I love education...but school? Not so much. You see, parents send their children to school with the best of intentions, believing that formal education is what kids need to become productive, happy adults. Many parents do have hesitation and doubt about how well schools are, but they believe that these issues can be resolved with more money, better teachers, more challenging curriculum, and my most unfavorite...more rigorous tests. But what if the real problem is school itself?
A researcher who has documented the power of self-directed learning is Sugata Mitra. He set up outdoor computers in very poor neighborhoods in India, where many children were illiterate and most did not go to school. Wherever he placed such a computer, dozens of kids would gather around and, with no help from adults, figure out how to use it. Those who could not read began to do so by interacting with the computer and with other children around it. The computers gave these young people access to the whole world’s knowledge—in one remote village, children who previously knew nothing about microorganisms learned about bacteria and viruses through their interactions with the computer and began to use this new knowledge appropriately in conversations. My point is that a student’s mind is not based on memorizing and regurgitating information on a piece of paper, but it should be trained to the ideals of curiosity, playfulness, sociability, and we need the next generations to think in ways of creativity, innovation, critically, independently, with the ability to connect to others, as well.
We are forced to memorize information, when not correctly understanding it. This knowledge needs to be taught in a way that the student understands it, not just by a number on a paper. But what I point out -- this is not the way a traditional academic model is structured, or at least the the eccentric of academic exemplar that most of us grew up in. In a traditional academic modeling , we group together, and around middle school , by age and perceived intelligence based on testing scores, we shepherd these children all together at the same classroom. And what typically happens, let's say we're in a middle school physics class, and the current unit is on power , the teacher will give a lecture on this unit , then we'll go home tired, do some prep . The next dawn , we'll review the preparation , then another lecture, homework, lecture, homework, lecture. That will continue for about two or three weeks , and then we get a test. On that test, maybe I get a 70 percent , maybe you get a 90 percent , maybe you get a 85 percentage . And even though the test identified disruption in our gpa , I didn't know 30% percent of the material. Even the A student, what was the 10% percent they didn't know? You see everyone loves education in some way but more and more complex systems get ruins the love for learning.
One of the most famous TED Talks was by Sir Ken Robinson and he once told a story in one of his speeches about a girl who would sit at the back of her class and not pay attention to any of the lessons, but when the time came there was a drawing lesson and she actually worked on this lesson. So the teacher was surprised and walked over to this student and asked her, “What are you drawing?” She responded, “Well, I’m drawing a picture of God.” The teacher, suprised remarked,”Well no one knows how God looks like.” The student looked up at the teacher and said, “They will, in a minute.”
You see, if you ask any scientist...they’ll say that no two brains are the same. If you’re a parent with more than one child you know that the needs of each of your children differs. So why is it that we put 25-30 children in one room, one teacher, one lecture, expecting each student to excel and get an A. A...the letter use to describe product quality, like Grade A milk, Grade A maple syrup, or some really yummy grade A chicken. What if a doctor prescribed all his or her patients the same medication expecting that everyone’s problem will be cured? The medication is like the education system we are getting. The same one lecture per day expecting to be mastered by quiz or test day in all students.
Most of us set up classes in straight rows and columns like a factory working areas...We need change and we need it now.We’ve changed phones, cars, houses, maps, but what about classrooms? Not that different...Sure, we’ve added more curriculums, rigorous tests, and smart boards that are pretty cool but has our impact on children’s curiosity and inspiration changed? A human whether alive 100 years ago or now….still has humanistic curiosity and creativity, but these things are only triggered in the brain once inspired...but we...we lack that.
In places there is one student holding a gun, and another child looking at the website of the KKK since it’s made public. However, the third child is holding a copy of “Catcher in the Rye” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” but only one of these things are fully banned from US schools, it’s the classic books with the “F and N-words.” The inspiration of children has changed toward not ideas but now judgements. Some places in the US, kids are late to class for working the midnight shift. Schools give rewards to perfect attendance but not for the fact of providing for your family. These children will call your music ghetto. They will cut to the conclusion about "proper grammar." But right after that point they'll get in their friend's car with every one of their companions singing how they're "'Bout that life" and "We can't stop." A few schools advancing self-assurance while they whip out their scales and yell out your muscle to fat ratio in class. Where the heftier young ladies are covering up away and the thin fit beauties can't resist the urge to chuckle with pride.
Parents you probably tell your kids to work hard at school and get good grades, it increases your chances of getting a job, provides you an opportunity to be successful, your life will be a lot less stressful,
Education is the key, you tell them. Even though you don’t usually use Pythagorean theorem and still don’t know the value of "X."
