School
How do we re-imagine it?
The world is changing fast.
With new technological bounds being made not only in cellphones and entertainment systems, but within medicine and education as well. The only issue is that education isn't changing. Teachers are still standing in front of the class, blandly reciting the words verbatim off of their power-point, and students either continue to scribble furiously to keep up, or are distracted by their cellphones and computers, most-likely checking Facebook and twitter.
Students today, as well as generations to come can not be effectively taught the way that our generation was taught, and our generation learned differently than our parents did. But we still had the same experience with the teacher-centered classroom, and in some cases we may have even had the same teacher and lectures our parents did. Now don't get me wrong, having the same teacher as your parent did isn't the problem, it's the fact that over the past 20+ years the teacher has probably changed very little about what they teach and the way they teach it.
Education needs to be reinvented. The days of a teacher-centered classroom are over. A change needs to be made, and student-center should be the objective, everything revolves around the student.
Students today, as well as generations to come can not be effectively taught the way that our generation was taught, and our generation learned differently than our parents did. But we still had the same experience with the teacher-centered classroom, and in some cases we may have even had the same teacher and lectures our parents did. Now don't get me wrong, having the same teacher as your parent did isn't the problem, it's the fact that over the past 20+ years the teacher has probably changed very little about what they teach and the way they teach it.
Education needs to be reinvented. The days of a teacher-centered classroom are over. A change needs to be made, and student-center should be the objective, everything revolves around the student.
CA Lt. Gov Gavin Newson | Re-Imaging Education
Finland's Educational System
About 40 years ago, Finland began a large reform on their education system. Modeling their system after the U.S. Finland stripped down their system and came up with something completely new. They have 75 minutes everyday for recess, and teachers are only in the classroom 4 hours per day. Also, teachers are required to have a masters and are seen as highly as lawyers and doctors, where as in the U.S. teaching is not exactly seen as a desirable job. With their new system, the graduation rate in Finland has rose to 93%, which is 17.5% higher than the United States. As well, 66% of those who graduated go on to college, and this is the highest rate in all of Europe.
Even though the Finnish modeled their system after the United States educational system who lay in 14th in the world ranking, Finland out scores us in standardized testing and they are in 2nd close behind South Korea.
Probable reason for this, is that since Finland began using our educational system some 40 years ago, they have adapted and changed creating an effective system. But we have strayed little from 'what we know' other than the new bills such as 'No Child Left Behind' (that are barely effective, if at all).
I'm not saying that we should copy Finland's system, because I believe many parents would have issues and concerns about parts of the system, but I think bits and pieces of it should be taken into serious consideration.
Even though the Finnish modeled their system after the United States educational system who lay in 14th in the world ranking, Finland out scores us in standardized testing and they are in 2nd close behind South Korea.
Probable reason for this, is that since Finland began using our educational system some 40 years ago, they have adapted and changed creating an effective system. But we have strayed little from 'what we know' other than the new bills such as 'No Child Left Behind' (that are barely effective, if at all).
I'm not saying that we should copy Finland's system, because I believe many parents would have issues and concerns about parts of the system, but I think bits and pieces of it should be taken into serious consideration.
Finland's education success
RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms