Sunday, February 19, 2012

Will we have students in the future?

I recently came across an article detailing how we will live and work in the future. And, for some, how we are currently  living and working.  The subtitle of this article, and really what this movement is about is "The Future of Living where you Work and Working where you Live." The fascinating notion in this article is not the fact that it suggests 'America is changing how it works.' I believe most people in America know this. However, the fascination for me as an educator and a school leader, lies in the details suggesting that the direction we are headed as an American society and culture is that of living and working at home. Here is where all stakeholders in public education come in... WE HAVE TO WAKE UP! We must no longer continue to teach antiquated methods of the 20th century, but rather we must adapt to the 21st century... And adapt NOW! I have spoken to about a half dozen former students of mine in the last six months who have decided, to finish up their high school diploma online. And, these students live in the most successful school district (and most affluent) in the State of TN. The kicker is these are average to above average students... Not drop outs. Moreover, when I ask them if this is a change to homeschooling, they quickly say, "no! I am just going to get my education on my own, because I can." One said to me, "it is much better than __________ High School." That last comment hurt. I have had this conversation with a parent present during three of these conversations and the parents completely support it. If parents are working from home more and more, than this trend can only increase. One has to look no further than Dan Brown's "Open Letter to Educators" to see why this is REALLY happening and if our schools do not become more relevant NOW, we will continue to lose students.  What do you think? What are your thoughts? Here is the article... http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679317/livework-the-future-of-living-where-you-work-and-working-where-you-live

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