Racism Essay - 1592 Words

Attack The Source There really is no way of getting around it. There is a great deal of racial tension in the United States today. Nine out of ten people in society today believe that racism does exist and is something that affects millions of people everyday. There is not much arguing that can done with a statistic like that. What is it that causes so many problems between each other? Is it that we are afraid of the unknown? Whatever the cause is, we have been trying to fix the problem for many years now. Since racism is learned and not genetic, it is something that needs to be taken care of in school starting from the young children. In Brown v. Board of Education, the whole issue was that schools could be segregated only if†¦show more content†¦The first thing that needs to be done is to up-date the text books and books in general that are read by the students starting from Kindergarten or first grade. The books need to be changed to include different cultures and their positive contributions to life, and not just focusing on one group. Curriculum change is also something that can do some benefit in understanding others. For example, instead of having black history one month, why cant every month have black history in it? Students could learn about black history all year around, and not just condensed into one month. This goes the same for other cultures also. This is something that would along with educating ourselves, help break up stereotypes we have of others. In James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† , the narrator talks about students’ future with the education system as it is. The narrator says, â€Å"All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives, which was now closing in on them, and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness, in which they now, vindictively, dreamed, at once more together than they were at any other time, and more alone.† This is an example of how children back in those days had no real future except for the ones they saw in the movies, which was like a dream world to them. Racism hit its high point in the 1960s and today it is still flooding society. Throughout schoolsShow MoreRelatedRacism : Racism And Racism1544 Words   |  7 PagesTo understand whether or not racism is learnt, we first have to divulge into the nature of racism. It is usually assumed that racism has been a part of civilisation since civilisation started, that it is embedded into how people work and that no matter what, it will always exist. Another assumption is that racism derives from the capitalism of the slave trade by white elitist men seeking to dehumanize people for economic gain, and used racism as a way to mask their financial motives to justify enslavementRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1003 Words   |  5 Pagesracism: Racism-â€Å"the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.† Imagine, 5 black men. Singing a church song still faithful for hope. Chained and cuffed together. Flies follow them as they walk by in the dry hot desert. With the white oppressor behind them yelling nasty words that poison their brain. Yet they still sing and wait and keep faith. In some statesRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism953 Words   |  4 PagesRacism in America â€Å"Racism is a refuge for the ignorant. It seeks to destroy. It is the enemy of freedom, and it deserves to be met head-on and stamped out.† - Pierre Berton Racism is the unjust hate for any people who are simply different for a various array of reasons. It is all around us and always will be, but that does not give us the right to be passive on the subject. This discrimination against culturally diverse people is hurting our â€Å" land of the free†, one racist remark at a time.Read MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1181 Words   |  5 PagesThis issue of racism is popular by name but tends to be sugar coated by the way people see it. In order to truly understand racism you need to take a bite into the topic in order to get a taste of what it is really like. Racism comes in many different forms and can be seen many different ways. But why even care about racism at all? Why does it even matter? One would think that with such a harsh background regarding racism in America it would no longer exist in society today. But sadly that is notRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism989 Words   |  4 PagesRacism in America Racism discrimination has been one of our society’s most horrible social problems. In the words of the famous Martin Luther King judging an individual by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character can be a very dehumanizing experience that can have lasting effects on an individual life. Racism in America has not come to a cease. Racism promotes negative personal relations between people of different cultures. I believe slavery started around the 1500sRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism996 Words   |  4 PagesCovert Racism Introduction Racism; ‘the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others’ (Collins English Dictionary 2012) and thus leading to ‘abusive or aggressive behaviour towards members of another race on the basis of such a belief’ (Collins English Dictionary 2012). Over time, racism has transformed from a blatant and overt form into a passive style of prejudice and discriminationRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1094 Words   |  5 PagesRacism has been an issue that has caused controversial debates for years. It is a topic that stirs up lots of emotions within people and continues to be an argument for all. When there has been a shooting between a white and a colored or a cop and a colored person, people blame it on racism. They state that since the white cop shot the black man it simply means the cop was racist. Then the people want to speak that justice needs to be served and the cop needs to be put in prison or released fromRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1751 Words   |  8 PagesRacism Social Justice Topic Issue Corbin Metz H R – 3013 University of Oklahoma Racism Social Justice Topic Issue Today in our society, racism is a very popular social justice topic issue, which affects many of the lives of those around us on a daily basis. Individuals as well as organizations and institutions widely commit the act of racism and these issues are embedded in their policies, procedures, and practices (Calgary). The first signs of racism beginning to arise in the worldRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism1971 Words   |  8 PagesRacism has come to be a very important topic in today’s society. Many are talking about the injustices when it comes mostly when it comes to African-Americans and Caucasians in authority. Many have deemed the incidents of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Walter Scott, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, the Spring Valley High School video, and even the Charleston Shooting to name a few as reactions to racism. Out of the people talking about these events, only a few really know the meaning of racismRead MoreRacism : Racism And Racism2243 Words   |  9 PagesRacism, a topic which has become especially touchy in modern times. It is quite clear that racism is alive not only in the United States, but across the globe. Though the topic is widely talked about, nobody really does anything to stop it. People will be quick to elaborate on the fact that it should be stopped, then make no changes themselves. Yet do they truly understand the concepts of racism and what it really means to be racist? Granted everybody understands that it is racist to hate a group

