own schools?