Education Blog – Online Universities and Colleges Blog

“Education leads to development and progress,” I heard this sentence is repeated numerous times from my parents’ teachers and elders. However the term progressive education or educational progressivism recently confronted me. Man is a social animal and learning is his nature, however he learns the best practically with the apt surrounding and apt people. Many have made attempts to rely on the best learning theories. A model suggested by John Dewey is regarded as one of the best model for learning. The model suggests five steps,

1. Become aware of the problem.
2. Define the problem.
3. Propose hypothesis to solve it.
4. Evaluate the consequences of the hypothesis from one’s past experience.
5. Test the likeliest solution.

Step 1 – Become Aware of the problem

Since progressive education revolves around the practical and social mode of education, the student should always understand the concept on the whole. Before learning anything it is highly important to recognize the topic, understand its importance, its benefits, drawbacks and much more. Thus becoming aware of the problem or recognizing the topic is highly important in order to have a detailed study of the concept.

Step 2 – Define the problem

Defining the problem is the next step. After understanding the nature of the problem, one should draw an accurate definition to the problem or the topic. Drawing the definitions enables the students to comprehend the topic more briefly. This process makes the readers understand the concept and opens up the facility to have an in depth study of the topic.

Step 3 – Propose hypothesis to solve it

The third step involves proposing a hypothetical solution to solve the problem. While you are already done with becoming aware of the problem with an overview of study and defining the problem with a detailed study, it is required to propose a possible hypothetical solution to it. You can only propose the solution when you have already had in detailed analysis of the problem. Proposing a hypothetical solution facilitates the possibility eradicating the problem. However it is just a hypothetical solution based on certain consequences.

Step 4 – Evaluate the consequences of the hypothesis from one’s past experience

The step four involves evaluating the consequences of the hypothesis from one’s past experiences. The hypothetical solution should always be based on the previous experiences of the person. The solution drawn should always be based on the same format as this format always allows to draw he most effective solutions.

Step 5 – Test the likeliest solution.

The fifth and the final step is test the likeliest solution. This step evolves in searching for the possible solutions and putting forth the most likeliest and positive solution to the problem. This step enables to get rid of the problem on the whole.

A progressivist teacher not only allows the students to learn but also utilizes the practical experiences to the learning process which affects the life of the student. Thus most progressivist teacher says Learn by doing or learns by discovery. This format of learning is more or less utilized for learning in the sociological or human behavior study. Progressive Education plays a very important role and has rising scope in modern times.

Career is gaining the prime focus in recent days; as the cut throat competitive world had set parameters for almost everyone in every field. This cut throat competition has made the world realize the difference between career and job. Since childhood students are trained to acquire a career in different fields. Almost every child is asked for his ambition at some point of time. As per the famous saying it’s always better to be safe than sorry, thus being prepared is always regarded as the best option. According to the survey approximately 73 percent of the students acquiring higher education opt for career oriented education. The ratio is increasing with passing time.

Many programs do offer career oriented courses. These courses include internships and trainee job positions, etc. The word professionalism has acquired its due importance in recent years and many institutions offer professional courses like Computers, Publishing, Athletics, and Foreign language to professional electives like Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. With the increasing craze for career oriented education higher education has acquired great importance. The education has changed its format from stable, bookish and serious to flexible pertinent and quickly adaptable.

Career oriented programs more or less focus on practical knowledge thus securing place for concepts like management, advertising etc… This practical education makes it easier for the youth to enter the industry with a relevant knowledge and background of the job they are applying for. The faculty included for such programs are mostly the renowned and well established experts from the field who not only provide the education but spice them with their own experiences that enables the students to not only understand the concept but also be prepared for the possible situations, ups and downs in the field they aim to be in near future. It also helps them for planning and organizing their future career plans.

It is seen in recent times the requirement for career oriented individuals is rising and so are the institutes offering such type of programs. These programs brings out the best in the students at the college levels itself in order to make them ready for the industry to be capable of facing all the challenges surrounding the job.

Career oriented education is thought as a progressive concept. It is evolving with the time and gaining its due importance. Though career oriented education shapes the personality of the individual and makes him proficient and responsible to pursue a particular career, it is up to individual to plan his career, and be focused on his career plans to acquire success in terms of salary hike, increment and appraisal.

Bilingual education is most controversial topic these days; many states have banned bilingual education, media also has a negative approach towards education. However the increasing number of non-American population is still demanding for the right of bilingual education. The role of American government has a great emphasis on education in the first language English while the non-Americans are ready to accept English as second language. 15 American states hold about 94% non American population who speak languages other than English at their home while states like California, Arizona and Massachusetts have already got rid of bilingual education in the years 1998, 2000 and 2002 respectively.

Why is bilingual education important?

The increasing number of non-American population don’t speak English at home, thus pursuing literacy from the language we you actually speak at home makes them understand the concepts better as we understand the words since childhood while understanding a totally new language and comprehending it is a bit time consuming for the children. English proficiency is important for those who live in USA but access English as a second language enables with the same proficiency as you can have it as first language. In order to enhance their English proficiency bilingual education programs include certain measures like teaching English with first language and enabling them with alternative words in the first language. Those students who have already acquired superior education through bilingual education are successful in acquiring to basic objectives of education literacy and in depth knowledge of subject matter.

People say on bilingual education

It is said that public opinion is in some way media’s opinion. The statement falls true as media frames the question in order to gain the answer expected by the media itself. It’s also the fear amongst the parents about their child’s career and growth; the parents have an absurd of that the child would struggle in future for his job due to lack of proficiency in English. However if your child is under an effective bilingual program he may acquire similar proficiency and command over English like those from schools with English as a primary language. The survey on the other hand has another result to display. According to the survey the ratio of people supporting bilingual education is 60-40 which means maximum number of people support bilingual education if there is no fear of for their future with respect to career and job opportunity.

Bilingual Education emphasized?

Is the bilingual education emphasized, this is the common question asked by the pro English supporters. Bilingual schooling programs show a decreasing ratio in educational standards. One of the reasons behind it is lack of books and knowledgeable faculty. It is required to generate effective programs with sound number of books and knowledgeable faculty in order to upgrade the bilingual education standards. Though some schools offering bilingual education provide a certain number books to its students, the number definitely needs to be increased.

Some pro-English supporters call bilingual education to be just a vote gaining strategy while some call it an exercise to cherish their own cultural heritage. Language is just a medium to literacy; the basic element behind gaining education is increasing your knowledge boundaries and accessing it for our intellectual benefit. Unless the education doesn’t provide you with these two basic criteria’s, such education provides hiccups for the students and society as well.