Arranged Marriage 1 Free Essays

Original Essay Marriage is commonly defined as the relationship between two people of opposite sex known as husband and wife, and it is a key to bring them happiness. Therefore, choosing a husband and wife is one of the most important decisions for everyone’s life because a marriage can bring either a happy life or an unhappy life. In many countries in the world, and especially in the western countries, a man or woman can choose their own partner. We will write a custom essay sample on Arranged Marriage 1 or any similar topic only for you Order Now In contrast, in some countries like Cambodia, parents arrange their children’s marriage. However, if we take a closer look at arranged marriages, there are some contrasting ideas about them in our society. We can easily acknowledge that parents have more life experience, but this does not necessarily assure that they will always choose the right spouse for their child. In fact, arranged marriage generally has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the most important advantages to arranged marriage is having a good financial security and living condition. Of course, Money doesn’t automatically bring a good happiness, but the lack of money can cause lots of troubles in the family and stresses in any relationship. In Cambodian tradition, parents often involve transfers of property to their marrying children, and hopefully they wish to bring their children with a very good financial and living condition. For example, some Cambodian parents give property such as house, land, money and jewelry to the new couple after getting married, and they have an important role in solving any problems happening to their married children. In addition, parents have greater life experiences than their children; therefore, they can usually make a better decision or judgment. For instance, In Cambodian culture, many parents always think carefully about whom their children should marry, and most of their thoughts focus on financial situation, family status and individual behavior because they strongly believe that if their children get married to a husband or wife who has these things, problem will not happen. The second advantage of the arranged marriage is that children can bring gratefulness and honor to their family. Cambodian people believe in Buddhism. In Buddhism, People believe in returning gratitude to their parents, and hildren have an obligation to maintain their family’s honor. Marrying into a good family is considered to be a way of returning gratitude to parents, especially for a young girl. Moreover, getting married to someone that is arranged by parents is recognized that children obey Khmer traditional culture and respect their parents gratefully. For example, when a daughter get married to man that is selected by her parents, she w ill be considered a grateful daughter because everything she behaves doesn’t go against Khmer tradition. The third advantage is that parents can end a very big and important duty in their life. Traditionally, it is an obligation for Cambodian parents to choose and arrange marriage for their children so that their family’s reputation and honor can be retained. Generally, Cambodian children live with their parents until they get married, and parents have a lot of responsibilities for their children. Choosing marriage partner for their children is one of the most important responsibilities during their life. For instance, from the time their children were born until the time they get married parents have to do a lot of duties such as taking care of their children’s health, earning money to support the basic needs and education for their children and looking for children’s marriage partner either. After getting married, children have their own responsibility and they have to follow the ways their parents behave toward them. Therefore, parents do not need to responsible for such heavy burdens anymore. How to cite Arranged Marriage 1, Papers

