There is an ongoing debate about cutting down elective classes and increasing the main core classes for high schoolers. Elective classes in high school refer to classes that are more geared toward a student’s interest aside from math, science, social studies, English, and foreign languages. That list of classes fit into the category of classes that students are required to take to graduate. Electives can range from art classes to music classes to vocational classes. These sorts of classes have been experiencing a gradual decrease. There may be some advantages of this for students to get more core classes in, but also disadvantages because they are getting less exposure to the other areas less commonly covered.

You might think that the cancellation of elective programs is due to funding issues. But the real story is that funding has little to do with it – there was simply no room in the curriculum for them among the regular and added classes. A lot of elective classes get bumped out for standardized test prep. Schools have come to be more focused on classes that prepare students to do well on standardized tests instead of focusing on letting students explore and find their interests. These high schools are not completely in the wrong for this method since standardized tests have become such an important factor for the majority of students interested in pursuing a college degree.

While funding isn’t the main issue, it certainly is still prevalent. Funding elective classes can be more expensive than core classes. The cost of music, art, and vocational classes can be expensive. For example, purchasing around 300 instruments for a music class quickly adds up. It is a hefty price to pay, but they also can be used throughout the years so it could be a very worthwhile invest to keep these programs alive.

Everyone in society is now programmed to think of progress and success in terms of the core class subjects and performance on related testing. With so much emphasis on this type of knowledge, schools are trying to keep their students afloat and successful by cutting out some elective classes. However, the potential issue with this is by eliminating the fun and interesting subjects, students with more core class focus compared to those with some elective exposure may do worse on standardized tests do to less engagement and more pressure.

Cutting electives also can be detrimental to students who are still trying to figure out where they will go after high school. There are lots of other options besides going to college, such as vocational school, music academy, and the army, and these are often left out of the picture. Classes in these areas should still exist to give students the opportunity to explore more options since it may not be all about standardized testing and college for everyone.

As college students, we have probably thought about whether we should take a certain class online or in an actual classroom. There are even online colleges where students can pursue their degree completely online. Penn State for example has the World Campus being the second largest campus in the Penn State University system with more than 150 degrees are being offered online. There are many advantages and disadvantages to both and with personal experience in both, I can say I prefer a mixture of the two.

Online learning enables one to learn when they are in a location that is distant away from the school. Take for example our current coronavirus situation, where online classes are being utilized for the next three weeks because everyone must stay their respective distances away from campus. Most online classes are accessible through an internet connection with most communication through email. This is an advantage to students to want to be at home when they are learning or if they have difficulty reaching the teaching site.

The main disadvantage to online learning would probably be missing the face to face interaction. Students receive their assignments and homework through a virtual learning platform. Students would also email the teacher if they have any questions so email plays a big role. Since most of the communication is through email, there really isn’t a need to see the teacher face to face to ask questions. However, what we see online isn’t all there is to a person and meeting someone in person makes us feel closer and more connected and engaged. Since online learning is fairly independent, this face to face instruction and learning engagement can suffer. It really depends on the learning style of the individual and whether or not they feel the most comfortable working through things independently focused or not.

Students are used to traditional classroom settings since this is the setting they were taught in  starting at a young age. This offers the face to face that online learning misses out on. It is easier to make friends and engage in groups and teachers can provide immediate, in-person help. Making friends and connections is also important and helpful and much easier when you are meeting people in a classroom. This setting also allows for more hands on and group activities that can’t occur online.

A disadvantage is that college students are forced to walk to their classes, even in unfavorable weather. Class times can also be an issue with overlaps and short intervals to walk far distances between classes. Another disadvantage is that students have to work at the pace of the whole class, whether they like it or not. If they are behind, they have to seek out additional help or if they want to move forward, they may not have the materials to do so yet.

So far, all of my Penn State classes have been in traditional classroom settings, with some online components. I think that this mixture is good  because there are clearly benefits to both styles of learning. I am considering taking an online course over the summer to help me move forward with my credits, which will definitely be beneficial. Both styles are ways for students to learn the information, so one isn’t necessarily better than the other. It is up to the individual and how they know they can learn best.

