Special Blog Assignment

Summary
The USA Today article, A world where grades will get left behind, discusses changes that should be made in the very outdated education system. The education system in the United States has not used advances in technology for its benefit. Sebastian Thrun and his education company, Udacity, are working on a free online higher education program with star professors from around the world.  Dr. Thrun and his team aren't the only people working towards a revolution in the education system. Dr. Thrun's friend, Sal Kahn, is another educator that has promoted revolutionizing education through inspiring teachers across the nation to "flip" the classroom, a method created by Dr. Lodge McCammon. Schools across the United States are beginning to change their curriculum to allow students to learn through interaction. For example, Charter schools in Chicago and New York have created a curriculum built around game-playing, making learning more fun for the students because they are involved in the learning process. Education is slowly moving forward and beginning to create an individualized education system with no "one size fits all" education. Students won't be forced to master information by a deadline and can learn at their own pace. Instruction in the future will be free, other than fees that will promote the learning process. Dr. Thrun has a vision of the future that just as film changed the entertainment business, the Internet will revolutionize education.

Analysis
I agree that the education system needs to change, but that isn't going to happen without a change in legislation. Currently, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 places too much emphasis on standardized tests. How does testing students who haven't had time to master the skills tested ensure that all children have a "fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and State academic assessments?" The emphasis on testing seems very unfair to the students, especially slow learners and students with severe test anxiety. I can only imagine an education system that focuses on individual students rather than an entire group of students. Online and blended education is the only way that we can emphasize individuality in education. I would prefer blended courses over completely online courses because I benefit from face-to-face meetings. This would allow me to be introduced to topics through online lectures and attend class for interactive learning. I do, however, believe that there needs to be some deadline for the course. Retention will be encouraged and will not be frowned upon if the majority of the students are spending more time in the course to master skills that they were not able to master. I'm afraid that if there is no deadline that students will spend years trying to master a skill that they are just not going to get. This would cause a social issue if the majority of their peers are moving on and certain students stay behind for too many years. Social interaction is necessary and students who are on a much higher or lower maturity level than their classmates can become problematic in both social and academic success. I am all for implementing technology into the education system, but I don't think that doing away with grades is the way to go.