In the constructivist classroom Essay Example For Students

In the constructivist classroom Essay Are you a constructivist? Or, are you a good questioner? Are theythe same or different? Since we have learned about and launched theemergent curriculum, we can understand about constructivism. However,even though we may have understood constructivism, it is not easy toapply it in teaching. Because younger children can learn many thingsquickly like a sponge absorbing water and their ability to think isdeveloping equally fast, EC educators need to inspire them to findquestions. Even if we do not give them questions, children can developtheir own questions. However, as an EC educator, I would like to be also agood questioner and would like to help them to think and create their ownideas because asking a question is a fundamental of education like in theSocratic teaching and questioning. Thus, I believe that constructivisteducators can bring a fresh approach to children and EC education, and arenaissance of EC education. First of all, according to the article, traditional educationbelieves that a teacher pours knowledge into passive students. Basically Ido not deny this traditional understanding, because sometimes we need tolearn certain things, such as traditional (performing) arts. However, inthe general education field, especially in EC education, I do not thinkthat a teacher can deal with all childrens questions and interests throughthis traditional education method. One of the qualities of constructivistsis being a good questioner. For example, in my previous placement, a boywas very interested in transportation. He knew about many different kindsof transportation. Therefore, I asked him to tell me a story of trains andto draw me pictures of his favourite transportation. He loved both theseactivities. I believe that I was a good questioner and could help himdeveloping his imagination and drawing skill through asking his favouritethings. Furthermore, in the constructivist classroom, students often canfind answers or methods with their friends while in contrast students in atraditional teaching class just listen to a teacher. In the latter theyremember an answer but in the former they remember an approach because theconstructivist does not need to remember the answer only ways to find ananswer. There is no right or wrong way in the childrens exploring and evenif they do not find an answer to a question, but they surly can findsomething new or different from each other. Collaboration is one of theessentials in constructivism because learning is not just individual butalso social. Each student may have a different idea and thus they can finda lot of ways to lead to solutions. In this process children can learn tobe cooperative and sociable and these skills will be very important for thechildrens future. There are some problems such as in the constructivist classroomeveryone needs to be active to learn. However, some students might be shyand do not like to speak in front of others. Since the constructivism isnot only for major group but also for everyone, a teacher needs to find howto help the quieter or alternative idea child to have a voice. Oftenminority opinions are ignored and these sorts of children will become morehesitant to speak out loud. From my personal experience, I recognize thatchildren would like a teacher to listen to them. Therefore, whenever I findchildren who do not feel comfortable with speaking in public, I try to bewith them and listen to them carefully. Also I try to get them used tospeaking in public little by little by asking and breaking down a question. In Socratic teaching, teachers give questions to a student, but they answerthem. A teacher is not an authority but a helper in the constructivismclassroom, however, a teacher should always be the model of a goodinquirer. .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 , .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 .postImageUrl , .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 , .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9:hover , .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9:visited , .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9:active { border:0!important; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9:active , .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9 .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u250fbbf040ca5dd680c50b65a5ac5dc9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Metamorphosis: Gregor Was An Unselfish Person EssayIn conclusion, basically I support the constructivism because ECeducators need to extend childrens possibilities as much as possible. Therefore, we should be good questioners to model this skill and throughquestioning and searching answers we can let children collaborate eachother in order to enhance social development. Also it is important we donot forget about minority voices. EC constructivist educators are notauthority figures but helpers for children. It might be not easy to be agood constructivist, but we are all in the process!

