School resources seem to become easier to come by as technology advances and the people around the world become more interconnected. Arts and crafts for kids are available all around the world because of the way the global economy works. Teaching resources are becoming more available because of advancements in technology, such as the Internet. A teacher can now grab additional information from the Internet that can be used to go into more depth about a topic that is being taught from the book. Nowadays, students can be shown pictures, videos, and other information related to the learning topic instantly through the use of the Internet. School teachers and parents have had a hard time when it comes to getting children to pay attention in school in the past, but these problems have become much less prevalent as technology has advanced and made learning more enjoyable for everyone involved.
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Children cannot resist the interesting aspect on learning created by the Internet, which is why young children are becoming smarter at a younger age these days. While computers can definitely be used to waste time playing video games, they also have their use as a tool for education. A child left on his own would probably just play video games all day, but it is the job of the teacher and parent to make sure they are using technology for learning and not for laziness. A teacher can only do this job with enough available resources to grab the attention of a child and teach him or her about the world. Many resources for teachers are being cut out by advancements in technology these days, but this is actually a good thing. The resources being cut out are those that have been proven to be slower and less effective. A child is much better off using the Internet than an Encyclopaedia, so there is no reason to force outdated resource books to be used by students. New technology is available to help make learning more fun and exciting for both the students and the teachers. This technology should be used since it is likely to help children enjoy learning and strive to learn more each day.
One of the best resources for learning today are games that help children have fun while being taught the facts of the world. These games have become even more entertaining for children with the added use of various pieces of technology. Today, teachers are allowed to interact with the World Wide Web during lessons, which helps them gain more resources to show the children and teach them about the world. Fun activities in the lesson plan of a teacher are always a positive for the learning environment. Kids just care about having fun all of the time, so they have to be having fun while they learn. You cannot just teach by the book because that will leave most of the students bored and uninterested. This is a problem with many school systems around the world. The children simply do not care about paying attention to someone giving them a lecture all day. They will be much more open minded about learning if it is through the use of fun and games.
Learning is impossible without school resources, but learning can be taken to the next level with the use of fun activities for the students to do during the lesson. Arts and crafts for kids are a great method to get them to learn because most children love to colour and paint. This is often used in geography lessons where countries can be learned by colouring in maps with different colours for different sections of the world. Teaching resources are important, but how those resources are used are just as important. If a teacher really wants to get through to their students, they need to let them have fun every now and then. Starting the day with a lesson and note taking is fine, but the students need some kind of hands-on activity to really have the material sink in. The best way to get students to care about learning is to make it as fun as possible.
More than 1.2 million students will not graduate from high school this year (2007) according to a recent report by Editorial Projects in Education. Editorial Projects in Education is a creditable non-profit organization that conducts extensive research to help raise the level of awareness about important issues in American education.
We have an educational crisis in the United States. Why aren't millions of parents outraged and taking a stand? Why aren't our leaders, including the President and Congress, making this issue a major priority?
This report by Editorial Projects in Education also provides startling statistics. Many major cities have schools in which less than half of the students graduate. One major city had schools in which almost 75% of the students failed to graduate. This is deplorable and tragic.
Many of our schools are failing to adequately educate our kids at a time when a good education has never been more important. What will the job prospects and quality of life be for students who do not even complete high school? How will employers in the U.S. remain competitive in the global marketplace if this trend continues? These are questions that need to be addressed.
Problems provide opportunities for solutions
In every crisis there are opportunities to make a positive difference. Every problem has a solution. What is a possible solution to the educational crisis? There are many schools and teachers doing a great job educating our students. We need to examine the schools, courses, and teachers that are producing successful results and create models of what is working.
For example, eighty percent of the economically disadvantaged students who graduate from KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) charter schools go to college. These kids from the poorest neighborhoods, who on the average are two grades behind when they start at KIPP, are outscoring students from excellent public schools on national standardized tests.
Many community colleges offer courses in study skills and effective learning strategies. These courses teach students how to learn, Omani textbooks identify their best learning styles and skills, set goals and manage their time. These courses are often available to high school students as part of early college start programs.
I came out of retirement a year ago to teach success and study skill strategy courses part-time for a community college. One of the courses I teach is for at-risk students who enter college with two or more deficiencies. Students who take this course graduate at significantly higher rates than those who are not enrolled.
Why are the Kipp schools and many college success strategy courses working? The answer is motivated students who work hard, dedicated teachers and courses which help students identify skills, talents, goals and how they learn best. Students are motivated to learn when they are focused on realistic goals and see the relevance of their education to these goals.
An education should bring out the best in our students, develop their potential and natural gifts and help them to become positive contributors to society. We need to create educational systems which model schools, courses and teachers which have proven track records of helping students to succeed. This is one solution to the education crisis and a way to provide our young people with the education they deserve.
Copyright 2007. Raymond Gerson.