What can educators do to provide a better education for Millennials?
This week several Millennials will explain how or why the current education system doesn’t prepare Generation Y for real life nor for successful careers. Let’s give teachers, professors and administrators straightforward suggestions how to improve the education system, how to prepare us for real life, how to prepare us for successful careers, and how to get our attention in the classroom. Or do we need a classroom? I am sure any and all suggestions will be helpful: from how to use technology and what kind of technology to grant schemes for an entirely new system.
Photo Credit: Found Photos LJ
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Give students more opportunities to choose the classes for their majors. Or even let them create their majors. I know some schools do it but not all. One of my friends is majoring in photography and my university doesn’t offer the major, but he picked the courses, presented his proposal to the dean and the committee of something something and violas, now he is majoring in photography. However, that doesn’t happen that often. Another one of my friends tried to create a graphic design major, but the university didn’t approve it for some strange reason.
Give students opportunities to find their skills and strengths. Don’t just tell them to major in engineering or accounting because they are good at math, but help them learn more about their personalities and skills and thus choose a career that will fit their personality and will make them happy.
Challenge us. Make us work harder for our education. Make us appreciate the diploma in our hands. Challenge our creativity. Let us grow. Let us explore. Let us fail.
Provide more informal education opportunities. Lectures and grades are not always the best ways to learn.
Agreed completely with Addy's “informal education opportunities” idea. Internships, co-ops, shadowing professionals — the best experience is usually the kind you get in a real work setting. The classroom is protected enough that you could decide you love something, but not like it/be very good at it in the professional world.
I come to think more and more every day that the system in place just doesn't work now and definitely won't work in the future. While there are exceptions, most primary & secondary schools in the US today act more as a daycare or a babysitter than a place of learning. We have to let go of the idea that schools should be a factory through which all the millions of kiddies end up on the other side with basic math, science, literature, and social studies skills. Basic skills are important, yes, but should it take 13 years to get the basics? All kids are not equal and shouldn't be treated so. Education should embrace childrens' differences and allow children to learn additional skills based on their interests and underlying natural talents. If a kid shows natural artistic ability, why force them through 4 years of advanced math, calculus, & statistics and 4 more years of Chemistry, Physics, & Biology?
Maybe we don't even need forced primary & secondary attendance. Could traditional schools be transformed into community centers where teachers are available to provide instruction on certain topics where children can go to learn about their interests?
Just some ideas. Couldn't we talk about this all day?
I think students should be challenged in areas where they don't have natural talent. Of course, it is important to develop these natural talents, but educators should focus on improving these skills for which a child doesn't have a natural talent. If you are good at math, you should keep studying it, but you should spend more time challenging yourself in areas where you don't have natural talents ( art for example). Of course, eventually you should pick what makes you happy for a career.
I think that many students choose to go to a program because their natural talents will make receiving a degree easier. Many of my friends are in engineering because their brains work in a very logical, linear, math-like way. For them engineering was the easiest way. Although many of them don't really like it, they chose it because it was easier for them than doing history or social science. They'd rather do something they know how to instead of engaging with something they don't know how to do.
Education shouldn't be easy. It should be challenging in every aspect.
Well in part I agree with you that students should be challenged in areas that may not be the easiest path for them. Being exposed to new ideas that they wouldn't have ever dreamed of creates a sort of cross-pollination and in many cases exposes new interests.
But on the other hand, again students are not created equal. Sometimes we forget that there are students out there that just aren't as gifted as others. For some students it will take them 10-15 years just to learn how to work in a car mechanic's shop or learn any skilled trade. The more gifted students will find challenges and take them on naturally. I think we need a better way to educate the less gifted students to prepare them for the working world that awaits them. Challenge them, but challenge them to be the best, the most indispensable, at a trade or two so that when they're ready to work they aren't left with 13 years of sub-par humanities and math/science education with no way to use it.
Stop regulating general studies in higher education, as a pre-requisite to learning your passion.
Ive generated far more revenue attributed to things I've taught myself in the last 6 years outside of formal education. Of course, if I did not understand the only fundamental for learning .. Communication , I would not have been prepared to learn what I know. If I did not have personal drives to really learn my passions I wouldn't take interest.
I found myself smirking at my classmates who have invested 4 years of there life and many thousands of dollars in education for a diploma that will be irrelevant as soon as they graduate.
Higher education needs to start teaching people what they need to know to comprehend. Once someone can comprehend, they need to be placed in to the real world and learn from the people who work in the field. Quoting a text book does not make you a genious
If you don't have natural tallent in a particular area, then you probably have no interest in perusing a career that is relevant.
Why waist a childs time on something that they can google?
Feed them with hands on, face to face information from experts in there area of interest. Give them something to work with so they can start there life project.
“genious”