Introduction
According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, more than 30 percent of high school students graduate with “neither academic nor job skills” (Wyman). Even though the majority of students are college and career-ready, can we truly say that the education system is doing all that it can to meet the needs of every child? Since the inception of K-12 education in the United States, many have questioned the program’s usefulness, especially how well it prepares students to succeed in the real world. Parents and others’ primary concern with the educational system is its fundamental ability to adapt the curriculum to collegiate and workplace institutions’ needs, an important issue considering the rapid technological changes every industry undertakes over a decade. Considering this substantial shortcoming of our K-12 schools, vocational training and integration of educational technology are necessary in order for the next generation to build the correct set of skills to succeed and grow.
1) Vocational Training
One crucial step to improve our educational system is to develop life skills and further implement vocational training. High school was meant to be a transitioning period between adolescence and adulthood, but it indeed fails to prepare most kids for the latter. For those who attend college, teens are often overwhelmed not only by the increased depth of academic rigor, but also by the increased responsibilities such as how to efficiently collaborate and manage your time. However, by the time students acknowledge that they lack these skills, “too many opportunities have been lost and too much time has been wasted. Most thoughtful young people suffer the high school environment in silence and in their junior and senior years mark time waiting for college to begin” (Botstein). The years from 14 to 18 are critical in shaping teens for the rest of their lives. How well students develop life skills, during this time, may make or break the rest of their careers. Hence, instead of merely functioning as a waste of time, this period should guide these teens towards an optimal state of readiness for future success. Exacerbating this issue is the increased cost of vocational education, which has led to an overall dip in these specialized programs, creating an extensive shortage of essential skills for some of the most lucrative career opportunities. In actuality, it is impractical to cut these programs because “[t]he modern workplace favors those with solid, transferable skills who are open to continued learning. Most young people today will have many jobs over the course of their lifetime” (Wyman). By providing students the ability to engage in activities and courses that nurture skills necessary for success in a corporate setting, students of the next generation will thrive in multiple fields, adapting quickly. Furthermore, with the aid of new technologies, vocational education can be improved because students study “what it means to participate in civic life as a digital citizen by creating blogs, coding complex websites, and using social media tools” (Rolph). Each of these abilities is important for students who want to succeed in this new technology-oriented world, making it essential that we use new tools to enhance our students’ education.
2) Increased Integration of Educational Technology
Another critical step to improving our K-12 education system is integrating educational technology to provide new opportunities for students. For example, Stacy Kane of Washington Leadership Academy, a brand new school that employs virtual reality and computer science to heighten learning among students, asserts that the school uses “technology and online courses to meet students at their level, rather than teaching an entire grade level the same content...students assemble a unique blend of classes and projects based on their interests and goals” (Rolph). With modern technology, schools can open new doors for students as their interests are able to run wild and expand. For example, virtual reality allows students to take a tour of museums, ancient ruins, and other fascinating places that can inspire new educational interests. Also, such technology is increasingly important within the education system as “[t]he U.S. economy has changed. The manufacturing sector is growing and modernizing, creating a wealth of challenging, well-paying, highly skilled jobs for those with the skills to do them” (Wyman). With our perpetually changing world, it has been exceedingly important for each generation of students entering the workforce to tailor their studies to demand. Those first exposed to new concepts, technologies, and sectors will have the most desirable opportunities to specialize their interest and obtain the most challenging jobs. Taking it one step further, schools have experimented with implementing holographic technology that could benefit students who are not receiving an equitable education. With holographic technology, teachers and professors could conduct classes for impoverished students, improving education in areas that lack solid infrastructure. There is simply an infinite number of possibilities of how educational technology could improve the current K-12 education system.
Conclusion
Once our educational system utilizes technology and vocational training techniques, it will provide all students with the prime opportunity to succeed in corporate environments and reduce the current 30% of students who lack necessary academic skills. Former president Franklin D. Roosevelt once made the point that the democracy of the US can only be maintained with a consistent improvement in education, and with these new techniques, the next generation of students will not only sustain our treasured democracy, but also improve it, through the usage of advanced technological tools.
Works Cited
Botstein, Leon. “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood”. The Language of Composition. Renee H. Shea; Lawrence Scanlon; Robin Dissin Aufses. Bedford/St. Martin's. 2012.
Rolph, Amy. “This High School Wants to Revolutionize Learning with Technology”. The Language of Composition. Renee H. Shea; Lawrence Scanlon; Robin Dissin Aufses. Bedford/St. Martin's. 2012.
Wyman, Nicholas. “Why We Desperately Need to Bring Back Vocational Training in Schools”. The Language of Composition. Renee H. Shea; Lawrence Scanlon; Robin Dissin Aufses. Bedford/St. Martin's. 2012.
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