Rethinking Education: Chapter 10

     I thought that this chapter really summed up the lifelong-learning concept. I agree with the book that people should continue to learn throughout their lives, but I don't know if I entirely agree that the schooling system should be changed as dramatically as the authors suggest. I think that we need to rethink education and learning, but I think that a schooling system should still be set in place. I think that elementary schools teach essential skills that all people need, regardless of what occupation they choose to go into. I think that all people need to learn these basic skills that are taught in elementary schools, in order to go on to more independent lifelong-learning options of schooling. I think that in the middle or high school, students should begin to have more say in their education and learn things that stress their goals and interests. At the same time, I think that students should only have a partial say in what they are taking for their schooling. I do not think that students should be allowed to only take courses that will help them become a veterinarian, because as the book stated, "Most Americans in the next 20 years will likely have a succession of careers"(pg. 136). If people generally switch careers throughout their lifetime, would having a student focus on learning to become one thing really benefit them if they end up changing their career later on? I think that students should get to choose content that interests them, but I think that there must be guidelines and that these students must also take other classes that make them a more well rounded individual.

     I really like what this chapter stressed about teaching students how to learn and how to find reliable resources. I think that schools should be preparing students to become real-life problem solvers. I really liked the idea of having a career counselor or apprenticeship program in high school. I think that students should test the waters a little before they settle on a career. Students should have some idea of what they are getting into before they design their education around a particular career in high school (with the new model of education that meets the learner's interests). Along with having career counselors, I think that integrating the use of computers in schools is also a good idea. I really liked this statement, "Such individualized learning [through the use of computers] would remove the stigma of looking bad when you don't understand something that others grasp"(pg. 132). I think that computers could help reduce the embarrassment that some students face when they do not understand something in class and are then called upon. 

     As a future educator, I do not know what the educational system will look like 10 years from now. I do not know how society, technology, and schooling will change. What I do know is that I want to help students learn, regardless of how or in what setting I must help them in. I want to help my students succeed in life. I want to motivate my students and meet my student's needs. I want to help my students achieve their full potentials. In order to do all of these things, I must be willing to try new things. I must be a lifelong-learner.