This Single Mom Quit Her Day Job in 3 Months Thanks to Freelance Writing

by Cheri Read | updated Jul 29, 2018 | 25 Comments | shares Imagine waking up to your own schedule and starting the day off on your own terms. Freelance writing can give you the ability to be your own boss and make a living from your passion. But, as luck would have it, youre stuck at a job that doesnt inspire you and all you want to do is quit your 9-5 job and work from home. Writeto1k course student Cheri never imagined that she would make a living from writing in only three short months of deciding she wanted a new life. Lets find out the steps she took to reach her end goal hella fast! What does your ideal life look like? For me, it’s pretty simple – setting my own hours, working from home, deciding my own income, and taking off on a road trip whenever I feel the urge†¦ And guess what? I’m living it! Hard to believe, right? But a year ago, I was sitting in my office at the nonprofit company I worked for, daydreaming about working from home and making more money. Now, don’t get me wrong – my job wasn’t bad at all. In fact, from my family’s and friends’ view, I was pretty darn lucky. I had a decent paycheck, a 401K, and a pretty flexible schedule. The problem was, I always felt like I was missing something. Maybe I was just a little rebellious, but even as far back as junior high, I knew I never wanted to work for someone else. I always looked for careers I could eventually do on my own, but I never imagined being able to do anything without a degree. So I majored in accounting. I know†¦ick. I thought I would eventually become a CPA and run my own business. But less than a year into working for a local firm, I realized it wasn’t for me. Enter Freelance Writing Since I wanted to be self-employed, I spent a lot of time scouring the internet for things I could do on the side. I tried a lot of them out over the years, like direct sales and online selling. I even made a little cash with some of my ventures. But nothing quite resonated with me like freelance writing. I loved to write and I loved the idea of getting paid to be creative. But, like most, I had no idea where to start. I began by following some freelance writing blogs I found, such as Careful Cents, Freelance Writing ,and Writers in Charge. And I got a lot of really great information. But when I came across Elna’s blog, something about her story and her writing style made me want to stick around. So I took a leap of faith and hired her as a coach, and later enrolled in her Write Your Way to Your First 1K freelance writing course. Setting Big Goals I must admit, I was a little slow to start. Like turtle pace slow. Like one pitch a week slow. But Elna kept nudging me along and encouraging me to set goals and dream big. So I did. At the end of November, I set a big goal to quit my job by January the following year, giving me a little over a year to build up my client list. I made up my mind that as soon as I replaced my income with freelance writing, I would turn in my notice. That same month, Elna hosted a pitching challenge in her private Facebook group. Since I knew that landing gigs was a little bit of a numbers game in the beginning, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to get a writing job under my belt. And you know what? I landed four freelance writing jobs! I didn’t win the challenge, but I didn’t care. I had finally scored my first writing assignments and felt like I was on top of the world. That gave me the confidence to keep pitching and keep landing clients. I had a full workload faster than I ever imagined! The Day My Life Changed Forever I often say that finding Elnas blog and her course changed my life, and it did, but the day I knew my life was about to change forever was the day I realized I had actually earned as much from freelance writing as I had from my day job. I can’t remember how I reacted. I may have blacked out a little. Because this day didn’t come as scheduled. It came 9 months early! In only 3 short months I was able to learn the right tools and best practices about freelance writing, pitch my little heart out and land enough work to quite my 9-5 job for good. Because I wanted to make sure I could consistently earn the income I needed, I waited a couple of months to turn in my notice. It was one of the most gratifying days of my life. To Conclude Today, I’ve been a full-time freelance writer for 3 months, and I’m living the life of my dreams. Is it perfect? Heck no! Some days, I think about throwing in the towel and going back to a â€Å"real job† because I work harder and longer than I ever have. But the bottom line is this: There is nothing in this world I would rather do! What I hope you understand is that you CAN do this! Don’t let anyone tell you it’s dumb to leave a â€Å"secure† job to chase your dreams. The money you can make with freelance writing is virtually unlimited, and there is literally never a shortage of demand for your skills. But that’s enough about me. What’s holding you back from chasing your dream of becoming a freelance writer?

