The End Of Education By Neil Postman

In most affluent schools, parents have the expectation that their kids are being offered a full liberal arts curriculum that will allow them to further their creativity and curiosity. However, many schools have been only focusing on the subjects that are being tested on standardized tests set by the state, because they receive more school funding if they achieve higher test scores. In her article titled “The Essentials of a Good Education”, Diane Ravitch, utilizing direct examples of schools, and policies that limit student’s knowledge of the arts in order to have more time preparing for tests, points out that this shift in focus is causing students to suffer academically and is killing their curiosity and creativity.

In 1985, author Neil Postman released an article titled “Learning in the Age of Television”. The focus of the article is how technology, more specifically television, can influence and affect the education of children. Postman elaborates on these topics by bringing in facts and examples, such as the educational television show “Sesame Street”, to support his claims.

Cathy N. Davidson suggests an innovative education system, providing an emphasis in today’s digital era, and claiming that the existing education system needs to be renewed according to the new expectations of the digital era. Davidson states that,” In the last half century, many changes have occurred in the technology field, however, classrooms and educational methods have remained fairly steady for the past years as well in consequence students are not being prepared for the future advances of society.” That being said, it is important to improve and to give a change to the current educational methods, adjusting them to the existing demands of the era that we are living and taking advantage of the resources that it provides. “What if we continued to the lesson of internet itself,

“College for the Masses” by David Leonhardt is a great article that displays the many benefits among lower-income students attending a four year college. “Why Poor Students Struggle” by Vicki Madden displays many examples from hers and her colleagues experiences while providing statistics of the lower-income joining a four year college. The two articles both display the benefits of attending a four year college and that the education pays off. David’s article talked about the different education levels based on their test score before attending the university and the amount of income, while Vicki’s focused more on the income and the effects on grades of students while attending the college on low income. David also goes more in detail about the disadvantages of community college than Vicki’s description of community college. “College for the Masses”, in my opinion, had more intensive descriptions and examples on the benefits of starting in a four year university, rather than community college.

Technology is everywhere; it is almost inevitable. In 2013 a study was done by the American Community Survey showing just how much we use computers.The study showed that eighty- four percent of american households owned a computer. Although technology is on the rise, it may not be the best answer for everything. Computers are relied on heavily in schools all over the world which could eventually be a problem. There are many flaws that the internet and schooling systems may never be able to ‘fix’. Many people take advantage of this luxury. Yet there is a large population of people who do not agree with the certain use of technology in schools. Although ideas with the internet are limitless, not all luxuries in life are provided. Most things

Being interested in learning has always been important in education, but it can be seen that technology has changed the way students want to learn. As technology has advanced it’s become more integrated with school curriculum across America. Neil Postman, a popular scholar, had a doctorates degree in education and spent most of his life devoted to rethinking school curriculum. He is the author of, “Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in an Age of Show Business”, he argues that television has completely changed the way people, mostly children, want to learn and the ways television has effected how they are taught Throughout the excerpt, Postman discusses this topic using various children shows while also, citing reputable sources

Justin Cox, the author of the editorial, believes that the belief that every child in America should go to college is actually hindering the lives of kids who do go to college. Students fresh out of college "are jobless and deep in debt with student loans." Cox also believes that this issue is interrelated with our extreme debt to China. Because American society views having a college degree as the "norm," jobs that do not need a higher education, such as construction or factory jobs, are being shipped overseas because we do not have enough people that either want or are able to do the jobs. And although there are negative stereotypes associated with trade workers, they do not have to deal with the debt that most college graduates are burdened with and some of them can even earn more money than some college graduates. Cox thinks that we should be giving more importance

The main argument in his article, “New Class(room) War: Teacher vs Technology”, is that technology integration education impedes learning. In other words, “enabled distraction”. (Para 12). He is convinced that the powerful tools of engagement and devices that have been made to “supposedly enhance learning” (Para. 12) stagnate the lecture experience: “a majority had used their cellphones, sent or read e-mail, and gone onto social-networking sites during class time.” (Para. 13). Statistics, expressed throughout his argument, on the interference of technology have convinced Freedman that the level of distraction correlate more with the rising ubiquity and utility of the devices. Freedman’s solution is not to embrace technology, but abstaining from it. He believes that “the emerging generation seem to see the same devices as entertainment and socializing.” and not as “information and communication”. (Para

