In 50 Years - Striving for Educational Ideals by Kristin

In 50 Years - Striving for Educational Ideals by Kristin - May 2020 Scholarship Essay

Malcolm X, a human rights activist, quoted, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” Encompassing most people's time before adulthood, education is a significant part of a student’s life as it prepares them for a career, success, and results in character development. The Cambridge English dictionary defines education as “the process of teaching or learning.” This has remained education’s primary intent from the very beginning, and we have seen its progress since. As countries around the world grow both economically and technologically, so does education. Through history, we have experienced how it has changed through varying methodology and adherence to social standards. It is certain that education, which translates to achievement, is continually improving. Ed100, an online self-paced learning resource emphasizes this with, “There is strong evidence that educational achievement is slowly improving for students in all subgroups, all over America. Graduation rates are improving. College-going rates have risen.” Thus, if education has tended toward a constant upward track of growth, what will it look like in 50 years?

In 50 years, distance learning will play a major role in the education system and will be broadly expanded to provide education for all. Distance learning would utilize the advantages that technology provides through online classes and accessible self-learning resources. Today, the alarmingly high number of children around the world that cannot obtain an education remains a regrettable problem. These children need a voice, and as the future leaders of America, this voice is us. Statistics from the Global Education Monitoring Report show that, “The number of boys and girls who are denied access to education is up … to 264 million.” This must change, as education can make or break the outcome of a child’s future. Interactive live-streams could be broadcasted to groups of children who cannot physically attend school. An independent learning resource equipped with viewable-offline videos could be distributed to those in underprivileged circumstances. The implementing of distance learning is a valuable tool as it gives the same quality of education anywhere – it is not limited to a physical facility. For those who cannot attend a school, there is nothing to lose. In a world so developed as it is today, every child deserves a quality education to guide them to future success, and technology is the key to this ideal.

A prominent asset of future education would regard making standardized tests less imperative. These tests would not be the primary method for determining a student’s intellectual status. Clearly, everyone has varying learning styles. Particularly in the United States, education is “one size fits all.” Standardized tests are unfairly geared towards certain individuals. Yale professor Robert Sternberg explains, “Conventional tests spotlight children who have certain abilities-especially memory and abstract-analytical ones-but leave in the dark children with other kinds of abilities, such as creative and practical ones…they predict only about ten percent of the variation…of success.” Future education would focus on all types of learners, perhaps creating tests specific for each learning type to allow equal success in not some, but all. Regular tests in school would also be reduced. Tests are often inaccurate measures of knowledge. In order to fully let a student shine, the ability to confidently re-teach material would show true understanding and mastery, being a better assessment of a student’s academic standpoint. Children should be taught how to learn, not how to take a test. Without the competitive nature of exams, everyone has an equal chance for achievement.

Finally, in 50 years, education will implement personalized learning. This would be executed by first catering to all different learning styles – i.e. audio vs. visual and logical vs. creative. Teaching style would consist of engaging group discussions and interactive learning opportunities. Personalized education would ascertain that all students receive help to strengthen their weak points. With this in mind, the negative connotation of tutoring would be erased. This is essential, as the public-school system in the United States makes it easy for students to fall behind if they do not understand something due to the conveyor belt learning style. In 50 years, the formation of specific educational methods will set students on a better track towards accomplishment. In this sense, equality does not mean one single method of education for all, but different, personalized methods for equal chances at success. The importance of education equality should remain foremost in our society, and can be brought forth by all the principles previously discussed.

Indeed, quality education will make an significant difference in the lives of next generation’s children. Education of the future has the potential to improve and transform education for the benefit of everyone. Employing technology for its best purpose and adapting learning for each individual’s profit will found the morals behind educational equality. Without learning, the world would be lost - education must be at its best. In 50 years, education will change the world, leading to drastic economic advances and valued societal ideals by achievements from the children of tomorrow.

Works Cited
Bleiker, Carla. “UNESCO: 264 Million Children Don’t Go to School.” Deutsche Welle.
https://www.dw.com/en/unesco-264-million-children-dont-go-to-school/a-41084932 Accessed 13 May 2020
Cushman, Kathleen. “Failure by Design: Why Tests Don’t Show What Students Can Do.”
Coalition of Essential Schools. http://essentialschools.org/horace-issues/failure-by-design-why-tests-dont-show-what-students-can-do/ Accessed 13 May 2020
“Progress: Are Schools Improving?” Ed100. https://ed100.org/lessons/improving Accessed 13 May
2020.