Role of Communities Programs in Shaping Education - Essay Example

Role of communities programs in shaping education Contents Introduction 3 Discussion 3 Conclusion 8 References 10 Introduction In the present scenario communities programs can be considered to be an essential component in shaping education. Mentoring programs and after school clubs are necessary for students as they not only modes for refreshment but also serve as a tool to promote education. As per the national research, good quality mentoring programs creates an everlasting impact on the students in terms of emotional as well as social development. These programs even help students to reduce their risk behaviours that might have resulted into poor academic performance. It is observed in various scenarios that those students who are undertaking mentored programs yield better results in mathematics and reading tests in comparison to the non-mentored students (Mitchell, Crowson and Shipps, 2011). Schools majorly focus on preparing students with the necessary skills that are essential in the information age but the attention mainly turn towards the real time experiences which are gained by youth and children after school time. After school, summer and weekend programs offer wide range of opportunities in relation to enhancing and complementing the academic learning that is taught in schools (Beyer and Johnson, 2014). These programs can be considered to be promising strategies in terms of engaging students in various recreational, academic and social activities so as to closely knit real time experience with theoretical knowledge. Discussion The after-school programs or mentoring programs can be considered to be major pillars of current educational system. These programs help to restructure traditional educational system in such a manner which helps students to secure better academic results. A proper location in school buildings facilitates such programs with added advantages. These facilities comprise of wide range of activities. Apart from providing enrichment opportunities to children, these programs also serve as a medium for child care. There are children living with single parent or there are even students whose mothers are working, and these incidents are specifically observed in United States of America. In such a scenario, mentoring and after-school programs become a procedure to connect parents and students. The communities programs which can be regarded as school aged child care have gained importance as societal procedures and norms lay emphasis on employment. These programs are designed in such a manner that it enhances creative and logical skills of students. Creative programming helps to attract teens toward such community programs. They are not based on theoretical knowledge but form a bridge between practical experience and theoretical concepts (Bryman, 2004). As per a research conducted in United States of America on various mentoring clubs by Cincinnati Community Learning Centre Evaluation in 2011, the main focus of such clubs was to incorporate in children a sense of ownership towards society and environment. This in turn helped children to understand the importance of keeping environment safe and healthy. They were able to realize the consequences which are caused if proper care is not taken towards environment. A real time experience has enabled school children to gain sufficient knowledge and act responsibly which was not possible through lessons taught in class. The survey even revealed that in schools children often suffered from stress which is effectively reduced by such after-school clubs or mentoring programs (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2000). Leadership as a concept is usually not taught to students in schools. However in such after-school clubs there are activities designed which tries to enhance leadership skills in students. This is done so that in the information age students possess skills along with required knowledge. In many after-school clubs small teams are formed and students are given responsibility to act as leaders of those teams and accomplish specific task. This in turn gives them the scope to handle a team and even identify those areas which restricts them from fulfilling all aspects of a good leader (Punch, 2009). The overall approach towards education is altered to a great extent by such communities programs. In previous years education was all about lectures and notes which were given in school by teachers. It enabled students to gain sufficient knowledge which would help them to succeed in career path but they often lacked necessary skills needed to manage uncertain conditions. These skills are provided by the after school programs. It can be stated that these programs serve as a platform for students where they are able to enhance their skills, gain knowledge through practical experiences, learn new concepts, built creative thinking, improve upon their communication skills and strengthen their contact base (Conrad and Serlin, 2011). The platform provided by community programs is a medium through which youth or children are able to explore future opportunities. In the highly competitive environment it is often not possible to compete with others on the basis of knowledge, there is a requirement for gaining practical experiences in order to develop on logical ability. These communities programs shapes education in such a manner that logical thinking of children are enhanced and they are able to effectively compete in the real world. STEM learning is another positive impact caused by such after-school programs. In the modern world there are large scales of opportunities which can be accessed by youth but they need to posses the required skills. STEM skills basically relates to science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. The maximum time of students are spent in schools so it can be stated that opportunities are closely related to education. However STEM learning denotes other aspect of traditional educational system and can be considered to be a form of enrichment program. These programs usually are conducted after school hours or during summer vacation so that students can attend them with a fresh mind and gain maximum out of those programs. After-school clubs are generally structured so as to reduce the probable opportunity gap that is faced by youth and children from underrepresented and underserved communities (Margolis and Pauwels, 2011). As per a national survey, 8.2 million of children who attend theses after-school clubs or mentoring programs belong to the minority classes. Hence these programs are a mechanism through which required education and skills can be imparted to the minority groups. In these after-school programs technical studies are given more importance as observed in communities programs conducted in United Kingdom (Monrad and James, 2000). The tech programs help students to develop upon their technical skills and apply theoretical knowledge to practical fields. In these programs conducted by after-school clubs certain real world models are constructed such as utilizing Web tools and digital media, developing 3D design, creating as well as learning about wind turbines of small scale, designing arcade programs and creating podcasts. All these programs are not encompassed in traditional education system but it is essential to be known in real time environment. In school generally