| Many years ago our great country decided that public | | | | and then read it from cover to cover. Why should we |
| education was of such great value that we should | | | | teach the leaders of the future how to get information |
| make it both free and mandatory. In many early | | | | using a method that is out dated at best?Think of the |
| communities it started as a one room school teacher. If | | | | possibilities. How would you like to be a student |
| the population did not warrant a full time teacher they | | | | entering a classroom for United States History? Could I |
| provided tutors for smaller communities.As a teacher | | | | get you excited if I told you that you would be able to |
| for the past thirty years I am going to try to convince | | | | use a disc to research each of the topics that we |
| you that change in education is long over due. I am | | | | would cover this year? Would you prefer to keep a |
| also going to try to explain how it should change, and | | | | three ring binder, spiral binder, or a file on your personal |
| why it has not changed. Many political leaders in many | | | | computer that could be accessed at home or at |
| states have used the education of children as a forum | | | | school? Not only that but the instructor could access |
| to get elected. Change has been promised in the form | | | | your work at any time.If any of this sounds familiar it is |
| of programs such as the "No child left behind" program. | | | | because this is not new. It is the way we run |
| One can find long lists of other programs that | | | | bussiness in practically every industry in America. It |
| promised that American children would catch up with | | | | seems like it's good enough for adults but too good for |
| their counterparts in China, Japan, and other industrial | | | | students. I strongly believe that students deserve to |
| countries.So what is the problem? The problem is that | | | | have access to every modern technological tool that is |
| our kids do not live in the same agricultural, settlement | | | | available to the general public in public and private jobs. |
| society of the 1800's yet we continue to educate them | | | | So why keep it from them? Why hold students back? |
| in much the same mannor. Think about it... What have | | | | Why not use the technology that is in common use |
| we really changed concerning the process of | | | | through out the world?The Simple TruthIn colonial times |
| educating students over the past 200 years? If | | | | it seemed to be worthwhile for a community to hire a |
| preparing students for the society we live in is an | | | | school teacher to teach in a one room school. The |
| important goal then we know that we are not doing | | | | cost of ignorance was too high. Learning to read and |
| that. We do not need any test to know that we are | | | | write was considered a value to our society.In |
| not preparing our kids for the high tech society that | | | | America today we are not willing to pay to get our |
| exist today.Proposed ChangesFirst of all if we are to | | | | kids the education that will prepare them for the |
| prepare kids for todays world we must get rid of the | | | | society we live in. It cost too much to equip schools |
| antiquated books and paper that plague our school | | | | with modern technology. Not to mention the fact that |
| age children. That's right we must get rid of the books | | | | we do not have teachers with the skills that are |
| and replace them with c.d's. Then we must have a lap | | | | necessary for using technology in the |
| top or computer station on each and every desk in our | | | | classroom.Identifying the problems is easy. They have |
| schools. Of course there are many options. One could | | | | been identified year after year in local, state, and |
| have a lap top issued to them at the beginning of | | | | national elections. I am convinced that the solutions are |
| school and turned back in at the end of the school | | | | just as obvious. Now all we have to do is convince the |
| year.There is no good reason, other than cost, for | | | | American public that preparing our children for the |
| students carrying around 5 or 6 books along with | | | | society we live in is worth the cost and that we truly |
| notebooks, pencil, and paper. It's just not the way our | | | | can not afford to continue to teach with the same |
| modern society works. What sense does it make to | | | | methods used in the 1800's.Bob Roach Father of one |
| teach our kids to use text books to get information? | | | | and middle school teacher of literally thousands over |
| Not one of you reading this article would waste the | | | | the past thirty years. |
| time it takes to find the right book, buy or borrow it, | | | | |