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Health & Fitness

IMAGINE AN EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION......it isn't hard to do....

OECD published in 2011 a wake-up call for our educational system to engage a much larger 21st Century view of education.... By the way, that future is now!

Musically, I grew up with the Beatles so after speaking with a few teachers, hearing concerns from some students about their job future, and listening to the Government Channel discussing what programs they put in place starting 20 years ago which forced manufacturing out of the USA and reduced our education ranking and jobs, I started thinking about how High School and College students might consider the future of education.

The OECD published in 2011 a wake-up call for our educational system, which supports a serious need to engage a much larger 21st Century view of education, review its outdated curriculum, and consider future job skills relevance. By the way, that future is now!

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development places the United States 18th among the 36 nations examined. Headed to the top of the heap is South Korea where 93 percent of high school students’ graduate on time compared with the United States where less than 75 percent receive their diplomas. The seemingly downward trend of U.S. education worries everyone. Reported by the OECD 2011.

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So, if I put my professional background hat back on, what would the future of a more relevant education look like?  Well, to make a point, let’s consider all the existing and latest technologies and sciences and simply project out the natural growth within these as “absolute” needs thinking now and forward.  It is not hard to imagine, plus the pure excitement it would mean to every student, if today, we were truly preparing our students in these areas, starting in High School, possibly earlier, and continuing this education to include advanced work at the University level and actual hands-on apprenticeships.  All these areas and technologies are here and now! So for the entertainment value, I have laid out these Education areas, as IPhone APPs in the picture.

Art -art education- clearly we will have, but presented very different in organic and inorganic creative areas. Digital, dimensional, integrated, fluid, visible and visual in such incredible ways, which we have already seen in the media and movies, should already provide a giant leap in clearly needed skill sets. Providing an exciting ready path to “Pixlar type” studios or individual art genres anywhere around the world, producing incredible artwork, interactive art, media design for homes, buildings, structures, transportation, people, and devices to name a few.

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BE -Bionic (Biomimetic) Education- also known as biomimicry, biomimetics, bio-inspiration, biognosis, and close to bionical creativity engineering. This is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to study and design into engineering systems and modern technology. The transfer of technology between life forms and manufacturing is desirable because evolutionary pressure typically forces living organisms, including fauna and flora, to become highly optimized and efficient. The term "biomimetic" is then preferred to expressing this domain definition chemistry to reactions that, in nature, involve biological macromolecules (such as enzymes or nucleic acids) whose chemistry can be replicated using much smaller molecules in vitro. These advances can alter everything about life, youthfulness, longevity, replacement parts, and healing. Could you imagine studying this in High School- Wow!

DA- digital architecture - has already begun to affect how our future living, working and playing lives will quickly evolve. Imagine housing designed to support interactive and embedded “panel-less” solar liquid power coatings and small, almost unseen and unheard, wind power elements providing free hybrid solar and wind power to each home anywhere in the world. Business building designs will quickly evolve into more Eco-clean tech structures supporting sensory shopping and underground food growth processing 24 hours a day, seven days a weeks, unaffected by weather or outside environmental forces.  

HE - Higher Education - would be considered a wider area specialty certification and standards outlet for focused areas, replacing the need for various training programs that have become far outdated in teaching product specific versus functional and standard processes. One example of this would be training new Doctors on the latest scopes (on-line- IPAD or ITV type effort) then visiting a local lab to complete the observation and technique mastery certification tests. Also, automotive technicians trained in all areas including Electric, Hydrogen and Solar cars, to name another of the endless HE areas. This could be viewed as advanced vocational and product education.

CE - Cybernetic Education- began as an interdisciplinary study connecting the fields of control systems, electrical network theory, mechanical engineering, logic modeling, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, anthropology, and psychology. Other fields of study which have influenced or been influenced by cybernetics include game theory, system theory, perceptual control theory, sociology, psychology, neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, philosophy, and architecture and organizational theory. Studies in cybernetics provide a means for examining the design and function of any system, including social systems such as business management and organizational learning, including for the purpose of making them more efficient and effective. Concepts include, learning, cognition, adaption, social control, emergence, communication, efficiency, efficacy, and inter-connectivity. I personally worked in the aerospace, engineering and sciences world, and within the engineering side alone there exist a term known as “interoperability”. All the required disciplines to work in these environments were not taught! We had to figure them out and then create processes so we could “repeat” the results. Then after many years, all the industries were using and adopting these “developed” processes. They are standards now but by having CE level education recognized as a complete emersion education program which should be taught starting in High School at least, if not earlier, will provide job skills or career relevance, because the needs are now, growing and long term. Without a CE type education any student would have no clue how to work in aerospace or maritime, manufacturing, or space systems. This is exciting knowledge.

NE - Neuro Education- is an emerging scientific field that brings together cognitive neuroscience, developmental cognitive neuroscience, educational psychology, educational technology, education theory and other related disciplines to explore the interactions between biological processes and education. Researchers in educational neuroscience investigate the neural mechanisms of reading, numerical cognition, attention and their attendant difficulties including dyslexia dyscalculia and ADHD as they relate to education. Researchers in this area may link basic findings in cognitive neuroscience with educational technology to help in curriculum implementation for mathematics education, science, and reading education. You can now imagine yourself as a Neuro-Educator, a highly advanced teacher, leader, or program executive, that will be in demand now and for the next 100 years, if not more.

