faith, hope and love

gjmueller:

A 15-year-old student’s ed reform plan: Self-directed learning

Arooj Ahmad is a high-achieving 15-year-old high school sophomore at Libertyville High School in suburban Chicago who has taken a focused interest in reforming the U.S. education system, which he calls outdated.

He says that schools spend too much time forcing students to memorize a mountain of facts rather than teaching relevant knowledge that can help them select a career path and function well as adults.

Keep reading to find out what he thinks is wrong with education and how to fix it.

Just from personal experience, I agree with him. 

I am pursuing photography because I was introduced to it in my high school journalism class my  sophomore year (it was one of the ONLY electives offered at my school). I was given very basic, beginner information about it and given basic assignments but my passion for it drove me to learn more on my own time; more than I really wanted to in any of my other classes.

Why not expose students to more career options than they’ve ever considered? Let them find and work toward their passion and truly become good at whatever it is that they are naturally gifted toward, whether that be writing, business, arts, computer programming, etc. etc. There IS something for everyone and I get tired of people feeling “stuck” in a major or unhappy with learning when it could be so satisfying.

And just to debunk any assumptions about myself. I had a 3.8 cumulative gpa in high school. I did not like art classes and I excelled in math and science. I am now pursuing photography as a side occupation and going to school for Social Studies Education. I chose this field because I enjoy making history relevant to people and helping teenagers understand the potential they truly have.