The Best Thing to Happen in Education

We asked teachers, parents, educational influencers, and experts what they thought the best thing to happen in education was. Here’s what they had to say:

“Without a doubt, the most important thing to happen in education in my lifetime (so far) was the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka story. The irony of “separate but equal” is framed in logic. How can separate ever be equal? Equal means the same. Decades later, we are facing the same lack of logic only this time it is about access to technology. Today equal education requires equal access to the modern tools technology has put in play in the marketplace. Today, college and career readiness requires that students have access to and routinely use technology to solve problems, just like they will do in the workplace. And, by the way, [that is] the exact same way most of us use technology in our everyday lives.”

-Margaret Jorgensen, senior vice president and chief academic officer of K12

“The best thing is that a burgeoning network of teachers is arising. Best practices are flowing more quickly than ever for teachers. I believe we’ll see a rise of a more formal powerful teacher network that spans the globe. Teachers will assume leadership in improving teaching, whereas now it is somewhat from outside the profession that suggestions are happening. The research on PLNs (personal learning network) is just starting to happen but as it comes in, we’re seeing that teachers sharing and reflecting upon best practices is what works. That makes me feel very excited.”

-Vicki Davis, best teacher blog winner, mom, speaker, author of “Reinventing Writing,” host of “Every Classroom Matters,” an @Mashable Top Teacher on Twitter coolcatteacher.com @coolcatteacher

“The best thing to have happened to education is use of the Internet in the classroom. By the time classrooms receive textbooks, they are out of date. The Internet allows for the latest information as well as sharing of information among students during collaborative learning projects. No longer does a lesson partner have to be in the same classroom, or country for that matter. Under guidance of the classroom instructor, safe Internet usage is by far the greatest advancement in education.”

-Leslie Frewert, high school teacher at Arkansas Virtual Academy

“In my opinion, [the best thing to happen in education is] project-based learning. Let me quickly say it’s not easy to do, it doesn’t always fit neatly into the ‘state standards,’ and it requires a lot of preparation on the part of the educator. But, its advantages are amazing. Students focus on real-life issues, learn to work collaboratively, and also acquire skills related to planning and time management. In the “real world” post-college, few of us work in a vacuum. In my job, I work with other professors, IT experts, and other professional staff members almost constantly. Doctors and nurses have to do the same thing—they’re part of a team who cares for their patients. Engineers and scientists are in the same boat. Gone are the days when a biologist sits alone in a lab processing samples. He or she has to communicate with fellow researchers and technicians so that the experiments are valid and reliable.”

-Dee McKinney, parent/Learning Coach of eighth grade student attending Georgia Cyber Academy, and teacher for 20 years

“The best thing to happen in education is listening to and heeding [student voices] #stuvoice. We also need to involve front-line teachers in making decisions on what should be taught in classrooms. Teaching to the test is not providing students with the skills they need to cope with real life situations. Do students know how to be wise consumers, can they manage finances, understand laws, problem solve, and critically think?”