Kathryn M Griffin
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a
Concentration in Anthropology and a Minor in International Studies. Universidad Nacional, Manizales.
Education: A
Passport to the Future
“The future is ours to win. But to get there, we can't just
stand still. As Robert Kennedy told us, “The future is not a gift. It is an
achievement.” Sustaining the American Dream has never been about standing pat.
It has required each generation to sacrifice, and struggle, and meet the
demands of a new age.” Barack Obama
Barack Obama, the current President of the
United States of America, stated in his 2011 State of the Union address, many
of his thoughts on education reform in the country. The particular quote,
stated above, is an illustration of three primary points illustrating a future
of education not held in a traditional classroom surrounded by halls and
littered with desks and white boards, but a learning environment individually
created according to the specific needs and interests of each, with a teacher
able to adapt and evolve to a variety of situations and needs in real life
contexts.
First,
encouraging autonomous learning and focusing on the needs and interests of each
student is in dire need of becoming a frontrunner in the concerns of educators
and administrators. As Kennedy is quoted, “…the future is not a gift. It is an
achievement.” When the case of each individual students is taken into
consideration, they are empowered and more likely to recognize their future and
capacity are in their own hands and each one can develop his own goals and
achieve his own dreams.
In class, for
example, I strive to create a process of dependence, interdependence and
finally independence in the process of the student’s language learning. Slowly,
each English learning language speaker gains the confidence coupled with the
know-how to be autonomous and adapting, my second point.
An educator must
be able to easily adapt to a variety of situations, seeing evolution positively.
In turn, the educator must understand that failure and error are inevitable in
class planning and activities. This is why innovation in a learning environment is the first
step to making language learning a contextualized and enriching experience. By
constantly evolving one’s own classroom practices one quickly sees the reward
in the occasional setback when trying out new and different ideas. Obama’s
retort to Kennedy’s, stating that each generation had had to “…sacrifice and
struggle,” should be proof enough that losing is a part of life, and should
never be seen as a hindrance.
Innovation in a learning environment is the
first step to making language learning a contextualized and enriching
experience. Though I have to look back 1 year in time and consider what it was
I wanted when I first started this Master’s program, I can argue innovation is
one of the aspects I was seeking to improve while digging deeper into the
various fields covered in the program, even as I look to beginning my 3rd
semester here. From linguistics, to methodology, curriculum to action research,
seeing how different professors from all over the Americas approach a learning
environment has been extraordinarily helpful in my bringing innovation in to
the classroom. From my own experience as a student, teachers who were
constantly bringing in new ideas, methods or tools into the classroom were my
favorites as teachers and most enjoyable subjects. Losing the fear of trying
new activities, looking at new approaches and understanding different
perceptions allow innovation to flow more freely.
This is why using
English in order to challenge misperceptions, stereotypes and misunderstandings
among cultures and societies is the third point in the fruition of the
necessary future in education. Making learning a more humanistic act prevents
misunderstandings and breaks down stereotypes. The “…demands of a new age,” as
the President stated, are supported by a more open-minded, liberal and
understanding society. Opening up the student’s mind to a new language and
culture naturally challenges certain perceptions, fights perpetuated
stereotypes and permits understanding. In a world of 7 billion people and
growing, and approximately 30% of the population under 18, the least society
can do is attempt to educate them.
Malcolm X said, “Education is our
passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it
today.”
In order to contemplate
the future, one must first analyze the past, putting it in the context of today.
Obama’s quote emphasizes the importance of creating one’s future, making it an
achievement, and not seeing it as something given. The future is something that
must be worked towards where obstacles are plenty but adaptation is perceived
as something positive.
Through these simple points, a classroom becomes
an ever-evolving learner centered environment easily adapted to a real-life
contextualized learning experience. Just as Frey’s article on The Future of
Education discusses, education is the number one priority in the world’s
economy. What does not adapt with the changing of times becomes obsolete and
2,000 years later is nothing but an anecdote.
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