As educators, we are often faced with the charge to believe that 'all children can learn'. The NCLB Act attempts to make that charge a measurable reality through the enforcement of strict measures and guidelines to ensure that equitable learning and education occurs for all students.
Realistically, can governments and economic systems sustain a society of equally educated and skilled people? Will the role of a computer programmer be considered equally important as that of a surgeon since the programmer will design the program that will enable the surgeon to perform nano-surgery on a patient? Will the role of a teacher be held in high regard ( in this country) since it is the hub of learning for both the surgeon and computer programmer? Who will be left in society to perform the less desirable jobs such as trash collection, fast food workers, and laborers if everyone has equal access to education?
France has a system of socialized education and recently experienced a major revolt by college students who were graduating only to be faced with a severe job shortage and high unemployment rate (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/12/world/europe/12france.html). As this article states, as college enrollment increased, the value of a Bachelor's degree decreased. Are we truly ready to de-value some jobs and educational achievements by making education accessible to all?
Technology has definitely expanded the ability to reach more students nationally and internationally through distance learning, LMS/LCMS, learning objects, and digital repositories. What can we do to make education accessible and equitable to all without creating a societal and economic revolt caused by the reality of the problems (like those) encountered by France?
Do you watch Star Trek the Next Generation? I used to be an avid fan.
ReplyDeleteHere are some of the things I believe-
1. People are begining to look more and more like borgs everyday. These bluetooths are becoming so small I can not tell if a person is talking to themselves or on the phone!
2. Educational systems will have some type of tracking system. Those students that show potential and ability to learn will be placed in a high end learning environment- Like the Dr.'s son on the movie.
3. Others will go to different schools. That is not to say they will never have to opportunity to switch tracks.
4. Some of the low end jobs that you mentioned will disappear. Because lower end jobs do not require higher level skills, robotic devices will be able to take over these jobs.
5. YOU ARE SO SILLY - I have never seen trash on Star Trek, therefore, there are no trash collectors!