A Doctoral Discussion about Education

I have to say that I am very impressed with the faculty at UC Santa Barbara. The classes that I have taken have taught me new ways to look at and think about things. The readings, in-class discussions, and opportunities to present make classes interactive, enjoyable, and applicable to real life.

So what I have a learned thus far? 
Here’s a recap (I’m writing this to get a better grasp of where my research is heading and to share some thoughts with you – I’d love to hear your thoughts/advice/etc… as well!):

U.S. Education 

• K-12 education in the US was primarily developed during the Industrial Revolution to provide factory workers with basic skills for working on an assembly line. 
• The K-12 education system is still using this model today – the teacher is the expert, the students must learn all of the knowledge bestowed upon them, creativity and innovation are not recognized, and students, regardless of ability and knowledge, are grouped by age and sent from one grade level to the next 
• Think about this, if a surgeon from the 1800’s were to walk into an operating room today, would she be able to perform an operation? No… If a teacher from the 1800’s were to walk into a classroom today, she could still perform the relatively same job tasks with ease. 

The U.S. Education system would be fine if the goal was to prepare students for jobs that only require the ability to perform one task over and over without thinking.

However, today’s employers are looking for individuals that can think critically, analyze problems, develop creative solutions, and collaborate on multidisciplinary projects with individuals around the world.

How do we address the disconnect between education and the working world? 

Learning 2.0
Web 1.0 refers to the early days in the Internet era where websites were used like encyclopedias and only a few users controlled all of the content. Web 2.0 is the shift from the Internet as a place for people to find information to a collaborative, global atmosphere where users create, mix, mash-up, design, produce, and share content through social media sites.

Education needs to evolve from a place where teachers are the experts that stand in front of the classroom and lecture to an area where students can shape their own learning. Students can find answers to pretty much everything online (Wolfram Alpha has step-by-step instructions for solving advanced calculus problems). So why should they have to go to school and sit in a classroom when instead they could research what they need to know on the Internet in seconds?

To engage students in learning, teachers need to tap into the students’ knowledge and expertise. What do students bring to the classroom? How can they use their knowledge and skills to advance their learning? Why assign an essay when a student who has taught herself how to develop iPod apps could turn in an app instead? Why not give students an advanced problem, let them use whatever tools they want to devise a solution, and see what they come up with?

As Socrates said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” Education is about inspiring lifelong learning. Teachers that design practical, real world learning experiences, allow for creativity, use tools that students are familiar with (i.e., Web 2.0), and are willing to forgo being the expert to encourage students’ interests and passions are the teachers who are truly preparing students for success in the 21st century.

There’s No Silver Bullet 
If I’ve learned one thing so far, it’s that there is no silver bullet that will magically solve all of the problems in education. Throwing money at a problem will not fix it. Buying iPads for every student won’t increase test scores if teachers don’t know how to use iPads to improve learning. Market-based reforms, charter schools, merit pay for standardized test scores all increase competition but none of these have shown to improve learning any more than public schools.

The Solution
It all starts with the teachers. Teachers are amazing! Teachers have the capacity to create a Learning 2.0 environment that inspires lifelong learning and prepares students to excel in college and beyond. However, teachers must be willing to change their teaching style and stop teaching to the test. They also need more support and the freedom to be creative…This is a discussion that will be saved for a later date.

Those are my thoughts for now. Here are some excellent books to read that touch upon some of the topics I addressed above:

Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative – Ken Robinson

The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education – Diane Ravitch

Language and Learning in the Digital Age – Gee & Hayes