There is much debate today on what would be the best way to reform education. Credible and scholarly writers such as Alfie Kohn, Joel Westheimer, and Andrea Schlesinger have vast ideas on different approaches that can be taken to improve America’s education system. Although there are many opportunities when attending an American school many citizens, including students, question the education system of today; here are four steps that qualified educators believe to be able to improve the American education programs.
Step one is focusing more on students critically thinking or thinking on their own. A great phrase of putting this idea to the test is, “focusing more on the question than the answer.” (Schlesinger 34). In The Power of “Why?” Schlesinger expresses her feeling towards what the bigger impact can be on students when focusing more on the depth of the question than how “quickly” and “correctly” students answer the question (34). She mentions that teachers are evaluated on how students test scores are rather than how critically they think. Schlesinger says that educators can help students think critically by, “letting the students speak their minds”, or teaching students that answers to our history has/will change as well as previous information that we once obtained from the past (34). Oftentimes teachers are afraid to let students open their minds and really think about the question because they think the books answer is the only right one. Teachers also may be more focused on making sure that the students know the right answer so they can do well on future test that the administration uses to evaluate the teachers. Students can significantly gain and profit from this tiny step in our education system. El...
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...d their students. They need to try and learn something from their students because that can make the students feel like their voices are being heard. American students should want to learn and be open up to new ideas and thoughts. They should not be limited on anything they can do, say or think. There are great ideas in students of today. If teachers always tell their students they are wrong and to go by the book your adolescent’s creativity and thought will never be heard.
Works Cited
Westheimer, Joel. “No Child Left Thinking” Independence School.
Spring 2008
Kohn, Alfie. “Progressive Education: Why It’s Hard to Beat, But Also Hard to Find” Independent School. Spring 2008
Schlesinger, Andrea. “The Power of “Why?” YES!
Fall 2009
Schlesinger, Andrea. “How Civic Education Died- and Why We Need It Back” Drum Major Institute. Sep. 17, 2006
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President Ronald Reagan once described America as, “A Nation at Risk,” He was addressing this statement to the education department thirty years ago and meant it as a wake-up call. He was aware that the United States was falling behind in education and needed to take action in order to prevent the demise of the country. Reagan correctly predicted the grim fate of America if education did not see improvement. Today, research finds that American education is failing to provide the necessary skills to succeed in college and various careers. The quality of education in America is a growing issue and every year graduate students are finding it more difficult to obtain high paying jobs and start his or her career. According to studies conducted globally, the curriculum in America is not as advanced and years behind international schools in countries such as China and Japan. There is much controversy in government over what can be done to reverse the situation in public schools but possible solutions that have been suggested are hiring more qualified teachers, more classroom time, and investing more money into education.
Every country in the world places considerable value on education, for education occupies an important place in the country. However, school education in the United States is far too optimistic. The reason why the American education starts to lose its grip is that the current education systems cannot meet the needs of excellent education for cultivating the qualified students. Students from middle and primary school concern about their study in school when they show their limitations in mastering the basic knowledge. 1[Traditional way of teaching puts many emphases on the practical function and at most time, teaching serves for the particular purpose of school education].2[In addition, a highly relaxed education environment provided by the
Ask any number of people, what the value of an education is and they all will agree that a good education is exceedingly important. However, ask any number of people, how the country should improve it, and that is fiercely contested. Every couple of years a new hopeful idea is put into the system to help in some way whether it be enforcing standards, opening schools like charter schools, giving out checks to private education, or having a teacher’s pay be based on their performance. The most recent ideas have been two federal programs that have both sought to remake the educational system. The first one is the “No Child Left Behind Act” that was put into place in 2001. This act is to r...
John W. Gardner said, “Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.” Education today is very ineffective. It is in an in between phase of the ways of old and a time of complete reform. The main issue is that people often lose sight of why the education system should even be reformed. It shouldn’t be reformed because “that’s what everyone else is doing.” It needs to be reformed to bridge the gap for the students who have a different learning style. It should be reformed to expand knowledge for students. Education reform can have good and bad effects. Because the education system is very complex, educators are being faced with changes and they must decide what is best for students.
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place to stress out. As I walk through the halls all students seem to have that