Authenticity in Education |
WHERE DOES CHANGE LIE
Change lies in the atmosphere of the classroom, the way information is presented, and in the students lives in school, their homes, and their communities. These changes can be implemented through the use of smaller classes, group work, and in the application of knowledge at school, home and within the community.
School, Home, and the Community
In order to implement changes to the education system the school, parents, and community must all work together. The school must work to provide situations for students to apply cross-curricular knowledge to their courses and projects. Parents must work to provide situations where information and knowledge must be applied at home. The community must work together to create healthy environments and opportunities for students to learn, grow and prosper while applying their knowledge and information to real world situations.
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Student Relationships
Smaller class sizes will allow students to get to know each other on a deeper level, therefore being allowed to share more information with each other than previously available. Group work will provide students with the opportunity to collaborate with one another and spread ideas, knowledge, and techniques.
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Relationships between students will grow and improve through the utilization of group work and smaller classes.
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Every person and every student has information they have learned that others have not, so by giving students the atmosphere necessary to share this information it broadens the educational horizons of each student.
Specifics
In many public education systems real world application ends upon students reaching middle school and junior high school because the information becomes too trivial. Field trips stop because the ability to explain where information will be useful is impossible, and the connections between courses and cross curricular application ceases to exist. The use of guest speakers, field trips, courses outside the traditional classroom, and internships will provide students with the opportunities necessary to inspire their will to learn and encourage their furthering of their education. |
Students should be encouraged to investigate subjects and career fields they are interested in to the point of application throughout their education. By providing the opportunities for students to participate in internships, field trips, and real world situations it is helping to transition them from student to professional in a more supportive, useful way.