Personally, I am a graduate student and because of such I have amassed experience within the educational system as a student. Somewhere along my journey, after my military service and before returning to full time studies, I have grown to view the student-instructor relationship in a different light than it is traditionally cast. I came to the conclusion that higher education is merely a business. Historically, there is a belief that those who are educated hold a power over those who are not. To an extent, this is true. In academia, much of the time the instructor, and even institutions, hold their knowledge as power over the learner. This relationship can deter learning. However, given the exchange of money for knowledge in higher education, this system is somewhat invalidated where students are now customers. Given the financial cost of an education beyond secondary school, there is a great responsibility on higher education to provide a service, not just a degree. No longer are professors the keepers of knowledge, but now they are a service provider: a facilitator of the learning process. When students look to instructors more as facilitators of their own learning process, they often take more responsibility in their learning. I feel that the relationship between students and instructors must stay professional, however there also must be personal trust involved.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
CECS 6400 - Week 2 Reflection*
I play several roles within the education system and therefore have perspectives of both sides. Professionally, I teach high school engineering. I also serve as a coordinator for two STEM academies, within that high school. Within these two capacities, I am able to see both the faculty side and administration side. As a Career & Technology Education (CTE) teacher, and professional in many industry areas, I feel that the current education system in the United States places far too much emphasis and resources on standardized assessments. I believe the fault of this lies with politics and politicians that have business, yet no understanding of the education and how to improve the system.
Personally, I am a graduate student and because of such I have amassed experience within the educational system as a student. Somewhere along my journey, after my military service and before returning to full time studies, I have grown to view the student-instructor relationship in a different light than it is traditionally cast. I came to the conclusion that higher education is merely a business. Historically, there is a belief that those who are educated hold a power over those who are not. To an extent, this is true. In academia, much of the time the instructor, and even institutions, hold their knowledge as power over the learner. This relationship can deter learning. However, given the exchange of money for knowledge in higher education, this system is somewhat invalidated where students are now customers. Given the financial cost of an education beyond secondary school, there is a great responsibility on higher education to provide a service, not just a degree. No longer are professors the keepers of knowledge, but now they are a service provider: a facilitator of the learning process. When students look to instructors more as facilitators of their own learning process, they often take more responsibility in their learning. I feel that the relationship between students and instructors must stay professional, however there also must be personal trust involved.
Personally, I am a graduate student and because of such I have amassed experience within the educational system as a student. Somewhere along my journey, after my military service and before returning to full time studies, I have grown to view the student-instructor relationship in a different light than it is traditionally cast. I came to the conclusion that higher education is merely a business. Historically, there is a belief that those who are educated hold a power over those who are not. To an extent, this is true. In academia, much of the time the instructor, and even institutions, hold their knowledge as power over the learner. This relationship can deter learning. However, given the exchange of money for knowledge in higher education, this system is somewhat invalidated where students are now customers. Given the financial cost of an education beyond secondary school, there is a great responsibility on higher education to provide a service, not just a degree. No longer are professors the keepers of knowledge, but now they are a service provider: a facilitator of the learning process. When students look to instructors more as facilitators of their own learning process, they often take more responsibility in their learning. I feel that the relationship between students and instructors must stay professional, however there also must be personal trust involved.
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