The Education Revolution
The Education Revolution
The Ballston Journal – editorial FEBRUARY 14, 2013 BY KELSEY MAIUCCORO
With my college graduation only a few months away–to be immediately followed by the rest of my life–the question of my future plans has become a recurring conversation starter. There are seemingly an infinite number of possible paths to take, but the need for money has pushed me in the direction of finding a job.
This summer I’ll be competing with thousands of other Americans for a very limited number of positions, a rather foreboding task. While this is occurring, manufacturing companies like GLOBALFOUNDRIES will be collaborating with academic, government and business leaders in an effort to create a workforce prepared for the constantly-changing 21st Century.
Those leaders came together early Tuesday morning at Hudson Valley Community College’s TEC-SMART campus in Malta to discuss the key components involved in their reform.
“There’s no question that the education of our children, and their ultimate success, is the most important asset I think we have to offer,” explained Paul Madelone, the Chief Marketing Officer for Millennium Business Communications LLC, and a member of the panel at the event.
Five other panelists shared views similar to Madelone’s, each of them advising immediate changes in the curriculum kids and young adults are being taught. To me, it seems this generation will be the workforce of tomorrow in such a short span of time; it feels like just yesterday I was a nervous high school freshman, overwhelmed with-one page papers on world history. I now have the pleasure of writing nine-page research papers on ancient civilizations and philosophy.
The panelists described some additional skills the nation’s youth must have in the modern world, with teamwork, cultural awareness and the drive to learn being some of the most desired traits.
The venue hosting the event, TEC-SMART, is part of the first step involved in the proposed educational transformation. TEC-SMART provides classes which train high school students in semiconductor manufacturing, alternative energy and renewable technologies. These rapidly growing industries provide thousands of jobs for people worldwide, but for them to continue growing they’ll need workers to possess the skills and training they require.
Collaboration between the government, schools and businesses will allow for advances in each sector to drive an increase in future opportunities. Leaders know what steps need to be taken to achieve their desired results, but the process of transforming an entire country’s educational system will probably take many years, during which technology will be upgrading at a speed so rapid it may be difficult to keep up.
Joe Dragone, superintendent of Ballston Spa Central School District, served as the discussion’s facilitator. He emphasized the importance community plays in the process. “We can’t do it alone,” he said.
The New York state client executive for Cisco, Mike Ladd, had us ask ourselves, “How can you make a difference?”
People need to become adaptable workers who can collaborate with citizens on both a local and a global scale to help make a difference. The world is becoming smaller thanks to the technological advances taking place, which is why the ability to successfully work in a group is so important. The touch of a button on a smart phone today allows a businessman from China to work collaboratively with someone here in Malta, a capability unimaginable a few years ago.
Growing up in the technological era has provided my generation with an advantage over current working citizens. My classmates and I will graduate with knowledge in all areas of modern technology, because it’s what we’ve known our entire lives. We need to use the advantages we’ve been given to take a step forward and offer our assistance to the younger generations following behind, and start the process of workforce and educational reform.
As I begin my journey into the “real world,” my fingers will remain tightly crossed and my mind open, eagerly awaiting the changes to come.
This week’s editorial was written by Ballston Journal intern Kelsey Maiuccoro, a 2009 graduate of Niskayuna High School currently majoring in journalism at SUNY Albany. She will graduate from college in May.
http://theballstonjournal.com/2013/02/14/the-education-revolution/
