The United States educational system has traditionally been preparing it's students for careers like doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, etc. However, we now live in a time where constant change is taking place. That being said, there need to be more focus on educational reform. It is vital for educators to be knowledgeable about the world that their students live in. Regardless of what I may have experienced as a child, as a future educator I need to be aware of, and sensitive to the ever-changing environment my students live in, which in today’s society means continued technological improvements. This means that instead of relying heavily on a chalkboard, and instructing the students to repetitively copy a sentence, teachers need to incorporate tools such as Smartboards, computers, and other electronic devices that students are familiar with.
The constant change in technology also creates a change in the job market. It is thought that students are being trained for jobs which do not exist, yet. This isn't shocking. What is shocking is the fact that it seems that technology improves more rapidly than the system of education can keep up with. Although curriculum changes periodically, it doesn't change at a rate that the technological industry does. This means that upon completion of college, computer software engineers may have a risk of not being able to perform the job that he or she has trained many years for. If an educator wants their curriculum to remain relevant, they must teach information which is relevant to their students world, and utilize materials to enhance their teaching. Today, an Ipad2 may be the perfect tool to improve learning, but 2 years from now, it will be obsolete.
The United States, a country that prides itself as the most powerful nation on Earth, has one of the highest high school drop-out rates. How can we compete against other strong nations, like China, with a struggling educational system? Educational reform has been a popular topic in politics, but there needs to be an effort for reform to be more than just simply a topic.
