Difference between revisions of "Tailored Learning, Tailored Life"
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==2010-2015== | ==2010-2015== | ||
In 2010 some had predicted it but few really expected it. After a partial recovery from the great recession that started at the end of 2007 confidence indicators were showing that recovery was a reality. However, it did not last very long. Only when | In 2010 some had predicted it but few really expected it. After a partial recovery from the great recession that had started at the end of 2007, confidence indicators were showing that recovery was a reality. However, it did not last very long. Only when EU government stimulus measures had run their course did people realize that the recovery in Europe was superficial and not sustainable. That resulted in a double dip recession and led to the first depression of the 21st century. <br> | ||
People lost their trust in institutions and governments could no longer support the economy. With a record number of bankruptcies, people had nowhere to turn to for support. By the beginning of 2012 unemployment in the EU was at levels never seen before. Neither governments nor the private sector could any longer support the full cost of running schools. In the wake of the European sovereign debt crisis and greatly reduced government budgets, school fees were significantly increased, making public education unaffordable for many parents. While staying at home and looking for jobs, some parents took up the role of educating their children at home. Thus, due to a lack of trust in the educational system and financial constraints, home schooling became an increasing phenomenon. <br> | |||
By the end of 2014 the first signs of recovery had finally . They had lost their jobs, many of them even their houses as they were not able to afford their mortgage payments for a long period of time. They lost every sense of security of themselves and their familiesother institutions, the education system for failing them in their greatest hour of need. The press also helped towards that direction as it was clearing blaming the inefficient educational system among others. As a result instead of sending their children back to the traditional schools, many parents looked for alternative ways to prepare their children for the uncertain future that lay ahead. They felt that for the time being that was the right solution. <br> | |||
==2015-2020== | ==2015-2020== | ||
More and more teachers, who previously worked in the education sector, were offering their services as private tutors or mentors. These teachers also realized that the traditional, outdated | More and more teachers, who previously worked in the education sector, were offering their services as private tutors or mentors. These teachers also realized that the traditional, outdated teaching methods were inadequate to prepare children for modern day realities. They started exploring and investigating alternative ways of teaching. They came across a whole range of educational content and new ways of teaching children. They increasingly started to collaborate in online communities where they shared their new findings with previous colleagues who had the same concerns. <br> | ||
Schooling still continued in the traditional way in many of the previous highly regarded schools. Parents, concerned about the sustainability of the whole system that brought about the adverse situation, wanted to have a bigger say in the quality, content and direction of the education their children received. Together with the teachers they started defining and developing customized educational plans for their children. These educational plans took on an ever increasing specialization, where children at a very young age had their education tailored to specified directions. Realizing that children preferred technological interaction, tutors focused their attention to the vast amount of educational content available in this format. This new educational environment consisted of: the mentor, the scholar, a tablet computer where the learning took place and students interacting with their peers in a virtual setting. Even social interaction was predominantly through various social media, while . This change in the learning process came very smoothly for students as they were already extremely familiar with technology. Teachers, on the other hand found the adoption more difficult as they had to redefine how to teach children. What helped, however, was the increased number of teachers retiring from the educational work force due to changing demographic trends. The younger teachers were more familiar with the new technological advances. <br> | |||
==2020-2025== | ==2020-2025== | ||
nearly 20% of kids of school going age were now receiving private tutored or home schooling education), governments reacted by trying to locate the teachers and bring them back in to the old traditional schooling system. Teachers, however did not accept as they saw more potential in the new system that was emerging. It allowed them more flexibility, better interaction with students as well as higher fees. Everyone realized that the trend was irreversible. <br> | |||
Appreciating the value of education to society, governments embraced the new system and instituted programs to support and enhance this mode of education. They promoted an environment that fostered the digital creation of educational content and offered favorable incentives and tax benefits for companies involved in developing such media. Due to the dramatic new focus on specialized educational content, publishers and companies operating in the various sectors of the economy took a pro-active and assigned mentors, both from an educational and personal development perspective. <br> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Depression picture retrieved from http://trcs.wikispaces.com/Great+Depression <br> | Depression picture retrieved from http://trcs.wikispaces.com/Great+Depression <br> | ||