Education Improvements

Elementary Education Improvement

It is necessary for individuals to increase knowledge throughout our lives and the purpose of education is to learn how to learn. Without the ability to learn how to learn it would limit an individual’s success in their career and personal life. The beginning of a good educational foundation starts in elementary school years. Over the past few centuries’ elementary education has improved, creating a friendly environment while fostering the mental growth of children.

A school is where children go to learn. A man once realized writing and reading skills couldn’t be taught without educated people and a place to go to, so a place was dedicated entirely to learning. along with schooling came educated individuals known as teachers. Right after school was originated it followed into the Ancient Greece time period and then into the middle ages. After the middles ages it moved to the Renaissance after that was reformation, then the 17th and 18th century in Europe. Then education continued into Colonial America, then 19th century Europe, and then finally into 19th century America. During every time period education kept improving with aspects such as technology.

Elementary school started as a one room school house, with grades K through 12 with only one teacher to rely on to teach all the skills needed for each individual child. This caused each child to not learn to his or her full ability and also put more stress onto the one teacher. When Elementary school was first introduced there were no forms of technology, which was a downside. Slowly more advanced things were being created, such as the typewriter; this gave children the ability to type instead of free hand writing. Although technology has a huge impact on helping students learn, technology also could harm the children’s ability’s. Centuries ago students didn’t rely solely on technology to do everything for them so they needed to have basic skills. Back then Students used memorization skills instead of technology which creates better knowledge of the information being processed. “The method of learning was memorization, and the motivation was fear of harsh discipline.” (Guisepi) Children were more motivated to do good work because of the discipline they would face if they didn’t. Miller and Almon believe that “Elementary Education has changed radically in the past two decades children spend far more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and expiration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations. (“Why Children need play in School.”)

Advantages of Elementary Education today include the size of the schools. Schools have expanded greatly over centuries. There are separate teachers for each grade which help children live up to their full potential because that one teacher is focused on that one age group and no others. Modern day technology has also advanced greatly; students and teachers have access to effects such as computers. “Technology shapes, often in unanticipated ways, how we live and work as well as how we educate our children.” (McMillan, Honey and Mandicach)

Although the enforce of discipline has decreased I think that elementary education has improved over the past few centuries for different reasons. Technology has significantly improved. Now a days we have advanced computers. We also have more specific technology like smart boards, which helps teachers teach. Software’s on computers has a huge impact on education, there are softwares you can use for independent schools. Internet may decrease natural knowledge of students, but I also thinks it helps students; schools have more diverse work today, such a research papers which gives children more knowledge. Kids can ive up to their full potential today because we have separate teachers focusing on their own classroom, teachers only have to focus on certain topics, having that advantage helps classes get a lot more work done.

There are many different view points when it comes t education. Some may say all the advancements of modern day helps the development of students but some may have the opposing view point that education has gotten worse. I believe that education and the development of elementary students has gotten better due to great advancements.

1. Miller, Edwards. "Why Children Need to Play in School." Earlychildhoodcolorado.org. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. .

2. Pappano, Laura. "Kids Haven’t Changed; Kindergarten Has." Hepg.org. Sept.-Oct. 2010. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. .

3. "The History of Education." World History International: World History Essays From Prehistory To The Present. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. .

4. "SCHOOL: The Story of American Public Education." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Roundtable, Inc., 2001. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. .