Three Looming Crises in Education
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
A recently-released whitepaper authored by Governor Bob Wise with assistance from Robert Rothman states that “currently, K–12 education in the United States is dealing with three major crises, each of which on its own is capable of wreaking havoc on schools and communities around the nation, but together are an all-out perfect storm. Simultaneously, the U.S. education system is facing• global skill demands vs. educational attainment;
• the funding cliff; and
• a looming teacher shortage.
These three factors have brought our education system to a point where the need for change and innovation is no longer something to be researched and discussed. We must do what people have done for centuries and turn crisis into opportunity, somehow making progress in the face of enormous challenges.”
Online education is one of the major solutions for all three of these problems. The report goes on to state “Modern technology can also help schools deal with the projected shortages of a skilled workforce, funds, and effective teachers. Through online and other digital means, students can have access to teachers with content knowledge and expertise who live in other parts of the state, the country, or even the world. These teachers, moreover, can be available at any time of the day for questions and advice. Now, time becomes a variable rather than a constant for student and educator. No longer locked into a forty-five-minute class at a set time every day, students are able to learn and interact on a twenty-four- hour, seven-day-a-week basis.”
Yet more evidence in favor of the argument that bringing education to where kids live–on their digital devices–represents the future of education!
