The book focuses on the benefits of students using internet technologies both inside and outside of the classroom, involving parents in addition to teachers.
It is also a reliable source because it explains how, despite being a serious threat, technological changes in education pave the way for more possibilities.
One of the most basic educational reforms is the teaching residency, which is critically examined in this journal article.
This source is crucial for the research, as it insights the possible way of solving the student-teacher relationship issue in the rural areas schools.
Fishman, Dan. “School reform for rural America.” Education Next, 15.3 (2015).
The article suggests not only statistical data regarding the educational gaps in rural America, but also the innovations that might be developed.
Hout, Michael. “Social and economic returns to college education in the United States.” Annual Review of Sociology, 38 (2012): 379-400.
This journal article reviews the effects of educational returns on society. Its credibility for the research is confirmed by the suggested evidence on education's role in the U.S.
Roderick, Melissa, Jenny Nagaoka, and Vanessa Coca. “College readiness for all: The challenge for urban high schools.” The Future of Children, 19.1 (2009): 185-210.
The focus of the article is drawn to the significance of making colleges more easily accessed for low-income and minority groups' students. The identified set of skills is also of great use.
Sahlberg, Pasi. “Education policies for raising student learning: The Finnish approach.” Journal of Education Policy, 22.2 (2007): 147-171.
This article argues on the costs reasonability for obtaining education. The point is focused on the unlikeness of Finnish approach in achieving students' best scores.
Schneider, Mark, and Lu Michelle Yin. “Completion matters: The high cost of low community college graduation rates.” AEI Education Outlook, 2 (2012): 1-10.
This source is significant for the research in reviewing the online classes, the models based on competency, and establishing for-profit educational units. It also provides the estimated outcomes of implementing the suggested steps.
Education Reforms
Introduction
Education is an imperative building block of any nation. No nation has ever prospered with pervasive illiteracy. As much as this tends to be a highly pressing issue, countries fail to give due importance to it. Either because they are too ignorant or they deem the existing system to be well fit. Unfortunately, developed countries like the U.S. are no exception, hence have failed in the attempt to upgrade and maintain a rigorous education system. Although the living style of people in this modern era has changed rapidly, the public schools are still like they were 70 years ago. Therefore, in order to grow and sustain on a global level, the use of an online learning system and autonomous models should be made. Only this will give the nation a competitive edge, which it requires now.
Background
The 'one size fits all' education strategy that has been prevailing from decades needs to be extirpated completely. More diversified and cross-cultural approach should be adopted in the form of an educational reform to overcome issues that prevail in the existing system. Ironically, one policy after the other has been implemented, but the progress still seems to be below the desired level (Collins 84). The system of treating all learners in the same way be they from rural areas or urban and catering students of different caliber with the same techniques still prevails in the country. The pathetic test scores of American students, specifically in the subjects of science and mathematics, is an indicator of the faltering system challenge they are facing right now. Reports of international tests show a reduction of 18 points in students of the age of 15. This clearly depicts a fault in the education system, which needs to be addressed (Darling 732). Any intellectually honest citizen would suggest a thoroughgoing reform specifically in the public education system of America. Statistics show an increased gap in America's social status due to better opportunities and facilities for students of well-off school districts only. The higher education commission needs to address how institutions and programs should be transformed to cater the needs of a knowledgeable and evolving economy (Schneider and Yin 8).
Opposing Views on Educational Reforms
A lot of people deny the existence of any problem in the educational system. Different people hold different perspectives for the same matter. People, denying the educational system defectiveness, are convinced the country would not have prospered and touched a new height, if the educational system was not so good enough. Opponents believe that their students are successful in competing with businesses on a local and global level (Hout 381). The quality and amount of education they are being provided with is sufficient to excel in all fields. More reforms instigate both parties to cheat for their survival in a public education system. Reform programs in view of the opponents are totally misguided and misdirected. They are mislabeled to a great extent. Instead of reforms that have been carried out time again and again, ideas out of the box would probably do more good to the system. The reforming process tends to ignore the root cause of the problem in assuming that failing schools are the issue (Sahlberg 163). In reality, failing students are to be blamed and focused on. Spending more in the name of reforms will lead to unnecessary regulations being directed to areas that are working just fine and to wastage of money. Therefore, why alter such system, which has produced some phenomenal results in the past and present too? Why carry out the same process repeatedly in the hope of getting better results?
In today's fast-paced world, it is imperative to adapt to the rapid changes in nearly all the fields of life. This requires changing the education system, since that is what requires amendments. The changes would allow a better allocation of resources. It will only be fair to address the social gap by directing resources to the needy schools only. This would help in saving costs and would produce equitable outcomes. Sustenance in the modern era would only be attainable if learning techniques are set according to every group of student class. Evidently, students dwelling in the rural areas would most likely respond differently to the various types of education than students from the metropolitan areas (Fishman 4). The first-world nations have constantly been in search of ways to come up to the level of the United States. Countries that in the past were far behind in terms of education have now surpassed America in providing quality education to majority of its youth.
Another failure on the part of students is that they are unable to demonstrate and communicate the knowledge of literacy and basic skills they possess. This hinders their performance to a great extent. Also, the same learning techniques, the same methods, and the same material delivered to students happen to cause some serious interest issues. Students get bored and tired of their school routine. To top it all, the foundation of most of the teaching and learning done today is memorization or rote learning. Not everything can be memorized and learnt by heart. The resulting lack of interest is the major cause of dropouts. Reforms and their strict implementation will have a positive impact on the environment. Betterment will show when proper training will enable educators to distinguish the wheat of knowledge from its chaff.
Conclusion
Therefore, precautionary measures in improving the quality of education should be taken to keep the power intact. State inspectorate establishment will make monitoring the system an easy task. It will help promote regulation and oversight and increase accountability and standards. Teachers should be placed in the center of the reform efforts, because ultimately, they will be the ones responsible for shaping the students according to the need of the hour (Roderick et al. 391). Therefore, whatever that exists there today must be safeguarded, because it is something that resulted from the ancestors and forefathers' undying efforts.
Works Cited
Collins, Allan, and Richard Halverson. Rethinking education in the age of technology: The Digital Revolution and Schooling in America. Teachers College Press, 2009.
Darling-Hammond, Linda. “A future worthy of teaching for America.” Phi Delta Kappan, 89.10 (2008): 730-736.
Fishman, Dan. “School reform for rural America.” Education Next, 15.3 (2015).
Hout, Michael. “Social and economic returns to college education in the United States.” Annual Review of Sociology, 38 (2012): 379-400.
Roderick, Melissa, Jenny Nagaoka, and Vanessa Coca. “College readiness for all: The challenge for urban high schools.” The Future of Children, 19.1 (2009): 185-210.
Sahlberg, Pasi. “Education policies for raising student learning: The Finnish approach.” Journal of Education Policy, 22.2 (2007): 147-171.
Schneider, Mark, and Lu Michelle Yin. “Completion matters: The high cost of low community college graduation rates.” AEI Education Outlook, 2 (2012): 1-10.
