TED video
One of the statements from Ken Robinson that resonated with me is that "College is not for everyone". I couldn't agree more. I see the push and pressure for all kids to go to college and they have no idea why. The students may have other ideas and dreams but educators and the general public say, "You must go to college". So they go to college and while in school for the first two years they are taking general education courses. It's only after all that, that students (finally) can sink their teeth into the meat of what they may be passionate about. It seems that students are locked into an archaic mind set that they have seen beyond. I think the students are in the agriculture model and as educators, we are often fighting to keep them in the manufacturing model.
Learning to Change, Changing to Learn:
I'm learning to change with the technology, albeit at a snails pace.
Students will continue to push us to change and progress forward. As an educator, playing catch-up is challenging.
And you see this first hand every day. This why I like our emphasis in the BSD now of "college AND career ready" students.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% that a four year college is not for everyone. I used to put that at the top of what students should aspire to. However, I now realize that two year colleges, vocational schools, and employment are of equal value. It's more important for me as an educator that students graduate from high school. More important is that each student is a "good person and a good student" in that order, to quote a former dad of mine.
ReplyDeleteIt is so important to provide students with the information they need to determine which pathway is the best fit. My concern is that this does not seem to be happening in many schools. Students are left to their own resources and if that child comes from a culture of poverty, they often are left to fend for themselves lost in the big abyss. I am encouraged by teachers who take on a student or two and mentor them at least for the time they are in the same school. It warms the heart and feeds the soul to see how this action can and does change lives.
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