There are lots of similarities and differences in public and private schools in terms of high school. Is the price of going to a private school worth it? Personally, I always attended a public school district and never found any shortcomings compared to nearby private schools. I was always confused why anyone would leave to go pay money to go to a different school when there were perfectly fine public ones available.

However, there are lots of valid reasons why people would choose to go to a private school over a public one, and vice versa. These include factors such as cost, location, class size, special programs, and academic reputation. For academics, public schools have a more general curriculum designed for all students. It includes all the core subjects such as English, math, science, history, and physical education with a variation of extra related arts classes offered.

There have also been an increasing amount of charter schools in different areas across the country. They are another type of public school, but it offers more specialized programs with smaller classes. Private schools, on the other hand, have more flexibility to create specialized programs for students and they can create their own curriculum and testing systems. Because of this structure, generally students who attend private school perform better than public school students on standardized tests. Private schools also usually have higher, more demanding graduation standards.

Academic performance alone is a big reason many parents choose to enroll their kids in private schools. But there are other reasons as well that can make the cost beneficial for students. If students are looking for a more specified program a private school can be beneficial. In addition, the public school districts in the area where some people live are not always great options, depending on the type of area, and thus it may be worth it to pay to go to a private school. With the narrowed curriculum, private schools also have smaller class sizes, which can be very beneficial, as I talked about in my earlier post. For some parents, it is about the environment. Some say that private schools are overall a more positive place to learn in or it could be that they follow a certain religious belief.

It is clear that there are many reasons to consider private school, but public school is always a good option as well. When it comes down to it, determining what is best for students can best be done on a case by case basis, looking at the situation and the different needs of the student.

Another significant topic in the education world is community college. Community colleges are typically two year schools that provide affordable post-secondary education as a pathway to a four-year degree. They have several pros and cons that all play a role in the decision making for students about their post secondary education.

First of all, community college is not what it used to be. There are many more large incentives to attending one. Not to mention an obvious financial advantage, community college is a place where people can known out their general courses and explore their other interests on a flexible schedule. This concept is very appealing especially to young people that may not know what they want to do yet and don’t feel like they are ready to jump right into the full new college experience.

The flexible schedule that community college allows for is also a big advantage of community college. It can be one of the best options for students who plan on working while attending school, because many do not realize how time consuming it can be to try to work and attend a university. Students also have the benefit of taking the time to figure out what they want to do. Instead of spending thousands of dollars at a private university towards a major they are less than sure of, less expensive community college classes give the opportunity to explore interests students may not have otherwise.

The learning setting of community colleges are also up to par, contrary to many peoples’ opinions. They have surprisingly small class sizes, which allows for more attentive learning, and they have very well qualified professors with impressive resumes. Many of the professors are even very well established and respected, who teach these classes as a part time job on the side.

Many students also go to college and find that they are not as prepared or ready as they thought they would be for all the changes and diving right into a new major or program. Community college provides a good transitional year or two to buffer that sudden change and keeps students on track with their classes.

Of course there are also some cons to community college, but none that take away from the validity of the option for many students. One is that many of them have very limited curriculum compared to universities and may not be able to expose students to everything that they want. Also, within these different areas, there are often lighter workloads, meaning that students will only typically get out of it how much work and effort they are willing to put into it.

The other major group of cons centers around the lack of involvement available. There is less for students to become involved and engaged with to support their other interests outside of school, which can lead to a lack of motivation. The lack of an overall campus feel also contributes to this because there is less of a connection for students to their school, with not much in terms of a social scene or community.

Although these drawbacks are relevant in decision making, community college is a very beneficial route for students looking to explore their options without spending tons of money.

School uniforms have been a hot topic for years, as several schools use them, while several only enforce a dress code. There are many different pros and cons of having a school uniform that many teachers, parents, and students can speak to.

