Second Education Discussion Topic: Decline in American Education

In the second edition of The World Is Flat: Chapter Seven, "The Quiet Crisis," discusses concerns for trends in American education. Fewer young Americans are pursuing careers in math and science, and overall there is a demise of both ambition and brainpower among American youth. The National Science Board found that the US has fallen to the 17th ranked country in the world for students receiving science degrees. What do you see as the cause for this? Why are American students less motivated about education than students in other countries? What can we do to change this perceived trend in American education?

First Discussion Question Topic: Distance Learning

HOW HAVE DISTANCE LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES, SUCH AS WEB CONFERENCING AND ONLINE CLASSES, IMPACTED YOUR OWN LEARNING EXPERIENCE?

This change in access to educational programs is near and dear to my heart. I can think of no better way to illustrate the benefits of distance learning than to share the story of my daughters and me getting our master's degrees. I know that there are drawbacks to distance learning and it doesn't fit everyone's style of learning but in many cases, it is a huge asset. I lived in a very isolated area and worked in a small school district. This had a huge impact on the salary scale. The only way for me to earn more money was to complete my master's degree. As a widow, raising 3 daughters, every penny counted. It took 2 hours to reach any university with a master's program in education. Beginning in 1983 for eight years, I drove the four hour round trip one night a week, after teaching all day, to attend a 3 hour class. In the summers, I drove it every day for three weeks because I didn't want to stay on campus and leave my little girls for three whole weeks. The day I received my diploma was one of the proudest days of my life. My daughters were sitting front and center in the audience screaming like banshees as I walked across the stage. All three of my daughters now have their master's degrees. One went the traditional on-campus route before getting tied down to a full-time job. My twin daughters lived in a small rural community without a university nearby and had full-time jobs right out of college. One's an elementary teacher and one an athletic trainer. Both completed their master's degrees through distance learning options with colleges in neighboring states. They never stepped foot on campus until the end of their programs. They attended on-line classes, video conference classes, watched tapes, and used discussion boards on the Internet to interact with other distance learning students. They completed their degrees in 2 years and never logged a single mile on the road. At their respective graduations, I was sitting front and center in the audience and I screamed like a banshee as they walked across the stage. How I wished I had had the opportunity to use distance learning options for my degree!