Diversity Question Sample Essay

Diversity Question Sample EssayThere are some questions that might appear to be straightforward but there can be very subtle differences in the kind of diversity question that will prove to be effective. One of the questions that you can use when writing a diversity question sample essay is, 'What do you know about this type of work?' This is a great way to get the reader to come up with ideas on how they can relate their own experiences to the topic at hand. After all, we all have worked with groups of people from diverse backgrounds that we have learned something from in the process.Another good diversity question sample essay would be to ask what kind of diversity you believe to be most prevalent today? Many people will go off and answer, 'Whole, not-so-whole, diverse or from another culture, etc.' They won't know what to think of the choices but you can use this as a jumping off point to the question, 'How do you feel about these types of beliefs?'The final question to use for di versity question sample essays is, 'What kind of ways does your life support diversity?' This is also a great way to get the reader to think of possible challenges that they might face when you are around others who may have varying opinions on how their lives should be.Writing a diversity question is also a good idea if you want to test out other ideas that you may have. For example, you can test out the use of the word, 'fragile' by saying something like, 'It's been said that a society can't survive without diversity, but is it possible to live without diversity as well?' You can do this for other things like, 'Are some nations, cultures or ethnicities so unstable that change is needed or are all societies so fragile that they cannot possibly survive?' You might try other things that come to mind by keeping the diversity question sample essay brief and useful.Even when you are writing a diversity question, it is always helpful to have specific diversity questions that you can foll ow up on later. For example, if you were going to write a question on how to address concerns of anti-Semitism, you could use something like, 'What is the best way to handle a friend who expresses fear about the Jewish community?'A good diversity question sample essay will also include some questions for others to answer. For example, the person who wrote it may ask, 'How should you handle an important organization that holds the credentials of one of your customers, friends or coworkers?'A diversity question sample essay can also include questions that are specific to the person or group of people you are interviewing. In this case, you can ask a list of questions to get an idea of what they think and feel. You can use questions that relate to their lives as well as issues that they face.

Environmental Complexity Essay Example

Environmental Complexity Essay Example Environmental Complexity Paper Environmental Complexity Paper Environmental Factors in Colombia Organizations are not isolated of what happens in the environment outside them, they face uncertainty in dealing with events in the external environment and they have to adapt to new changes regarding customers, government, economic conditions and technology. It is very important for organizations in Colombia to become aware of their environment because assessing it could make them more competitive and allow them to adapt and survive in the market, but the uncertainty Colombia in terms of globalization, technology, knowledge, demand, etc. IS making organization to rethink about strategies and new ways to do business and to address all Of the factor in the external environment. The factors causing organization complexity in Colombia are addressed by Daft, they are both internal and external: industry, human resources, raw material, markets, international, government, calculators, economic and technological factors. For example, in Comical (C;mar Colombian De Constructs;n) the lack of legal stability threats development opportunities in large cities and scares away national and international investors. It makes necessary that the rules established for projects are maintained and are not changing every day, thats why head directors in Comical proposed to the government new ways to manage the permissions and monitor the decisions taken by majors in areas adjacent to Bigot;. (Paisa, 2014). This is important for the construction sector because its development brings with it the increase of an important set of activities in industries and related services, contributing in this way to increase employment and to the satisfaction of an important set of needs of the population, in