The vast majority of us in the usa were educated as children and young adults to ensure we could succeed both as citizens sustaining our democratic way of life and as productive workers capable of sustain ourselves and our families economically. In most cases a combination of private and public K-12 schools far better education universities and colleges have served us quite nicely. Were in general a properly educated and constructive populace.
But can we count on the old-school methodologies to sustain us for a world of work which will be characterized as mercurial and erratic with agility, adaptability, and rapid evolution? There's reason to think not. An economy which is experiencing increased speed and transformation are not well served by an educational structure and model made to prepare students for the relatively static and predictable work world.
Let's examine the prevailing paradigm that traditionally and currently defines most American high schools and colleges. There are 2 patterns at play using the concepts of liberal education and career-focused education. Once each student reaches high school they select and have selected for the kids one of these persuasions or another.
Liberal (or liberal arts) education describes an approach that encourages a diverse and various exposure to fundamental and various subject theme using the goal being to educate trainees to get a complex world requiring a variety of perspectives, skills, and parts of knowledge. When and when college is reached students is inserted to this combination a concentrated concentrate a number of disciplines.
A career-focused or vocational path on the other hand focuses much more on preparing a student to get a relevant job that is certainly widely used within the workforce. Breadth gives approach to depth in this a craft or set of skills demonstrably employable is chosen, studied, and finally mastered from the student.
To be clear I'm not really suggesting that there are anything fundamentally wrong with one of these models. My dilemma is inside the traditional modes of delivery ones. Were still within the assumption which a high school graduation diploma or college degree program that terminates upon graduation will supply a student for life career. Back in the day, but projections are who's will not be enough going forward.
The workplace as well as career needs are getting to be increasingly digitized and globalized, producing an urgency for malleable, resilient, and entrepreneurial workers to handle the ever vibrant economic demands through the planet. To maintain these attributes workers will likely need to accept and embrace continuous lifelong learning, upskilling, and training to keep up and grow ahead. Schooling will never end. The truth is it can be an integral and recurring a part of any advantageous job worth having for the majority of.
We'll likely go to a time when liberal and career-focused methods be of your as-needed hybrid using a greater proliferation of skill and knowledge-based certification and training programs not necessarily associated with slow moving traditional education settings. Students, employees, and educators will start migrating more intentionally into online, virtual, and yes, brick & mortar learning facilities offering the very best quality, data driven, short and long-term instruction important to the requirements of the emerging economy.
Just as one educator myself with 31 years in public places schools and 5 years as a part time college adjunct I will say with a few certainty until this industry will not likely alone move in this direction with no lot of resistance. There are numerous entrenched interests compelled to resist such changes. A much more responsive and pragmatic instructional delivery will likely arise coming from a combination of innovative educators and demanding students and employees requiring relevant reactive instruction.
