The Main Factors Changing Education in the Future by Erin

The Main Factors Changing Education in the Future by Erin - May 2020 Scholarship Essay

Especially with the current situation affecting the world today, it is obvious that education will be different in the future. Some people argue that education will lose its value, and remote learning will take over schools. Others claim that education will actually become more valuable than ever in the future. The question is not whether or not education will stay; rather, it is in what ways will education evolve?
The main factors causing education to change in the next fifty years are technology, the value of testing, and teacher appreciation. Technology changes the way students learn because many students have found that online school is a stronger fit for them than a traditional classroom experience. In the next fifty years, educators will become more accepting of the different ways that students learn. The kid who is seen as “restless”, “fidgety”, or “distracted” yet extremely intelligent will not be forced to sit still for a lengthy lecture because that is the “normal” way of learning. Instead, all types of students will have opportunities to learn in the way that best suits them. Classes will be divided between the type of learning environment they offer, and students will be placed where they learn and grow the most efficiently. Technology will not get rid of education, it will simply improve it.
Furthermore, the growth in popularity of online school has caused many people to question the need for teachers. Although online school is successful, teachers shape the way that their class receives information through their attitude. After the COVID-19 pandemic, teacher appreciation will grow because students will realize how much they took their teachers for granted. They will learn to miss interaction with teachers that made them feel safe at school. As far as curriculum, a teacher’s attitude changes the structure of a class. For example, a teacher who lived through 9/11 will teach about the subject in a more intimate way than one who has not. Teachers will not lose their jobs as remote education rises, they will in turn become more valuable.
As many universities stop requiring ACT/SAT scores for admission, schools will realize that standardized tests are not meant for every student. While some students work well under pressure, other students are overcome with anxiety and nerves, not able to perform their best. In the future, tests will not completely diminish, but they will not be the only measure of success. Students will have to complete a combination of tests, essays, and projects. Their ability to articulate who they are as a person will be seen as more impressive than a test score. While tests are an efficient way to measure learning, they do not exemplify how a student will apply education to the professional world, and more schools will realize this in the future.
In fifty years, education will be drastically different than how it is now, but with the same goal: forming children into the best version of themselves. Technology will cause acceptance of all types of learners, teachers will be needed more than ever, and intelligence will be measured in a number of ways. Education will never die; it will only evolve into something bigger and better than ever.