students are taught ways through which a wind turbine operates and its other related operations but a real time experience help students to analyze more properly the overall mechanism of a wind turbine. On the other hand, mentoring programs serve as the required support so that students can make sensible decisions in their career path. The mentors involved in such programs provide the required guidance in order to develop stable career plan for students (Silverman, 2006). These mentors work in collaboration with teachers who are responsible for designing the set curriculum so that they are able to analyze well strengths and weakness of every student. The after-school clubs are usually different for boys and girls as they possess different likes and dislikes. In 2008, an external reviewer conducted a survey on these communities programs in UK, and he determined that maximum participants who attended these programs gained more interest in mathematics and science and this in turn increased their level of confidence in terms of pursuing these critical subjects. The technology classes implemented by after-school clubs initiated passion amongst students towards rapid technological innovation taking place in the modern world. It has even persuaded students to build their career in technological field and even motivated many students to become computer scientists. The degree of curiosity is high amongst children and youth and traditional approach of providing education are not able to meet such curiosity. Hence these communities programs shape traditional approach by engaging curriculum with ways to counteract curiosity of students. In order to give a new dimension to educational system these programs undertake the responsibility to promote teamwork and even incorporate in students’ problem solving skills. This makes it easier for students to closely associate with the concepts they are learning in schools. On the other hand, strong mentorship that is provided through mentoring programs is a way through which students can be exposed to wide range of career opportunities (Thomson, 2008). In many communities programs even STEM professionals are hired so that they are able to give proper guidance to students in relation to career path. There are certain concepts which cannot be taught in school or is not possible to be incorporated in curriculum. They are majorly skills or expertise related to leadership, teamwork, smart decision making and critical thinking ability. In order to gain such capabilities after school programs are constructed. The clubs propose various measures for group work through which individuals can effectively interact with one another and even acquire knowledge. Team building capabilities should be a vital component of an educational system. However there is no such curriculum which can encompass such components but there are theories related to team building and group work which are taught in classes (Andrew, 2003). Group work and team building are such skills which can only be taught to students through practical tasks. These community programs design various tasks related to puzzle solving, etc., through which team work is enhanced. This in turn helps students to realize the importance of team work in real world and even enables them to analyze the negative consequences which are associated with ineffective leadership or team building. In context of knowledge based jobs it is important to develop certain skills related to collaborative working, communication, critical thinking and problem solving. These skills can be stated as another dimension of education which is well achieved by communities programs. The mentoring programs are so designed that it is able to resolve major issues faced by children and provide effective solutions. In previous years often problems witnessed by children were left unanswered simply because teachers needed to complete their desired curriculum (Silverman, 2009). However such mentoring programs provided a platform through which students can freely interact with mentors and resolve their issues. It even helps them to make better decisions related to career and analyze their internal strengths. In certain communities programs students are even given required exposure to real world profession such as business, health services and manufacturing. This helps them to analyze the intricacies which are associated with such profession. The theoretical concepts related to these professions are often taught to students but a practical experience helps to develop analytical skills. In overall context it can be stated that earlier education was majorly related to developing knowledge base amongst students but in present scenario with evolution of communities programs the concept of education has shifted from theoretical concepts to more of practical exposure. Conclusion The critical discussion on the emergence of communities programs state that these programs have promoted techniques through which a new dimension is given to traditional education system. Mentoring programs or after-school clubs has a common objective that is to provide knowledge to students in a different format. These programs often encompass real world scenarios through which students can connect easily to the lesson being taught. In these real time scenarios, STEM learning forms a vital factor as it helps to incorporate necessary skills within students. The analytical or critical thinking ability is only achieved by attending such after-school programs. It is often observed that students are more inclined towards achieving better academic results by preparing as per the set curriculum then applying theoretical knowledge in practical field. Hence in highly competitive modern world it becomes essential for students to develop analytical skills in comparison to just relying upon theoretical knowledge. These programs serve as a mechanism through which students can be taught the importance of leadership skills or team work. The real time experience on basis of such communities programs provides wide range of career opportunities to students. References Andrew, R., 2003. Research Questions. London. New York: Continuum. Bryman, A., 2004. Social Research Methods, 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cohen, L., Manion, L., and Morrison, K., 2000. Research Methods in Education, 5th ed. London: Routledge Falmer. Conrad, C. F. and Serlin, R. C., 2011. The SAGE Handbook for Research in Education Pursuing Ideas as the Keystone of Exemplary Inquiry, Second Edition. London: Sage Publications Limited. Margolis, E., and Pauwels, L., 2011. The SAGE Handbook of Visual Research Methods. London: Sage Publications. Monrad, C. P. and James, A., 2000. Research with children: perspectives and practices. Oxon: Routledge. Punch, K., 2009. Introduction to Research Methods in Education. London: Sage. Silverman, D., 2006. Interpreting qualitative data: methods for analyzing talk, text and interaction. London: Sage. Silverman, D., 2009. Doing Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications ltd. Thomson, P., 2008. Doing visual research with children and young people. Oxon: Routledge. Mitchell, D. E., Crowson, R. L., and Shipps, D., 2011. Shaping Education Policy: Power and Process. New York: Taylor & Francis. Beyer, B., and Johnson, E. S., 2014. Special Programs and Services in Schools: Creating Options, Meeting Needs. USA: DEStech Publications, Inc. Read More