When Nadeem Aslam said, “Pull a thread here and you’ll find it’s attached to the rest of the world,” he was addressing the vast interconnectivity of the universe, explaining that nothing is entirely independent of one another, and somehow, everything connects to one another. Then, shouldn’t education mirror that structure in order to properly prepare students for the web of life? It should, and interdisciplinary learning does just that. Interdisciplinary education is critical as it teaches students how to see connections across the curriculum which gives students a deep understanding of the material because they must examine and grasp every aspect of the subject to analyse the connections, making them experts in the topic. Those cognitive skills are also transitive to the world, creating a generation of innovative problem solvers who can identify connections in conflicts in order to identify the root causes of conflict. This creates a thought process that leads to identifying meaningful and innovative solutions. The only “drawback” to interdisciplinary learning is that it leaves students with an insatiable desire to keep finding and analyzing connections in the world which never truly end.
Nothing gives a more profound feeling than discovering how different pieces of a seemingly unrelated puzzle fit and relate together. In the classroom, teaching this skill is invaluable. Interdisciplinary education is an effective way to teach this as it offers hands on experience in
In society today, a college education is often seen as a “the next step” in a young adult’s life. Whether they actually know what they would like to earn a degree in, they feel the need to continue their education as almost everyone around them is pursuing post-secondary education of some sort. It is often argued that a college education is not necessary to get ahead because of the manufacture based workforce that is up and coming in America, however, there are many benefits to having a post-secondary education such as a higher rate of pay and more job opportunities.
There is an unambiguous flaw in today’s education system when high school seniors graduate without the common knowledge to perform necessary adult tasks. Schools need to place a higher priority on teaching life skills than on teaching useless facts. Budget cuts have taken the most beneficial information out of the school’s itinerary. When essential life lessons are left out of teacher handbooks, students are left to self teach the preeminent information that could have been taught otherwise. This results in young adults relying on trial and error; hopeful not to make a huge mistake while making potentially life altering decisions.
Many would argue that sports have a greater importance compared to the arts. Not only this, but many would say that art is not important enough to have a place in public schooling. However, those who have this mindset do not understand the countless amount of benefits that arts education has in an everyday student's life. Art education refers to education in music, dance, the visual arts, and theater. The engagement of students in the arts are essential to every student's educational career. However art programs always seem to come short in funding and this can later negatively impacts a student’s academic career. Budget cuts would be defined as the act of reducing budgeted expenditures. Budget cuts can come about due to a decreasing amount of money used to split among various school programs. The board members of school districts are constantly trying to get more resources. However, in the end, there is not enough money to cover for so many teachers, supplies, and programs. As budget cuts arise, the arts are almost always immediately targeted. The budget cuts would cut down funds for art supplies, musical instruments, and art teachers. In addition to funds that order to hire art organizations for programs which provide arts education services for students. Many public schools are struggling with budget cuts, resulting in the continued elimination of art programs across school districts throughout the nation. Due to budget constraints, fewer schools offer art classes today. Due to the fact that arts education is infrequently seen as a number one priority in public schools, there is little funding put into place and because of the diminishing amount of art programs, students are being deprived of the benefits that arts education can provide for them academically and non-academically.
The other major headache that developed for me working at Griswold was the never-ending set of regulations from the state and Federal government which directly affected our curriculum and more importantly, the way in which we presented our lessons.
Imagine a store only sold two sizes of the new shirt you wanted. In today's society that is the perfectly painted picture on college education. College has become an option, a granted privilege, and no longer a necessity. Jobs such as small business owners, Web developers, and Wind Turbine Technician no longer require a college degree. College education is still worth it because college, ¨encourages students to think, ask questions, and explore new ideas, which allows for additional growth and development and provides college graduates with an edge in the job market over those who have not experienced a higher education¨ (McGuire). A college degree is an essential tool in an adult's life because of prominent health, labor market balance, and overall career success.
Colleges are struggling to adapt to society’s changing requirements for adults entering the work force. John Fawell laments this change and states that humans intrinsically desire to learn more for the purpose of knowing more. However, the focus has shifted away from this and has become more career-oriented. This shift is not well supported in the current college system. The education system is aware of this change and some have modified their programs, but they are too narrow and a broad college education is lost. Even though it has become almost mandatory in society, a college degree does not prepare students for a real-world work environment and is not necessary for most occupations. Many, such as lawyers or doctors, do require further education and a system that instructs them while also training the majority of the workforce would be an improvement.