The pros of school uniforms are often popular when specific instances of inappropriate student expression arise. A benefit of school uniforms is that they promote better discipline in the school setting. They also help students resist peer pressure to buy trendy clothes. This is a big one, seeing how much peer pressure already can affect children and teens and their mental health. If everyone has to wear a uniform, then it takes the need to dress up and feel popular based on outfits in school away. They also increase school pride and unifies everyone and can help with identifying intruders, who would most likely not be wearing the uniform.

However, many people are also very against school uniforms for several reasons. The most prominent case made on this side is that it violates a students’ right to freedom of expression. Students want to be able to express their styles and personalities through their clothing at school, and are restricted from doing so if they have to wear uniforms. Also, since many schools do not require them, it makes students at schools feel left out from other students’ able to wear what they would like to at neighboring schools. Uniforms can also be a financial burden for many families as they are required at some schools. And when they are purchased, students obviously need multiple sets because they can’t wear the same shirt every single day for an entire school year. Kids are also always growing, which makes reusing uniforms from year to year nearly impossible for most. Children are also rowdy and often do not like to be told what to do, which can make enforcing the dress code an issue that might not be worth all the trouble.

Personally, my public school experience did not require a uniform, and I am glad. I can not imagine being restricted to the same few outfit choices for every single day that I already had to get up early and go to school. Having the freedom to choose my clothes and out on a different outfit every day gave me the ability to spice things up for myself and show off a little on days I felt like dressing up more. I did not feel overly pressured though to wear certain clothes that were more “trendy.” If there was a day I was feeling particularly lazy, then I would find no shame in just wearing sweatpants (which students in schools with uniforms can do significantly less anyway). I’m glad I had these opportunities and hope more and more kids attending public schools will be freed from their restrictions on this.

Technology use in education is continually on the rise, as many people have probably experienced first hand now. Naturally, with improving features, it is only becoming more popular, and for good reason. Technology has many benefits for learning, but that isn’t to say it doesn’t have its drawbacks as well.

Image from Webanywhere

For years, policy makers, teachers, parents, and students have been weighing the potential benefits of technology in education against its risks and consequences. The debate is more pressing than ever as more curricula incorporate technology and teachers experiment with new teaching methods. A major benefit is that it generates new learning opportunities as student engage in online practices with new models for collaboration and innovative learning strategies. It also promotes full participation through the use of tactics such as online polling, which in turn can provide good summative feedback for the teachers to evaluate.

Another big appeal is that technology introduces ways for learning to be more fun and effective. With different apps and platforms made for the classroom, there is no shortage of ways to make learning more interesting. Teachers can now even pose classwork as a type of fun game that students have to compete in to motivate them. There is also the basic overlooked benefit of speeding up simple tasks, thus providing more time for engaged learning. Students also have a much broader access to information with technology use, with everything they could need to learn right at their fingertips.

Of course, this poses the issue of possibly giving students more than what they need to succeed, and making them too dependent on having technology and all information right at the touch of a button, and more inclined to want to use it in situations to cheat or cut corners. It can also be a distraction in class when students start having too much fun with things like apps and games. The internet is a blessing and a curse. Students still have to learn how to find trustworthy, appropriate sources fro information, all while trying to stay away from the lure of online distractions.

Image from Meraki

From my personal experience with technology in the classroom however, I find that it is mostly beneficial. Throughout the majority of middle school and high school, my school provided us with iPads. The transition in the very beginning was a little rocky, after being used to paper and pencil notes for so long, but it became so natural, that it was almost weird to leave it and transition back to computer and paper notes for college. My friends and I got extremely used to handwriting notes on the iPad screen and simultaneously using it for research. I can also vouch for the fact that it did make learning more engaging. We were given tools for applied learning and could also use apps like Kahoot more easily in class for a fun, competitive quiz environment that everyone always looked forward to.

Technology has definitely transformed education, and mostly for the better in my opinion. Moving forward, it will likely only continue to grow so we must keep a level of caution to not become overly dependent on our devices, and rather use them to supplement our learning.