this case, the access to housing services. Nowadays we can not talk about uncertainty avoidance or external environment without talking about globalization, reducing borders and forcing businesses to prepare increasingly for indulging in different markets, ensuring its validity in the market. To achieve this, it is necessary for organizations to adopt new strategies of growth, market penetration, creation of own responsibilities, coordination and adaptation of the products to various markets according to their needs. Many organizations that have been integrated into international markets have found the need to modify their products or strategies to meet the needs f its customers, because the factors that determine the environment change. For example Juan Valued, have found the need to deal with government regulations in different countries, and lately with the entrance of a new competitor in Colombia, also they had to change its technology processes to transform coffee to sell it in every store and to make it more efficient and effective, reducing costs; this kind of changes not only help businesses in Colombia but in all countries the organization is in. Also there are International Organizations in Colombia that have adapted heir processes to Colombians complex environment and have succeeded CHEM. is the tangible proof that the competitiveness in a globalizes world is the result of a set of factors, a clear direction, state-of-the-art technology, human capital, good financial management, investments in infrastructure, etc. And, between them, the actions taken in the aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility have given the company a significant competitive advantage. A really important factor for any organization is the human resource and calculators. In Colombia the labor movement that happened in 2013 and manned in 2014 called Para agrarian not only affected the government laws and relationships but also affected organizations that use raw materials produced in the rural sector. This represented a huge challenge for business managers, because of the workers demands. Not addressing this kind of problems with contingency plans would have caused major loss of profit, suppliers and market. The human resource sector is one of the most important factors in the external environment because it concerns employees, suppliers, customers, and mostly any kind of relationship made by the organization. On the other hand the calculators sector demands organizations to be more greener and environment-friendly thats why supermarkets such as ?exit, Jumbo, Curricula and OLL(mica offer recyclable plastic bags, because they know those bags are used by customers as garbage disposals that later on go to sanitary landfills. Also, Coca Cola in Colombia and Postn have develop new bottles and recyclable packaging that use less plastic and take up less space in the trash, they have also launched campaigns to recycle these containers giving benefits to consumers, with picking machines or donations to Nags. Main telecommunications operators such as Togo, Novelist, Clara, Nun and DEBT have been influenced in a big way by the environmental complexity because they are not only influenced by new demands of customers, they are also influenced and have to be prepared for the unpredicted changes such as: new regulations about communications, contracts and share; competition in services, offers, products; the way business are made with international and national companies in order to have competitive advantages, also by advertising its products nationally; offering new technological services and products in competitive prices. This organizations face tremendous complexity in Colombia, thats why they keep studying the environment they are in and offering customers new products every time, meaning that in order to them to stay in the market they need to pay more attention to the external environment to run processes internally, this is a good example of a dependence on high uncertainty-complex environment. Studying external environment is as important as the internal environment because one can change the other, also because there is where the needs are, where the consumers are and what they want to pay to meet their needs. Also in the environment are the obstacles to the company, such as the products of competitors, and the actions to have market share. Also the requirements and restrictions that the company must meet, all of that can influence the processes a company has, because a company is nothing without the interaction with the outside environment, and now is more important to be aware of that thanks to the globalization.