Students:
How many equations, did you memorize just before an exam never to use again?
How many times have you remembered something 3 minutes just after the teacher said: "Stop writing.” What'd you learn in class today? Try not to talk uproarious, don't talk boisterous, keep your hands to yourself, hold your head down. Keep your eyes on your own paper. In the event that you don't have the foggiest idea about the appropriate response on a test fill in C.
Now look at the statistics: Steve Jobs - net worth was seven billion, Richard Branson - net worth four point two billion, Oprah Winfrey - two point seven billion, Mark Zuckerberg, Henry Ford, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates
What’s the one common thing in them? They had education but managed to stand out of the system.
Let’s look at some more people yeah?
Jesus
Muhammed,
Mother Teresa,
Beethoven,
Jesse Owens
Were these people uneducated...or unsuccessful?
You see...if education is the key then the school is the lock. As hard as it is to believe...I am not saying that school is evil and a waste of time...I never said that. To help find my exact words of what i mean comes from the help of suli breaks’ poem stating: Understand your motives and re-assess your aims,
If you want a job working for someone else then help yourself,
But then that would be a contradiction because you wouldn't really be helping yourself,
You'd be helping somebody else,
There's a saying that is: if you don't build your dreams, someone else will hire you to help build theirs.
Sit down and think of your education...learn its true meaning. My dad once said to me, “I don’t care if you get a 0 on a test or a 100% as long as you studied hard, worked hard, were honest, and tried your best.” Education is not just about regurgitating facts from a book, or someone else's opinion on a subject to pass an exam. Check this out: Leonardo Da Vinci was educated creating art. Shakespeare from seeing and writing plays, Kanye West educated in music from rapping, Selena Gomez from singing and acting, Usain Bolt from practicing his running and Colonel Harland Sanders was educated in the art of creating Kentucky Fried Chicken.
I’m a huge soccer fan, I’ve been playing the sport for about 11 years now, and I remember watching David Beckham for the first time.
I looked as the side of his Adidas-supported cleat hit the leather of the ball at an angle,
Which made it travel towards the skies just as it was bound for heaven,
And afterward as it achieved the look of it's force,
Just as it changed its decision,
It changed direction.
I looked as the goalkeeper stood still,
Just as recounting to himself the laws of physics,
Just as his cerebrum was consulting with his eyes,
And then reacted,
Though only a fraction of a millisecond too late,
And it was an amazing point.
An “educated” women. Just in that scenario I was able to show theoretical physics, math, literature skills, history, and anatomy...but in all I just trying to say that David Beckham kicked a curving ball and it scored England a point.
I’m going to bring up an important issue dealing with money. It’s sad how one of the most important jobs on the planet get paid so little. No wonder, the improvement is not standing out. Teachers should be paid as much as doctors or lawyers, because though a doctor can fix a heart or a lawyer can fight with their heart, a teacher stated by Prince Ea, can reach in and grab the minds and hearts of the students and can be the reason for the change in the world in the most humble way. So teachers are heroes that often get blamed, but they are not the problem. They work in a system without many options or rights.
Some people of the board have not even taught a day in their life but are integrated in politics and the USA is number 29 in the world in education...it is not living up to its reputation.Here in America and each and every state they have an arrangement of standards for each subject, a gathering of lessons that the educator's required to instruct before the finish of the year. Be that as it may, the best lessons you will ever show us won't originate from your syllabus. The best lessons you will ever show us even you won't remember. Statistics show that Finland is doing noteworthy things. They have shorter school days, instructors make a better than average wage, homework is non-existent and they concentrate on joint effort rather than rivalry. However, here's the kicker, young men and young ladies, their instructive framework beats each other nation on the planet. Different spots like Singapore are succeeding quickly. Have no more common core. Schools like Montessori and programs like IXL, or Khan Academy are the next generation. There is no single solution, however we should go ahead, on the grounds that while children are 20% of our population today, they are 100% of our future. You see...the world and society is changing, and now we need people who think creatively, critically, and independently.
Frederick J. Kelly, the man who invented standardized testing, who said, and I quote: “These tests are too crude to be used and should be abandoned.” So whether on an exam you get a 52, or an 88, 64, or an 98...don’t let exams determine if you are educated or not, let the knowledge that you obtained fully guide your path, and if you didn’t obtain that knowledge, go back and break the lock.
This writing is by Simran Malhotra and may not be used in anyway by others without permission.