The size of a class can have extremely beneficial effects on a child’s learning. Research often shows that smaller class sizes have positive short and long term effects on learning. However, there is still much debate about the cutting of class size that is more so based on the economics than the merits of the idea. Kids in smaller class sizes as compared to kids in larger classes have been found to obtain higher test scores, participate more in school, demonstrate improved behavior, and carry on more of these benefits to their later years of schooling.

All of these beneficial effects makes a lot of sense. Being in a smaller class, there is more focus and attention that the teacher can provide to all of the children with less kids to overall teach and attend to. Thus, the kids are more engaged, feel more obligated to participate, and actually have a stronger desire to learn. Smaller class sizes also makes many activities that promote more engaged learning easier. For example, in class discussions or presentations, everyone has the chance to be more actively involved and can not as easily just sit quietly in the corner of a filled up classroom. More personalized attention also means that teachers can observe more about the learning styles of individual students and can tailor their teaching styles more specifically to them once they notice, before a student starts to fall too far behind.

I can attest to this sentiment personally. Growing up in a small school with a graduating class size of about 200 kids, I had multiple opportunities to experience small class sizes. I remember a distinct difference in the overall environment of my classes with about 15 students compared to those with about 30. The smaller classes always felt more fun and engaging because it was easier for everyone to connect and interact with less pressure. I obviously still learned very well in larger class sizes, but they felt longer and more boring to sit through with one teacher lecturing to a filled classroom of 30 kids staring back. Even now in college, for a subject like English, the small class size that we have is definitely more effective for our different activities and projects than a larger class size in a filled lecture hall, where personalized feedback is way more difficult.

 

The debate around this idea is based on the fact that having smaller classes simply requires more teachers that the school must hire. This can be very expensive to implement and can also result in the hiring of more low quality teachers. Many critics suggest that the probable costs of small class sizes do not justify the demonstrated beliefs. However, the concept must not be overlooked because of the apparent long term benefits it gives children in their education, and after all, the future of the world is in their hands.

In a few years from now, I will triumphantly receive a diploma certifying the completion of my undergraduate education. On that future day, I will probably feel pretty good about myself. All of my hard will have paid off on that day of commencement. I can only imagine how gratifying it will feel to finally hold that ticket to my future success and dreams.

What is your very first memory of school? For some, it might be spelling bees, or elementary school playdates; for others, perhaps learning the alphabet song, or running and regaling on the playground, or fond remembrances of first crushes. However, the memory that is the most clear to me from my earliest years of school is simply sitting on the brightly colored rug of my preschool playing with pegboard shape toys. Reflecting back on this memory provides an interesting analogy for my many years of school to follow.

When speaking of the purpose of education for the youth, there are separate definitions at play in our society today; what education is believed to be for, and what it should be for. Speaking from years of experience in a school setting myself, I can assert that there certain are flaws with the structure of education in America.

Starting from very early years of education onward, it seems that the entire system has economically driven, growth inducing, and productivity focused motives. No matter what type of school children attend, the mantra remains similar across the board: Study hard, get tested, repeat. Do better than everyone else, go to the “best” college, land a lucrative career to be successful. And optionally, be happy, healthy, sane, and enjoy life along the way. Just simple, straightforward, productive.

This message is exemplified in many forms of secondary education including teaching to the test, memorization based learning, influence of standardized testing and courses, and the competitive college application process. Basically, as long as anyone studies hard, passes the tests, and jumps through the hoops of secondary education, they can succeed in school and continue on to succeed in human society. This teaches kids that being really good at succeeding on academic tests is a segway to personal success, while glossing over many other important parts of education.

This system nullifies the encouragement for high school students to be seek out stress-free, creative, and strength-based opportunities when they could just be prepping for standardized tests like the ACT, or doing mountains of busy work to cram for factual assessments.

Our education system is like the preschool shape pegboard. Square pegs do not fit in the circle holes, no matter how hard you try. However, with such standardized education focuses, we are doing exactly that on a large scale, structuring the system as a giant, one-size-fits-all hole, despite each student being their own unique peg to be fit. What must be brought back is the love of learning and desire to understand things without the never ending push of deadlines, competition, and grades.

Welcome to Sites At Penn State. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!