United States and education - Essay Example

Prof. United s and Education Education for all is the most important thing to be achieved by nation as a whole. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of United States of America pioneered the plan that could be implemented upon to make education available to every single citizen while considering right to education equivalent to fundamental rights and would also get over the inequality factor. He elaborated his views about education as a tool not only to make better personalities but also a better nation. His work as mentioned above have envisioned learning not just along the old philosophy of what the students are learning but also on how are they learning. The vision of learning skill is what an educator would wish to see. This is because of the rise in number of students that will provide better results. The incorporation of improved theory into regular administrative schedules and classroom will help the educators and students in concentrating on teaching and learning process and then infusing another wave of dynamicity with reference to real world context. Learning in the classroom will generate a new relationship between the world and the student thereby engaging and modernizing various methods for assessment as well as study. The broader relation between the educators and the students will give real time information to the teachers about the performance of the students. Through this they can search for newer methods to help their students. These processes will ensure more compact relationship and the students will learn in a very few period rather than the months. The school districts should seriously respond to no child left behind and in a state which have made them realize the importance of improvement in the quality of education. The schools must realize that the task to maintain the relevancy of what they teach. A strategic long term planning is very much in place so that complete education could be integrated into the normal teaching standards. The concept of assessment of the curriculum will enhance the effectiveness of this concept. The Education leaders can make out several on site ideas with the advice of students, teachers and local people to implementing thorough learning in local schools and colleges. Increasing reliability in the classroom can be achieved through the use of Positive teaching methods. Constructivism has been an important ingredient of Jefferson learning theory proposing learners to create their own understanding as they combine what they already believe to be true based on their past experiences with new experiences. Though modern education may consider constructivism as a philosophy of learning which has its roots primarily to the work of John Dewey (1916) and Jean Piaget (1973). Vygotsky's work (1978) also contributed to the movement toward constructivism. Jefferson emphasized that theories of learning should be shifted from orientation based on observable phenomenon to an orientation that emphasize internal cognitive processing. This shows significant shift toward constructivism. The belief that learning comes from inside continues to grow. Knowledge could only gain on which circumstance it comes from that had meaning to the learner. The learning context must be a social context in which students work together to build knowledge. The children should be encouraged to develop concepts and derive their own ideas from those introduced to them. A social learning perspective should be developed through which children learn through interaction with others. Critical thinking is one of the areas where over the decades both educators & policy make argued about schools. Much of this debate has not been based on empirical data. Even though students, right from primary schools must learn facts and basic skills, the data suggest that emphasis on advanced reasoning skills promotes higher student performance. Jefferson pedagogical models promotes this meaningful type of learning process, a process in which learning helps students make sense of new information experienced in authentic problems by integrating the new information with previously constructed knowledge. Authentic problems or actions are ill-structured complex problems analogous to those students learn from the in everyday experience and will comfortably face in their future professions. Hence the course of action that is being required should be more authentic. Problems encounter in the learning process increase the reasoning & problem solving approach. This day to day activity if incurred in the nature it will help individual to the larger extent for comfortable future. The philosophy of constructivism is not new to education, but the ways in which it is applied to education are still evolving. Both teacher and students are actually learning. One relatively new tool that can play a vital role in the use of constructivist teaching practices is technology enhanced instruction. The implementation of Jefferson theory is actually the only way to make education a relevant thing with no problems. It's the Principals who will have to shoulder the responsibility of implementing solutions. It's these solutions which are supposed to smooth the journey of a student into the world of education. The Principals use their skills and knowledge that are backed by logical thinking and understanding of different needs of both teachers and students to search for the solutions to problems that may raise its head while implementation will be ascertained. The implementation as a whole affects everything that surrounds our education of today. The very outcome of these efforts makes everything present around us a simpler, easier and better to use or operate. The facts mentioned above are a very short depiction of the complete process but technically this will be the first of its kind in the history of US schools. From being one of the most sought after systems, the education system of today has been at the stage of irrelevancy and might fail one day from being the actual growth engine of the United States of America. The modern age students are expected to be equipped with the same inherent feature what they can effectively research, conceptualize, organize and present ideas argument their mastery over oral communication will make them a wonderful link between the top management and the work force at the inventory level. The business and industry of today expects more from the students. Jefferson theories are still relevant enough for ensuring the demand of the industry which is always striving for better and better workforce. The current education system severely lacks the enthusiasm. Let's look into the role played by a technically inclined engineer. The person interacts more with machines than the connected workforce, since the modern construction and civil engineering works on a platform coming out of the amalgamation of technology i.e., machines and human workforce, the highly skilled engineers are concerned with automation of the involved process and execution of the steps. He is being supported by people of some type with common objective, so his role with the workforce is quite low. He is more of an implementer than an able policy makes. He is being shown the goal; he does not decide the goal. But manager engineers are goal setters. Their leadership and communication ability makes them as able personality to lead a group of to reach a height which can transform the state of the company as well as its workforce. He manages human. He extracts quality work from the world's most intelligent machine i.e., none other than human. The same is being expected from each and every student. The current industrial requirement places the importance of it at par with lots of other important issues and wants it to be implemented in other very important but non-engineering courses like economics, management, marketing etc. Jefferson views about education when extended to educational leaders or Principals, then the educators should always be the part of solution rather than the problem when education needs evolution to cope with the requirements and development. The common nation is that principals without the knowledge of student's psyche are more of an obstacle to any future evolution in learning technology and ways. But the same person can provide efficient leadership by becoming aware of basic technology skills and some imaginative thought process. This includes creation of a vision and then sharing and implementing the vision through arrangement of proper funding. Now things are being taken for planning the process with proper coordination from teachers so that the curriculum development and training can be undertaken for administrator is very much established. Jefferson views when compared with what International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) have developed is The National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators i.e., (NET-A) that was released in 2002, defines: I. Leadership and Vision II. Learning and Teaching III. Productivity and Professional Practice IV. Support, Management, and Operations V. Assessment and Evaluation VI. Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues (p.2) NETS-A standards can be considered as a summarized part of what Jefferson proposed in 19th century and provide a clear statement and parameter that would help in analyzing and measuring the knowledge of school administrators and what more should now be added so that the technology could be easily be induced into the education system This specific information will provide ample guidance to the administrator so that his efforts in attaining basic technological skills and sufficient competency over the required knowledge base for same would result desirable result. Administrator's acquaintance with these issues and its impact of technological standards actually gives an in depth view of very basic platform over which administrators' knowledge stands. His knowledge and understanding of technology is perhaps the most important factor that determines whether the assimilation of education and technology will work in the classroom or not. Principals who are technologically sound are more comfortable with the youth and children of today who are very much tech savvy and habitual of using hi-tech electronic equipments. They generally work in direct contact with students thereby the exchange of ideas from both side could be achieved and hence the possibility of better result from this technology implementation would be achieved. The administrator would also convince the students in cooperating with the teachers and other important elements of the complete implementation staff. The administrator being an education professional is very much aware of facts that the effectiveness of integration of the real world and education is a very much a variable depending on administrators' competencies. The development of this specific and well researched competencies helps in providing proper guidelines for establishing the administrator to maintain leadership and hence his assistants in integration in schools will result far reaching results of technology literacy and enhanced student learning. The educators' perceptions of principal educational leadership competencies at the later stage is an important factor behind the successful integration of technology ensuring smooth rather flow of knowledge and information. Jefferson had been very critical about the communication skill into education. The importance of communication skill is well understood. The developing world and its requirement place it at par with lots of other very important non-engineering courses like economics, management, marketing etc. These auxiliary skills are meant for providing competitive edge and a professional posture to this engineering profession with a better understanding of other cultures and profession. Extraordinary technical skill is a necessity but the vibrant quality which is nothing but the ability to communicate so that the situation would compel others to raise their head and notice the person. Now looking into the application of verbal and communications skills over technical competence, the result is very much dependent on the ability of the individual to express. This factor has its effect on persons' ability to make other notice its achievement and output. The results which have been obtained by the person are of great value when it is being described in best possible manner. Though the verbal ability skills are not as primary as reasoning ability but if in a group of persons with equivalent technical and reasoning ability, the ability to communicate becomes the deciding factor. The wide application base of verbal ability makes it the most desirable of all the extra technical abilities. The better control over verbal communications is actually the deciding factor in the selection procedure for the managerial responsibilities. The workers with better communication skills are considered to be the better managers and even in case of limited technical ability are very much handy in motivating the company's workforce and getting the desired output. Even while holding the engineering responsibilities, the better speakers are considered as better team players and hence are given priority when positions like team leader or group leaders are to be filled. The possible implementation of Jefferson theory in improving the cause of education requires the application of different processes involving research based approach. The theory had been designed to develop a new sort of citizens who is not only sound in education but also in social values and morality. The application of the processes will ensure different types of support to them. The child in its formative age sees many things and in accordance with its understanding capability it takes decision. An academically child hood is a very necessary thing to the creation of quality citizens. There are many other possible reasons that will be the very outcome of what Jefferson had envisioned. Jefferson theory and the current system in United States The success of a theory is very much dependent on the level of its implementation. The best part of Thomas Jefferson's theory was its purpose which emphasized on churning out leaders from simple masses with the power of education. The importance of leadership has now been considered as the most incredible outcome of what envisioned in early 19th century. Understanding of leadership styles and their impact on a group can help you develop and adapt our own leadership style and so help us in becoming a more effective leader. Nowadays, it seems that in any sphere of our life we need a leader to take us from point A to B, no matter what the distance is. The jest of what we have now can be tabulated as 21 indisputable laws of leadership provided by John Maxwell, which serves as basis for any successful entity. It's really worth of taking look at them. "21 laws". (Adopted from the book "21 Irrefutable laws of leadership" John C. Maxwell) Law of Short Explanation 1. Lid Leadership ability determines a person's level of effectiveness 2. Influence The true measure of leadership is influence nothing more, nothing less 3. Process Leadership develops daily, not in a day 4. Navigation Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course 5. E.F. Hutton When the real leader speaks, people listen 6. Solid Ground Trust is the foundation of leadership 7. Respect People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves 8. Intuition Leaders evaluate everything with the leadership bias 9. Magnetism Who you are is who you attract 10. Connection Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand 11. Inner circle A leader's potential is determent by those closer to him 12. Empowerment Only secure leaders give power to others 13. Reproduction It takes a leader to raise up a leader 14. Buy-In People buy into the leader, than the vision 15. Victory Leaders find a way for the team to win 16. Big Mo Momentum is the leader's best friend 17. Priorities Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment 18. Sacrifice A leader must give up to go up 19. Timing When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go 20. Explosive Growth To multiply, lead leaders 21. Legacy A leader's lasting value is measured by succession These laws can serve as points of comparison for any leader and their leadership style. John C. Maxwell explicitly makes references to characters of that are termed in Business Review Series "Becoming a high Performance Manager". The first challenge of any leader is to feel inevitability of tomorrow. Then a leader should be capable to identify opportunities and threats in a prompt manner. And then he/she should acquire followers. Read More