What could possibly replace K-12 and collegeÂÂ

What could possibly replace K-12 and college   It’s no surprise to anyone that the world around us is changing faster than most people can keep up. Rapid technological innovation, increasing globalization of businesses and interconnectivity among people all over the world, and quickly evolving social and cultural norms are all helping to usher in a â€Å"brave new world† of sorts, with tangible ripple effects that affect how we live at all levels. Education is no different. We’ve already witnessed a paradigm shift in the way children are being educated in recent decades, with a greater focus on a STEM-centered (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education beginning in K-12 and continuing through college, and technology making learning more inventive and interactive.For example, in a recent article in Education Week, Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, said the following regarding the biggest impact that technology is having in education: â€Å"Right now, the value is in access to high-quality resources. We’ve moved from 100 percent of learning materials coming from an out-of-date textbook, to interactive materials, and students in remote locations having access to high-quality resources. Technology has enabled learners to explore and learn on their own in ways that were harder to do when the resources all had to come from the teacher. It’s very powerful.†Current and emerging changes in an increasingly globalized world is leading many people- including education experts and educational technology insiders, as well as parents and students- to speculate on what could possibly replace our traditional K-12 and college learning models as we move forward. A perceptual shift regarding how educators are viewing their role in teaching students is taking place, with various ideas regarding a â€Å"traditional alternative approach† gaining attention.A recent article in Psychology Today  takes a closer look at à ¢â‚¬Å"Education’s Future: What Will Replace K-12 and College?† If you’re curious about what learning traditional learning alternatives could potentially disrupt the current field of education as we know it, keep reading!In his article, Peter Gray, Ph.D. and research professor at Boston College, as well as author of Free to Learn, highlights some of the deep problems with the current educational system: â€Å"Ever more people are becoming aware of the colossal waste of money, tragic waste of young people’s time, and cruel imposition of  stress  and  anxiety produced by` our coercive educational system†¦ Children come into the  world biologically designed to educate themselves.  Their curiosity, playfulness, sociability, and willfulness were all shaped by natural selection to serve the function of  education.  So what do we do?  At great expense (roughly $15,000 per child per year for public K-12), we send them to schools that deliberat ely shut off their educative instincts- that is, suppress  their curiosity, playfulness, sociability, and willfulness- and then, at great expense and trouble, very inefficiently and ineffectively try to educate them through systems of reward and  punishment  that play on hubris,  shame, and  fear.†The problems in education that Gray is passionately warning us about are not relegated to the formative K-12 learning years. He sees serious issues in higher education as well: â€Å"†¦what about those years of schooling that we call â€Å"higher education,† especially the four years toward a college degree?  Many young people, because of family and societal pressure, see that as essentially compulsory, too.  For them, college is just a continuation of high school- grades 13, 14, 15, 16.  And those years of schooling are even much more expensive than the earlier ones, which expense must generally be paid by the  parents  or through loans that can sad dle a person for decades.†Gray sees a more cost effective way forward in education, an approach that takes advantage of the natural way students learn and includes practical, real-world work exposure. He outlined the following three-phased approach to education as an effective way to approach K-12 and college education moving forward:Phase I: Learning about your world, yourself, and how the two fit together.According to Gray, the initial years of an individual’s life (the first 15 to 18 years, actually) are designed as a time of self-exploration, play, and discovery. We come to understand and make sense of our world and our place in it through these approaches. We also learn about who we are as unique individuals, what drives us and what we’re passionate about. Then, ideally we start formulating a plan for how we want to devote our time and energy in the future, as productive and functional adult members of society.Gray believes that this approach typifies  "Self-Directed Education,† also referred to as â€Å"unschooling,† and in his vision of the future, â€Å"publicly supported learning-and-recreation centers will enable everyone, regardless of family income, to educate themselves well in these ways.†Phase II: Exploring a career path.Gray contends that a big problem with our current educational system is that it is largely disconnected from clear pathways to the professional world: â€Å"One of the many problems with of our current educational system is that even after 17 years of schooling, including college, students have very little  understanding  of potential careers.  The only adult vocation they have witnessed directly is that of classroom teacher. A student may have decided, for some reason (maybe because it sounds prestigious), to be a doctor, or a  lawyer, or a  scientist, or a business executive, but the student knows little about what it means to be such a thing.†This is a big problem, and can ultimately lead to stressed out and confused parents and teens who have no practical tools for determining what career path is right for them.Gray has a more practical plan for combining real-world career experience and exposure with an education: â€Å"In the rational system of education that I have in mind, students would spend time working in real-world settings that give them an idea of what a career entails before they undertake specialized training for that career†¦In this way they would further their education and gain real world experience while drawing  at least some income rather than accumulating debt.†This approach to education isn’t exactly far off on the horizon. In fact, many companies are already recognizing the value of providing the next generation of employees with early exposure to potential career fields, and the rising number of apprenticeships across the country, according to available U.S. Labor Department data, is proof.Phase II I: Becoming credentialed for specialized work.Gray believes that getting credentialed for ones’ chosen field of work should be an essential aspect of their education. This should include any required specialized learning and training, as well as preparation for any testing required prior to entering the field. According to Gray, â€Å"This is the only phase of the educational system where testing should be essential.†Obviously, this level of individualization in education would require a complete departure from the one currently being used, which is why Gray feels strongly that ushering in a Self-Directed Education model as early as possible in a learner’s formative years  is critical.In sum, what does Gray see happening to the educational models and institutions we already have in place? â€Å"The graded K-12 schools will gradually  disappear, replaced by age-mixed learning centers supporting Self-Directed Education.  Universities will continue on, with public support as centers of research and scholarship.  They will not enroll â€Å"students,† as we think of them today, but, like other institutions, will bring in assistants and apprentices, some of whom may move on, through experience and desire, to become full-fledged scientists and scholars. Community colleges, which already provide useful,  often hands-on training for a variety of careers at relatively low cost,  may expand and become part of a growing system of apprenticeships that involve some classroom training related to potential employment.†Clearly, Gray has very specific ideas regarding what could possibly replace the current K-12 and college models- whether or not they are enacted on a wide scale, and the effect they will ultimately have, remains to be seen.