The Next Century in Education

A century ago public education was made mandatory across the United States. The last generation not only shaped the sweeping educational system we have today, but created it. In the next century, Generation Z will make decisions as to how to tackle current educational problems as well as ones we have yet to foresee. As this conversation begins, it’s important that technology is seen as the tool at the center of solving century-long challenges.

Take individualization for example. Individualized education, while ideal, has traditionally been impractical due to staff and funding restrictions. Laptops and tablets, however, are as accessible and as affordable ever. Think technology-driven individualization seems like a stretch? Just listen to my own story.

I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail - Abraham H. Maslow

I’ve personally always been interested in computers. I remember spending hours on AOL in just 1st grade. When I was fourteen and wanted to explore computer programming, I was bummed out that my high school didn’t offer a computer programming class. Furthermore, I did not know a single person who knew computer programming at the time. Being an unemployed middle-schooler, I had no money to spend on college classes that may very well have been too rigorous or dense for a kid simply perusing an interest. By watching free Youtube videos, reading books, and watching lectures colleges had uploaded for free, I was able to teach myself programming and now work as a freelance iOS App Developer. Technology has changed the way I approach learning and has greatly increased my chances of achieving the increasingly elusive socioeconomic mobility.

In the future, having all the answers memorized isn’t going to help — knowing where to find answers and being able to figure out how to solve problems is.

Sites like Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseWare, and EdX have reduced the cost of valuable knowledge from tens of thousands of dollars and top notch SAT scores to a computer and hard work. When the model of online individualized learning is adopted great things are allowed to happen. Students don’t need to be pressured or coerced to do work — they’re self-motivated. Students don’t need four years of college to get a job — the skills they develop speak for themselves.

Generation Z is going to have to solve the next century of educational challenges and attempting to do that without technology in mind is an effort in futility.

Feel free to check out some of the work I’ve completed on EdX such as Harvard’s CS 50 and MIT 6.00.1 here