Are we really moving into 21st century thinking with new roads and innovative information in education? Thinking outside of the prescribed small package will bring new understanding and realizations that can provide the answers for a successful educational viewpoint. Understanding human dynamics can be the guidance to educational excellence for today. It is time to realize that a new philosophy that includes exploring outside of the box is necessary.
Currently the textbooks and teaching materials come from a left-brain set of rules. This encourages schools and society to produce automatons that do not ask questions but rather think and perform as taught. This extends to TV programming, advertising, emphasis on sports and elimination of the arts, violent games, and raucous "music" from handheld instruments, and gaming arcades. This structure contributes to less intelligence in many young people often called 'dumbing down'.
Can we free them from the shackles of the past? There is a bigger picture where unlimited possibilities from self-expression and creativity to educate the whole student are paramount. Learning is about experience, balance, and expanding abilities and talents. "Success breeds success," I was taught while attending college to become a teacher in the 50's. . Out students need to feel the success of their abilities and efforts.
Looking to wisdom from the past can be the foundation of a new paradigm for success in education. This offers a special approach to teaching. This presents opportunity for children to find their own talents and express their imagination; it allows growth in their personality and individuality. Our children could become competent and confident members contributing to society.
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself." Galileo. Fortunately, many teachers are "seeing the light" and inspiring students to develop their minds and talents and skills. Children are coming to school with increased intellectual capacity, spiritual clarity, and aspirations. In many cases, these youngsters were considered abnormal, treated harshly, and drugged into submission. Sadly, these exceptional children were forced to conform to the "norm".
More parents are recognizing their young children as gifted and wisely treating them as such. This is seen with more private schools than just parochial ones and home schooling blossoming with an awareness of the beneficial influence of fine music encouraged with the numbers of youth choirs and orchestras growing.
New educational systems and resource materials will reflect factual universal and planetary history, and accurate information. As unjust laws and policies are changed education worldwide will accurately reflect universal truths. The writing, printing, and distribution of textbooks will be done expeditiously in conjunction with computerized lessons. Those teachers prepared to teach from this new basis will step up to this mission.
It will be a dynamic system where the children can change the classroom as the term unfolds. This would be classroom-by-classroom. The teacher will only have one goal . . . that the children learn certain concepts by the end of the term, and prove they know everything expected. Each classroom will be able to govern how long this takes, and how long is spent on each concept or step, based on what the collective student group decides. This will eventually feature an evolved classroom where the students, based on their performance, will actually determine the term. Those classes who finish their terms early will get longer vacations. This potential future of education will be one that the next generation will begin to put in place.
Music, writing, painting, sculpture — all types of arts and crafts — will be given much more emphasis because all forms of artistic expression come from the soul. Current concentration on sports and the intensely competitive approach to team sports, and certainly the disproportionate time and monies allotted, will change to a spirit of enjoying the games and camaraderie while assisting each other to develop proficiency.
In addition, collectively the classrooms will be able to collectively dismiss other students in the class who detract from their learning, and/or individually help those who need review. So instead of the system deciding who's fit for a class, the students will. It will be a far more empowering system, and will always be under the direction of the teacher. Nevertheless, it's a far different system from what you have today, where the system drives the student. In the future, the student will drive the system. There will not be chaos, as many educators may predict. A funny thing happens when you give leadership concepts to those who can lead: They do.
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." Albert Einstein
Rev. Marilyn Redmond, BA, CHT, IBRT. Marilyn draws on her wisdom as a retired teacher with over fifty years in education and is still teaching. Her work towards a Ph.D. has provided knowledge about the dynamics of how people learn. She began writing about educational issues since 1995 using her awareness and information to encourage excellence in education. Her web site is angelicasgifts.com See her many You Tubes. Her books are on Amazon.com