Education Needs a Face Lift

Day in and day out, the media is flooded with reports of bad education systems across the country. But who's to say that no reformation can be brought to an aspect of society that so many have neglected? Educating the leaders of tomorrow is not a responsibility to be taken lightly because in the next ten to twenty years, the very children that are being academically abandoned will be leading our nation. So often students enter a classroom in which they are forced to learn one basic lesson taught to a mass of peers that are expected to learn everything at the same pace assuming everyone is on the same level. However, I fail to believe that this is an effective way of educating our youth. Educators must take into account the importance of learning each individual's method of learning. Not every student will comprehend the lesson at the same pace or in the same way in which it is presented. Some are visual learners, some are auditory learns, some are even kinesthetic learners; essentially, their method of learning varies. Therefore, the approach of teaching must undergo a change. Teachers have to be sensitive to understanding the specific needs of each child. Although it may sound impossible or slightly time consuming, consequently, it benefits the child a great deal. Comprehending and applying the material taught is the goal of almost every educator, by reforming the educational system in America today, a great deal of good can be done. Perhaps all that's needed is a little effort.

Education need to be reformed or changes in a way that makes it beneficial to each individual. One of the articles that were read was, "We Need Less Schooling, Not More", by John Gatto. In his article Gatto argues that family and community is a huge factor in a person's growth and development. When a person's biological family is going through a rough time they might turn to an artificial family. Gatto argues that schooling is taking away the time that a person may need to spend with their family. What he does not realize is what about the children that love school for the simple fact that they might not have a family that they can go home to or a home that does not up hold what a regular family will consider a home. He also mentions in his article that, "education should make you a unique individual, not a conformist; it should furnish you with an original spirit with which to tackle the big challenges; it should allow you to find values which will be your road map through life..."(Gatto 67). He is trying to make the reader understand that it is great to get an education but you should make it your own not conform or give in to what people argue the way you should act if you are educated. In other words when a person becomes educated everyone expects for him or her to behave a certain way or to up hold a certain standard for himself or herself, but education should not make you into the person that everyone thinks you should be. You are your own person and should let education educate you but still remember who you are in the process.

Von Drehle argues in his article that summer vacation should be shorter than what it is because during the months of the summer a student's education could be pushed back over time due to them not being in a classroom-learning environment. This is a huge argument because some might argue that a person can learn anywhere not just in school. People learn through family and their community. The thing is that Von Drehle understands is that the classroom can only teach you certain things. During the summer students are able to explore more. Spending more time with their families that can teach them ideas and lesson that a teacher or professor cannot teach you. The summer yes, can be a waste of time if the person is just there not doing anything. In some instances children do not have the option of a program to attend during the summer due