Individualizing Education

The debate on the education system in America is a never ending one. From problems with having single valedictorians, to the issues of standardized testing, it seems that the people of this country will never come to a consensus on the proper way to educate future generations. My concern for today’s blog is about how the schooling should be effective for all. In many scenarios, children are not being challenged enough or are being severely stressed with classes they should not be in. However, the problem might not be with the class and the material. The problem might be enveloped in the methods of teaching.
In my opinion “effective school for all” means more individualized plans for education set up for each student. I understand that schools are already trying to achieve this through counselors and conferences, but I think it is not working to the fullest potential. Besides each student having a physical plan/record, I think that schools need to re-evaluate the fact that education is not the same for all students. Different people learn differently and for effective schooling to occur, this specific education needs to be targeted individually. Once again, schools are already trying to solve this problem by placing student into different level classes (CP, Honors, AP), yet each student will still approach education and learning in a different way in each class.
Therefore, the solution I propose is for the students to gain more say and action in how they want to be taught. Obviously, everyone can't just say, “I don’t want homework.” The students’ increased control of their own education needs to come with a firm and logical structure. School is ‘good’ for most people because it teaches very important skills for the future. Among these are English and how to write properly. However, schools also teach how to multitask and use time effectively.
Developing a sense of how to manage time primary evolves from too much homework. This, in turn, leads me to the conclusion that school is not good for other people because they are constantly sleep deprived. School is negatively affecting their health in a serious manner. On the other hand, it is a strong motivator to do well, get scholarships, a good education, and a well-paying job. Without a school system in place I would most definitely lack the motivation to keep on learning. Yet again, there is a counter to this with the fact that school is becoming monotone with constant test training.
There is an enormous amount of pros and cons out there about the current education system. That is why, perhaps, there can’t be an easy answer as to what to change in the system. However, making the curriculums more individualized would surely benefit everyone. Reform must come from the students, not from boards of education as is commonly perceived.