Having just completed my first year of college I was out in the business world looking for a new job for the summer. I applied for various jobs online and received a couple offers and went in for an interview at a local hotel. I was interviewing for a pool attendant position. I met the manager of the hotel and we sat down as he described to me all of the inner workings of the job. He then asked me a variety of questions that apply to the job as well as the type of person I was. It is important to answer these questions with answers the interviewer wants to hear. Even though there isn’t a “right” answer for a lot of the questions, there are answers that the interviewer could approve or disapprove of. Using skills that I learned from my liberal arts education I was able to build a connection with the interviewer, answer his questions with answers he wanted to hear, and establish who I was and what I could bring to the organization.
Fine arts Is another fun and exciting thing for kids or teenagers of all ages to do. The
The United States education system presents proposed education reforms with the intention of strengthening the education system for all American students. The United States seeks to teach children with a focus on quality education, creativity and critical thinking, and self-development and empowerment; preparing students to be active and engaged citizens. The United States has built a foundation of universal education; unlike many other countries, all American children are entitled to a free and public education. Children are ensured an education in the United States regardless of disability, socioeconomic status, academic achievement, or immigrant status. Despite intentions to provide high quality education for all students there are areas in which the United States falls short compared to our neighbors nationally. As Andreas Schleicher, a scientist with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development states, it is in our benefit to look “outside for ways to improve, questioning the established wisdom” (Ripley, 2016).
Constant controversy, immaturity at its finest, an American flag, a little blue birdy logo, a verified checkmark, more than 44 million followers, little elementary school arguments with Kim-Jong-un; the list goes on. If you are still unaware of what I am referring to, it is the twitter account of the current President of the United States (POTUS), Donald J. Trump. This man is one of the largest and most active gatekeepers in the realm of social media. Generally, one would assume information posted in a tweet from the POTUS would undoubtedly be accurate. How could that ever not be a reputable source? Why even bother to do some of your own research? Unfortunately, this is not the reality we live in; not everything presented to us through news, government or media is true and thus, everything you hear today requires a conduction of your own research prior to accepting anything as true. To be completely honest, if you did not know I was referring to the POTUS, you are probably in a much better position than his 44 million followers, as you have successfully managed to avoid one of the many gatekeepers/media outlets whose employed methods entail the plaguing that come with the concept post-truth politics. Though, you must keep in mind that is just one of the many outlets, as this concept is currently taking place all over the world. You, along with the rest of the population are essentially forcibly subjected to fake news every single day of your waking life whether you choose to believe it or not. On September 10, 2016, The Economist published an article titled “The Post Truth World: Yes, I’d lie to you.” The article claims the reality of the current political world; a reality The Economist suggests the general population is ignorant of. The article is severely opinionated and due to the multitude of reasons provided in support of their argument, many of which substantiated with an abundance of factual evidence, the authors were very convincing in their contention that post-truth politics are to be with us for many years to come unless changes are made immediately.
One of the strengths of this book is McMinn’s concentration on the practical aspect of the interdisciplinary integration: the amalgamation of
Education in the United States has always been a debatable topic, an issue that is constantly being discussed asking how can we improve the education system? A system that many believe is broken, a system that impacts students and teachers all around the country, however, it is a system that does not affect those who were fortunate enough to cause a drastic call for change. Overall, there are many issues and programs involving education, and if there were three that I would advocate for to improve teaching as a profession, it would be, improving the cultural diversity training, increasing teacher’s salaries, and adjusting the curriculum.
At the root of every interdisciplinary toolset is the ability to problem solve; without this skill the problems and challenges that we face would remain impossible. Problem solving skills are innate in all of, but the approaches that we are utilize are as matchless as the minds in which they are born. This diversity allows for every dilemma to have many solutions and approaches. Since the global issues we face are complex, it would be naïve to believe that their resolution would be easily
At least 11% of women smoke during pregnancy. Many of these women smoke without knowing the significant negative effects smoking has on their babies before, during, and after the pregnancy. When a woman smokes during pregnancy, she exposes her baby to dangerous chemicals such as tar, carbon monoxide, nicotine, and other poisonous chemicals that travels through the bloodstream and goes directly to the baby. Nicotine restricts the oxygen through the blood vessels throughout the body, including those leading to the umbilical cord. There are more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes. Among these chemicals, there are life-threatening issues that can happen while smoking during a
Everyone wants what is best for their children, right? If that is true, then schools need to start preparing their students for the challenges they will meet in college and the skills to overcome them. This is best done through the presence of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in middle and high schools. Through Wisconsin schools furthering their focus on STEM with extracurriculars, students will gain vital skills that are necessary for human progression, problem-solving and time management skills that can be used in real life, and the students learn how they can apply what is being taught in the classroom to real obstacles and challenges.