Education (Change)

Education is a necessity for a successful life for humans today here on Earth; "Education is not the learning of the facts, but the training of the mind to think" (Albert Einstein).  Although it’s obvious that kids go to school for an education today, 60/70 years ago, the US (and not just the US) had a much different education system and viewpoints on education. I mean, there's even a difference from my generation (97', note 97' represents birth year.) to my younger brother's generation (07') and that's only a decade difference.

Now this is a question for you guys. Remember when you were in grade school? Better yet, elementary school? For some of us, we might have been in elementary school a few years ago, while for others it’s been so long ago that the Chernobyl Power Plant accident happened when you were in 3rd grade, or maybe the Vietnamese Conflict was going on when you were a senior in high school (and only inches away from being drafted!).

Think of how much has changed since you graduated grade school. I think anyone can say it's mainly technology that's behind the master plan:

Kids today probably don't know what a Blackboard looks like...

They'll have no idea what an Overhead projector with dry-erase markers are...

Using Chalk must be like witchcraft to them.

You would carry around Floppy Disks to store your digital information for school projects. You would then throw them around like ninja stars at your friends.

Your teacher would bring VCR's from the library and play Bill Nye the Science Guy or The Magic School Bus.

You go to the computer lab and connect to the internet via Dial-up. ("Mom get off the phone, I'm going on the internet!")

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My point is, look how much our lives change in general, not just education, from generation to generation. Today, almost everyone owns a "horse-less carriage" ('They're called cars, Harold, cars.'), bread does not cost 5 cents anymore, segregated schools are no more, and our world is not split into two between the West and East. Our generation only exists because of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice the previous generation has gave us. (I would like to take a moment to thank all who's helped and equally suffered to shape the world we live in today. It's not perfect, but hey, it's better than nothing!)

The definition of Education has changed for the current generation. Before, being educated meant being able to read and write, basically, being literate. Reading books like Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain), 1984 (George Orwell), and Where The Red Fern Grows (Wilson Rawls) taught us how important it was for us, as humans, to survive our world in the form of being able to communicate with one. Today, I believe that the meaning of "being educated" is being able to read and write, yes, but also being digitally literate. Kids not only have to learn how to read and write, but also know how to use and understand our current technology since our life style solely rely on this.

Just think about it...

In the future perhaps, there won't even be classrooms or schools. Students (will they even be called "students"?) will learn from maybe their own room from a digital resource. They'll never know what it will be like to be in a room filled with kids their own age. They won't know the pressure you feel before taking 4 final exams in a day. They would probably all lack social skills because there won't be an actual place for those kids to get together and chat.

 Now that I've graduated, I now feel a little sad truth about how I actually think about school as a graduate: School was literary the only place in the world where all your friends will be there every day. School was "mandatory", and it was the "job" of the student to show up every day for attendance. When you plan to hang out with friends outside school, it may not work because many of us work(ed) or had to cram for an exam. At school, you had lunch to chill with all your friends at a single or multiple location.

With this technology speed, the definition of Education and how you get it will definitely change. Maybe there won't be schools because you won't need them; "school" will perhaps be non-existent in the future. If I'm ever fortunate enough to get married and have kids myself, maybe one day I'll be talking to my kids/grandkids of a place called "school" that used to exist, but doesn't anymore.

Then they'll ask me why, and I'll just have to say "I don't know, but I can tell you that times change"...

This thought brings a chill down my spine...