This is not book about school reforms, but rather an exploration of how many peoples of all ages are learning by doing asking fresh question and working together to solve problems. It is a call to action to reconvene how we learn at all ages. Thomas and Brown help us understand the profound changes brought about by digital technology. We come to understand that 21st century is about embracing changes, drawing upon extensive experience of Thomas and Brown with digital technology, learning environment and new social structures such as massively multiplayer online gaming. This is a must read book for anyone interested in the future of education, but also for those who hopes to thrive in the twenty first century. Thomas and Brown make the

In Samuel G. Freedman’s article published in 2007 titled “New Class(room) War: Teacher vs. Technology”, he shares with readers that it is becoming increasingly more difficult for teachers to teach because students are easily distracted by gadgets during lessons while Matt Britland’s article, “What is the future of technology in education?” published in 2013, is encouraging and promoting schools and educational institutions to use the cloud. Generally, Freedman’s article featured in The New York Times seems more credible and convincing as compared to Britland’s article in The Guardian because he provides an impartial view on the topic and he uses a diversity of sources to validate his points while Britland brings in his personal views and uses only a trail he conducted on his own to sustain his views.

Accountant, Robert T. Perry, in his argument essay, “On ‘Real Education’,” addresses that we are exhausting our time attempting to teach an excessively large number of individuals. Perry’s purpose is to explain that ten to twenty percent of those enlisted in bachelor degree projects particularly need to really be

Due to this reasoning, Wong implies that the people in charge of education are under the notion that, because this is the digital age, students must already be fluent and know how to exactly intertwine technology into everyday life. Yet, this is not the case, glamorizing this notion is faulty with the several complications that fall in line, such as being clueless as to how to perceive things on the internet, and, of course, the dangers. Another problem with having technology incorporated into education, as suggested by Loewy in Wong’s article, is that there are educators out there who feel “digitally illiterate,” and it is of no help when there’s an increase of demand with mixing school content and electronics together. How is teaching “digitally illiterate” students possible, when the educators themselves are “digitally illiterate?” It only creates a paradox and creates further issues. If the people in charge of education want to place electronics as a needed material, they should, at the very least, teach their educators. That is why, according to a teacher in Florida, the solution to these problems is to have a “‘coherent plan to teach digital citizenship in schools’- not as an add-on,”

Samuel G. Freedman’s article “New Class(room) War: Teacher vs. Technology”, which was published in 2007 and Matt Britland’s article “What is the future of technology in education” which was published in 2013 both discusses about the role of technology in education”. While Britland feels that we should embrace technology, Freedman feels otherwise. Britland believes that the future of education is in technology, in the form of cloud and advocates that inculcating technology into our education system is the way to go while Freedman believes that bringing technology into the classroom will act as a source of distraction for the students and shows the battle of technology versus teachers.

Postman finds ways that god's (narratives like myths) contributes to education. He mentions that “Public education does not serve a public. It creates a public. And in creating the right kind of public, the schools contribute toward strengthening the spiritual basis of the American Creed. The right answer depends on two things, and two things alone: the existence of shared narratives and the capacity of such narratives to provide an inspired reason for schooling,,.” “At its best, schooling can be about how to make a life, which is quite different from how to make a living.” I choose these quotes because it refers to the modern education which arise a problem that most students do not have a motivating reason to be enthusiastic in their education. However the speaker’s has negative opinion of the existing education system moreover it fails to involve and prepare young people for the challenges of the real world.

What Leonhardt is suggesting is that for our country to help the progress towards eliminating the income gap, our politicians must first see the inequality within these issues and see how they are different in wealthy communities’ vs. poor communities. The more they look at the way money is spent and see the difference in the way schools and people treated within the school, healthcare system, etc. The more they can start to take steps toward solving those problems. However, making changes in education will not be nearly enough to resolve the problem. In other sections of Leonhardt article, he talks about education saying "When a society becomes more educated, many of its less-wealthy citizens quickly acquire an ephemeral but nonetheless crucial