APBP Article Oasis

Can Our Schools Afford to Teach the Latest Technology

Technology, especially over the last two decades, has had a profound effect on almost every industry. When it comes to education, however, the effect has been muted by multiple factors, many of which stem from the availability of educational funding. From public elementary schools to state universities, the number of students is growing exponentially while the resources to educate them seem to be dwindling year after year. While higher education providers can raise tuition or divert funding to pay for the inclusion of technology, public schools are at the mercy of a predetermined budget that allows for little in the way of added expenditures.

For those who create the curriculum used to teach our nation’s students, the challenges are mounting. Curriculum and instruction master’s programs for educators preparing to go into education management are designed to help faculty create an inspiring environment conducive to learning. Unfortunately, they don’t cover budget stretching or fundraising, which some schools must resort to in order to keep their curriculum current.

At one time, having a computer center was a mark of advancement. Today, most schools are struggling to meet the demands of a student body who has grown up in the computer age and will rely on technology for their livelihoods. Educational technology and interactive learning are more important than ever, as it’s in the educational environment that students will first be introduced to technology as a source of information instead of a source of entertainment. Educators are not only fighting a losing battle to introduce technology to the classroom, but to impress upon students the importance of technology, which can be difficult when the resources students have in their own homes are far superior to those available at school.

The world wide web is a prime example of an area where a student’s early introduction can have a profound effect on their future. The internet is fast becoming the marketplace of the world, and if growth over the last decade is any indication of things to come, millions of students will be involved in internet based businesses in the near future. While the world wide web is certainly a source of commerce and expanding industry, the way in which students view the internet may determine their future in regard to what it has to offer.

Is Physical Education Necessary?

Physical education is a hot button issue for many schools, not only because of the challenges in continuing to fund programs at the expense of more academically oriented pursuits, but from the issues that arise when students are unwilling or unable to participate for a variety of reasons.

Indeed, there are enough problems associated with students learning together in a classroom, much less a gymnasium or outdoors. This is especially true in a child’s formative years when students are less accepting of each other’s differences, physically in particular. It can also be effectively argued that environments where students are forced to congregate with less supervision are conducive to disagreements and foster less than desirable behavior which can manifest itself more dangerously outside of school.

On the other hand, physical education seems even more necessary than ever, as we are fast becoming the most obese nation in the world. Though our society seems to be obsessed with physical fitness, our eating habits are overwhelming the benefits. For children in particular, the combination of healthy eating habits and the importance of physical fitness can be a source of life long healthiness provided they are introduced to both during their formative years. Physical education should ideally cover both, although the exercise is usually the primary focus.

Perhaps it’s time to overhaul the way in which we teach physical education, with a little more emphasis on the education aspect. After all, physical fitness isn’t a pursuit that should be limited to one class period three times per week, especially for children who haven’t yet faced the pressures of adulthood. By teaching children the importance of physical fitness, they’ll possess the knowledge to stay fit in their own way, and can develop an appreciation for a particular physical fitness pursuit.

Surprisingly, the change has to start both at the federal level where physical fitness standards and curriculum are developed as well as at the collegiate level, where physical education degree programs are the source physical education faculty. While federal guidelines must be adhered to by public schools, the right teacher can make all the difference in whether physical education is a learning experience where students grow to appreciate its benefits or an angst filled journey to be avoided at any cost for those who can benefit from the information the most.