The Future of Education

Rethinking Education in the Digital Age gave me much food for thought as I am preparing to make a career change into teaching within the next couple of years. It seems apparent from the book that by looking at the realistic state of teaching and academics today (education technology, digital mobility, inequalities, and how students today learn), that the education system as we know it has outgrown the old structures and is in dire need of a direction that matches the needs of our time.

It seems to me that students today require more individualized, engaging, and student-centric learning experiences. What struck me as especially interesting when reading the book was how technology may become a tool in decreasing some of the inequalities faced in education today. Technology can one day be used to bring exceptional learning experiences to students in underserved areas who may not have had the opportunities to experience various academic experiences without access to technology. Even if these schools lack certain resources (like funding for extra courses or teachers), the students can still have access to top-notch classes and lessons through the internet. Though it may sound overly optimistic, it seems that as the internet has made the world smaller, hopefully one day it can also lessen the gap between underserved and higher SES students.

The call for restructuring the education system would make the cognitive and constructivist learning theories more regularly practiced as the shift will move from traditional education (teacher-centric) to projects that are more aligned with student interests and that utilize more technology-focused educational tools that will students to bridge the knowledge they learn in the classroom with real life experiences.

As a future teacher, this book has forced me to look at the importance of how I structure the curriculum in my own class to deepen student engagement and also maximize effective educational technology use so that my students are prepared for their futures.

Control and the Future of Education

Control is one of the most important aspects of teaching, at least from what I have observed within the classroom so far during my field experience. When I think of control within the classroom, the first thing that comes to mind is classroom management. It seems like half of an educator's time is spent teaching content while the other 50% is spent on making sure students are paying attention, handing in assignments, and not getting into fights, texting on their cell phones, or falling asleep. Without control of the classroom, students can become easily distracted, lose focus, and end up failing.
The teacher I observe has a rowdy group of freshman English students who find it difficult to focus and engage within the lesson. The teacher has set up a method along the lines of the Behaviorist theory, where if the classroom as a whole behaves well, they receive a point. The one class out of his four freshman English classes that receives the most points will be able to have a movie day or party day at the end of the semester. This method actually works and the students do seem motivated to win their "good behavior" point of the day, but I also think that the teacher's presence, methods of discipline, and demeanor with the students are probably the most important aspects of classroom management, or control.

Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology

I found the Development of American Schooling chapter is extremely interesting, especially in comparison to the articles and chapters we read in the beginning of the semester regarding adapting the education system for the needs of a technological generation of students. It was interesting to see why grades and tests were established in the first place, to establish a common metrics within a growing population of diverse and urban populations. Now it seems like America has a much different culture, and it makes me think that perhaps restructuring the education system, grading policies, and tests may be the right solution for our time as compared to the mid-1800s when the universal schooling model was established.

Students these days face a myriad of social and social economic issues within school. Bullying has increased (pg. 63) and has become a daily problem for students and schools. Also, the increasing population of diverse students with various learning abilities are also a factor that could be addressed in a more individually-focused educational structure. Today's students also have a need for learning various technologies within the school system in order to face the demands of an ever-challenging workplace. Reading this book has made me realize how far we have come in regards to education, and also how far we need to go.

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