Introduction
The documents provided for discussion and reflection pertain to education, its quality and impact. Education starts right from a very tender age when a child steps in school. It is considered as a powerful tool for development and progress, touching every aspect of our lives such as health, academics, technology, reducing poverty and a lot more. It is true that in the modern society, education has become a highly developed institution. However, I feel that it has become a lot more complex and expensive as well as lost its real objectives. It needs to be seen if education is really meeting its goals. 1. When reading Rehab. Progress or Regress pp. 12-21 (1), I completely agree with the fact that a cookie cutter approach followed in education has never worked. It is true that the education system has created a lot of bureaucracy and has become is rigid. Some areas need more improvement. The students need to be given more flexibility and choices when it comes to education. Restricting them in classrooms under a rigid curriculum may help them achieve grades, but perhaps they are not getting the complete advantage of education. Questions I feel that there is loads of information available for the student today. However, there is little focus on applying that information on solving social problems. Thus, Education has both progressed and regressed. The schools have progressed, the curriculum has become vast, and the infrastructure has improved. But, one finds societal values degrading at the same time. One cannot be sure if all or majority of students is progressing at the right pace. “Drill and Discipline” is used in the military to accustom the officers when giving orders. However, it is unlikely that the same training will work in favor of the students and their learning, or teach them to be democratic. Each and every student is different and is likely to carry different levels of skills. Still, even when a students of different abilities progress together, it cannot be said that they will not need assistance to achieve personal goals. Personal learning is an ongoing learning process.
2. “Learning from the past” is a discussion of educational reform and how American education system started on the right notes with the objective of improving the society and economic condition. For centuries, it was believed that improving education institutions is the best way to solve economic and social issues. It is true that a lot can be learned from the past of the education and mistakes made. After all, the flaws seen in the education system today are the result of the reforms made in the past. Questions It is essential to look in the past and studying history for improving education. We may take pride in our education of the modern era. However, if we look around, we find that the quality of the human race is only going down. Educational change should begin from the grassroots levels and need to be overhauled. Education has an essential role in the evolution of humanity and the right way to change the society. However, it is essential to pay attention to the quality of education being imparted. The most important elements to change the society relate to the quality of education. It is essential to pause and seriously look at the elements of education and if it is really doing anything constructive for the society.3. The third document, Jessica. pp. 22-39 (1) on Progress or Regress draws attention to the neglected ones in the society and if the current execution system is doing anything constructive. It is the “special” students group made of the poor, disabled, blacks, immigrants and females that do not share the same educational advantages as whites or the affluent in the society. Clearly, the modern edition system is not impartial and fair. I feel that everyone from any strata of the society should get and equal access to education as well as economic and social advantage, regardless of their status and ethnicity. How can one be sure if those Ivy leagues are providing the optimum value of education, or are simply turning out illiterate students who have the knowledge but no real education? It is essential to question the education system in ten schools and what they are doing to the current students who are going to be the citizens of tomorrow. I think it needs a major reshuffle in thinking about how to build the quality in education and make a real difference to the levies of the students and the society.Questions
It is essential for schools to achieve minimum testing scores, but there should be other measures taken as depriving them of funding will not bring the right motivation or improve the schools. Labeling students has changed for better in school and can motivate students to perform better as they try to jump from on enable to another. However, it is a mistake to segregate schools or rank them as this only begins a race among parents and students to seek particular schools. Yes, legislators should visit schools, especially in poorer areas to get a grasp of the reality and how they can really help. The education should not just impart technical information but also work towards bringing changes in an individual from within.
