Do we need to reimagine education?
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Needing to reimagine education is a personal feeling. There are many reasons why education should be reimagined although there are many reasons that could cause challenges in the idea of reimagining education.
Reasons to reimagine education.
- Technology – with the always changing world of technology, education systems need to be willing and ready to adapt to the changes.
- Engagement – traditional ways of education can often be disengaging for students. By reimagining education, teachers can add in more engaging learning like project based assignments or personalized activities.
- Diversity – reimagine education can create more inclusive and personalized learning methods to aide diversity in learning styles.
Reasons not to reimagine education.
- Change – reimagining education will cause a lot of change for both students, teachers and guardians. Change can put pressure on one’s mental health as there is fear to move out of their comfort zone, and concerns of effectiveness.
- Standards – changing education will mean there is an adjustment to how students are assessed. There may be a difficulty in trying to find a balance in testing students with the current assessments and a new strategy.
- Support – when adding new ways of teaching / testing, teachers will likely require extra support or education in the job. Without the proper support or education, the educators may struggle when it comes to new the methods.
My personal opinion on reimagining education is that it should be reimagined to an extent. As times change, education must change so our students can adapt to the world they are living in and can properly prepare for their future. At the same time, there are methods of education that seem to work consistently and is effective for both teachers and students. I believe that education must be fit to the individual needs and styles of learning. Yes, this may become more difficult on teachers as they could have a variety of students who have a variety of needs although this is where the extra support for teachers comes in. The idea of reimagining education is a good idea but there are factors that must be considered and options to be weighed.
What obstacles do educators face when they try to change pedagogy?
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There are many obstacles that educators will face when they try to change pedagogy. Starting with the fear of change, many have already established comfort within their methods of teaching. This change can be scary or uncomfortable for the educators due to the fear of unknown, or worry about the efficacy of the new methods. There is also the obstacle of insufficient resources, new methods may need certain materials, spaces or technology that may not be affordable or available for some schools. Lastly. there is the obstacle of the student readiness. Learners may struggle with new methods of education and the teachers need to be able to manage those changes as well as making sure their students learning is not compromised.
Pros and Cons of Lesson Plans vs Learning Plans
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Lesson Plan Pros
- Structure – provide clear, step-by-step for what is taught / expected within the class.
- Preparation – detailed and clear lesson plans make it easier for the teachers to prepare the needed materials and resources in advance which helps stay organized.
- Focus – concentrating on specific content and skills, giving the students and teachers an easier way to teach/learn certain objectives for each lesson.
Lesson Plan Cons
- Flexibility – can leave little room for flexibility and adjustments which may be needed for certain students needs or interests.
- Student Input – heavily focused on what the teacher will teach the students which can lack students perspectives or feedback.
- Focus – teachers/educators may focus too much on sticking to what is on the lesson plan instead of adapting to the various needs of the classroom, which can effect students who have IEP’s etc.
Learning Plan Pros
- Student Focused – these plans generally focus on the students goals, interests, needs and enhances a more personalized learning environment/experience.
- Flexibility – lesson plans have more flexibility around instructions, as well as accommodating students who have different learning styles or strategies.
- Independence – often encourages students to take responsibility of their learning, helps students set goals as well as see their personal progress in the classroom.
Learning Plan Cons
- Structure – might lack certain details or organization that is needed for daily instructions.
- Assessments – learning plans can make it more difficult on teachers/educators to assess a student as it is their individualized goals.
- Implementation – learning plans might require more effort to develop and implement into the classroom. The individualized plans need to work with curriculum requirements which may be difficult.
