Article: Why Traditional Schooling Can't Prepare Students for the Modern Workplace
For the past two decades, we have been trying to solve the improve the education system by throwing money at the problem with a focus on improving standardized tests. The core problem with No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top is that they are trying to improve the system in a way that simply builds on the industrial age education system. A revolution is needed because the traditional system will not suffice, no matter how much money you throw at it. That’s because it was built during the industrial age, not for the collaborative and innovative age of the future.
Anthony Kim, founder & CEO of Educational Elements summarized the issues with the traditional system:
“Yet many schools in many districts look the same as schools did a century or more ago. Desks are lined in neat rows, teachers deliver one standard lecture, and every student is expected to perform at the exact same level -- learning at the same pace and in the same way as peers.
The traditional education system doesn't serve the needs of the current generation, much less the demands of the next. To succeed, students must learn not only the three Rs but also skills for jobs we can’t yet conceive. Study after study shows that to compete in the workforce of the future, today’s children will need to collaborate to solve problems and use creative approaches and analyses. They'll also need to continually develop new skills by engaging in self-directed learning.”
From here, he details out three skills (collaborative engagement, creativity, self-learning) that are critical for the 21st century and how our current school system fails to properly incorporate these.
Collaboration changes everything.
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The traditional education model teaches us not to collaborate. In most cases, it punishes us -- and that's the wrong lesson for future success. The workplace values collaboration skills as well as people who are adept at working with others to create better solutions. Personalized learning encourages students to coordinate their project work and assesses them on solutions they've discovered together.
Creativity starts now.
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The traditional education model values our ability to find the one right answer using the one right approach. It's uncommon to encourage students to look beyond the answer. This teaches us there is only one final solution and it's defined by authority -- not the best model for career success. By contrast, personalized learning emphasizes the development of creativity. These methods inspire learners to come up with their own ways of approaching and solving problems. Reciting facts rarely is needed in the workplace. Teachers who spend less time on rote memorization and more on how to apply critical-thinking skills support students in ways that matter.
All our learning is self-directed.
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Personalized learning allows children to explore according to their own curiosity. Students in these classrooms know where to find resources to help them learn more. Just as important, they're given time to puzzle out the solutions. Curious students are engaged students. They learn more about the topic and also gain experience trialing different processes. As a result, they find which approaches work best for them.
So what’s the overall impact of personalized learning?
Based on NWEA assessment data, students in school districts that adopt personalized learning models are showing improvements in math and reading scores in excess of 100 percent. Students report feeling they have more of a say in directing their own education. Personalized learning is working for many children today. But we must do more. Our kids and our economic future depend on it.
This basic overview summarizes why Acton Academies are being built around the world. We need to move past the current education system so our children are prepared for the innovation age.
See our principles and why we focus on collaboration, self-directed learning, and creativity.