In Ancient Greece, philosophy was founded as a way to express “love of wisdom”. Greek thinkers like Aristotle and Plato lived in a world which stimulated mutual debate. It was important to reach rational consensus by sharing and acquiring new opinions. There was no definition of right/wrong. Every point of view could be presented without being disregarded. This scenario, which provided answers to many previously unknown phenomena, seems to have been forgotten throughout history.
Our education is far from the principles that ruled academic institutions in the past. Since the Age of Enlightenment, we have focused on morality issues to make children study. A child’s “Why do I have to go to school?” question is usually followed by a “Because it’s your obligation.”. What are the consequences of that? Discouraged students, impatient teachers, disappointed parents, all of them evidence of a system that is flawed.
It’s quite common to notice students memorizing topics for an exam, and then forgetting everything. Unfortunately, another gnawing situation is the increase of college dropouts. Although Silicon Valley billionaires (like the deceased Steve Jobs) frequently missed classes, they are exceptions in a world comprising 7 billion people. All these problems are due to the fact that many educators haven’t evolved.
The purpose of this text is to present a few ideas to help improve education. Firstly, we will discuss changes that are necessary to take place inside each school. Then, analyse what can be done to stimulate students at home. In the end, I will try to explain why these suggestions are viable and which places are adopting some (or maybe all) of the concepts mentioned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
How should school and home environments be in the future?
“Futuristic schools” will have to reinforce its control of student presence. Class skipping will be hindered by ID cards and fingerprint technology. Each person must use their fingers so as to enter or exit school premises during lessons.
Classrooms will consist of rows of chairs and an electronic whiteboard connected to a computer. Teachers will divide their classes into two types: theoretical or practical. When learning theories, they can use Prezi to develop an interesting presentation that will captivate their audience. When doing exercises, iPad’s that have limited internet access can be distributed to students.
Paper notebooks will no longer be of any use. Before starting each class, students will receive standardized summaries of the day’s subjects, both electronically and in paper. For those who still need to have their own notes, there will be a text editor app in their iPad’s. However, tests and other examinations will not be done via tablets, in order to reduce cheating. Additionally, “the school of the future” needs to be eco-friendly. Due to this, all paper used will be of the recycled type.
Educators of the 21st century must discover ways to extend academic resources to homes as well. In this context, the advent of mobile apps is apparently a great option to facilitate the act of studying. Online homework is a good initiative, but it still needs to fight agitated students who cannot stay away from social networks. Another progress would be to directly communicate with parents by email, what would eliminate the risks of trusting youngsters to keep their mothers and fathers informed of their school challenges.
Can all of this really turn into reality?
The answer is: Yes, definitely!
As you’re reading this text, several governmental and independent projects around the globe are working to build the future of education. In Brazil, half a dozen public schools have given tablets to their students. In China, in spite of poverty growth, its government invests millions of dollars in developing new learning techniques. In the UK and the US, some of the best universities are known for innovating in their teaching guidelines.
One might wonder if all these suggestions could increase the costs of obtaining a diploma. As new technologies are always appearing, in a few years it won’t be impossible to sustain those “ideal” concepts. Still, are global leaders ready to revolutionize the way we learn?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O35n_tvOK74
Originally published on thimabi.wordpress.com.