A Special Change in Education by Ashley

A Special Change in Education by Ashley - June 2020 Scholarship Essay

The education system in America has been around for nearly two centuries, yet during modern times, conventional teaching is still being used. While some aspects of the system have changed, students are expected to learn modern curriculum with outdated methods. I believe this practice is inefficient and in need of change, especially in Special Education. The field is often overlooked due to a lack of understanding of the students' needs and abilities. By becoming a Special Education teacher, I hope to make this change by meeting the individual needs of each student and not overlooking modern methods to teach with.

In recent years, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans have become prominent in the education system. These methods allow educators to provide students with specialized instruction and accommodations to succeed in school. IEPs and 504 Plans are great resources for educators and administrators to meet the individual needs of students by focusing on their strengths and goals in order to provide a step-by-step education, rather than the traditional “one size fits all” plan. Although, I believe more change is needed to perfect the system. As IEPs and 504 plans appear to be working in the system, this shows modern solutions are benefiting the outdated system, but teaching methods have yet to change. If teaching methods change from conventional to modern, students will be able to receive an individualized and modern education that will prepare them for the modern world.

Modern teaching methods no longer rely on bookwork and lengthy lectures. Instead, new methods require collaboration, technology, contextual teaching, and various approaches to ideas. Collaboration not only promotes social skills, but it also allows both educators and students to teach and learn at one level, rather than having the teacher constantly talk while the students just sit and listen. By having open discussions and using game-based learning, educators can further engage their students to what is being taught. Technology goes hand in hand with collaboration as new technologies offer various programs to teach students hands-on material, which allows more room for the teacher to focus on the individualized plans that were previously mentioned. Both contextual teaching and taking various approaches to ideas in the classroom allows students to not only understand material, but to understand why the material is being taught and why it benefits them to learn it. Also, having various to all ideas opens the minds of students to question what they believe in, what they understand, and what they desire.

All in all, modern methods should be required in all schools as these are what the system needs to prefect itself. The system can be perfect by only providing individualized student programs if the programs still depend on outdated and conventional ideas. A modern world requires modern methods for modern students.

When I become a Special Education teacher, I hope to change the field by being a teacher who advocates these changes. I plan on advocating by promoting new ideas in my classroom and using methods that have been proven to work. I know that when my students succeed, I will be able to make change, one student at a time.