RE - reading education - is the process by which individuals are taught to derive meaning from text. "Sight Word", or "Look (and) Say" The "Sight Word" method is not synonymous with "Whole Language" approach, but is often considered to be part of it. The "Sight Word" method also appears prominently in "Phonic" teaching such as the National Curriculum for England & Wales, where words that do not fit the rules of phonics are placed on a list of sight words for rote memorization. Some advocates claim that it is the same method used to acquire literacy in languages such as Chinese, assumed by the advocates to be based on ideograms. The Chinese writing system is however a complex logographic system with many morphosyllabic elements particularly in phonetic markers for frequently used characters.  Students learning English using this method memorize the appearance of words, or learn to recognize words by looking at the first and last letter from rigidly selected vocabularies in progressive texts (such as The Cat in the Hat).  Often this method is taught by slides or cards with a picture next to a word, teaching children to associate the whole word with its meaning. The average number of words in daily conversations on the streets of any town in the world today is about 50,000. Think about how we use an education in RE to raise the level of ability, learning, speaking and writing a few notches up to everyone! To advance those who wish to advance.  Teaching would take on a whole new paradigm along with the cognitive exchanges among people now supporting a greater depth and understanding.  Knowledge is power.

C Cosmo Education - physics and astrophysics have played a central role in shaping the understanding of the universe through scientific observation and experiment. What is known as physical cosmology is shaped through both mathematics and observation analysis of the whole universe. It is generally understood to begin with the Big Bang, followed almost instantaneously by cosmic inflation - an expansion of space from which the universe is thought to have emerged roughly 13 billion years ago. Physical cosmologists propose that the history of the universe has been governed entirely by physical laws. However, between the domains of religion and science stands the philosophical perspective of metaphysical cosmology. This ancient field of study far upgrade now seeks to draw intuitive conclusions about the nature of the universe, mankind, a supernatural creator, and/or their relationships based on the extension of some set of presumed facts borrowed from spiritual experience and/or observation. In some cases, views about the creation (cosmogony) and destruction (eschatology) of the universe play a central role in shaping a framework of religious cosmology for understanding humanity's role in the universe. We need to produce advancing and trained thinkers in this area to formulate and pioneer new paths.

EN – “Electronic” Engineering- Electronics engineers typically possess an academic degree with a major in electronic engineering. The length of study for such a degree is usually three or four years. Universities might offer Master of Electronics (ME) degrees at the undergraduate level. Many basic concepts can also be taught in Higher Education (HE) as a chosen curriculum versus a more basic subject extension from middle school. The education must include units covering physics, material science, nano technology, chemistry, mathematics, project management, writing and specific topics in electrical engineering as well as biological adaptation. Electronics engineering Students at the College/University level would then simply graduate or, through cumulative testing, receive a “completed” expertise degree for specific work, like “BioElectronics”. Wow, count me in.

DM – Digital Medicine - Digital Medicine investigates the factors limiting digital technology’s ability to remake health care. It explores the political, social, and ethical challenges presented by online health care, as well as the impact that racial, ethnic, and other disparities are having on the e-health revolution. It examines the accessibility of health-related websites for different populations and asks how we can close access gaps and ensure the reliability and trustworthiness of the information presented online. Pioneer in this area use multiple sources, including original survey research and website analysis, to study the content, sponsorship status, and public usage of healthcare-related websites, as well as the relationship between e-health utilization and attitudes about healthcare in the United States. They also explore the use of health information technology in other countries and universal health care systems. The result is an important contribution to our understanding of health information innovation in America and around the world. Jobs in this area are growing and will be needed and required for another 50 years if not longer, not only in the “new” healthcare industry, but within hospitals, as consultants, support businesses and providers.

GE – Geophysical Education - is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and composition; its dynamics and their surface expression in plate tectonics, the generation of magmas, volcanism and rock formation. However, modern geophysics organizations use a broader definition that includes the hydrological cycle including snow and ice; fluid dynamics of the oceans and the atmosphere; electricity and magnetism in the ionosphere and magnetosphere and solar-terrestrial relations; and analogous problems associated with the Moon and other planets. This type of exploration and expertise is and will be needed long term and certainly now upgraded with new and advanced instrumentation and systems. In our 21st century, geophysical methods developed for remote exploration of the solid Earth and the ocean, and geophysics have played an essential role in the development of the theory of plate tectonics, oil exploration and even new mining operations design. Geophysics is also applied to societal needs, such as mineral resources, mitigation of natural hazards and environmental protection. Geophysical survey data is used to analyze potential petroleum or energy reservoirs and mineral deposits, locate groundwater, find archaeological relics, determine the thickness of glaciers and soils, and assess sites for environmental remediation. New adventures also await those interested in mastering the most advanced tools and knowledge to support undersea explorations.

ME – Mathematics - In 2008, The Princeton Companion to Mathematics predicted that before 2050 most numerical programs will be 99% intelligent wrapper and only 1% algorithm, and that the distinction between linear and non-linear problems, and between forward problems (one step) and inverse problems (iteration), and between algebraic and analytic problems, will fade as everything becomes solved by iterative methods inside adaptive intelligent systems that mix and match and combine algorithms as required.  This means that traditional math, as we know it will no longer be the direction of required basic math skills in early, middle or High School education within these next 38 years or less!  

So where will math go? Basic Math will be replaced with probability theories and more visible analytical applications now required to bridge the lack of structure between individual data points, then addressing existing and future methods for analyzing structured data where classical probability and basic math simply does not apply. Such methods might include advances in wavelet analysis, higher-dimensional methods and inverse scattering. We will quickly enter the world of Control Theory, Mathematical Biology and Mathematical Physics as the final approach to more human-machine-computer interactions and complex financial engineering. This math is incredibly exciting, and to hold this expertise and education places you in line to robotics, gaming development, sensor and gadget design, international banking and stocks, advanced aeronautics, transportation, and space systems just to name a few. This is the now and future math needs to meet the long term jobs and career paths for the next 50 years and greater.

Na – Nano Science - The word itself is a combination of nano, from the Greek “nanos” (or Latin “nanus”), meaning “Dwarf”, and the word "Science."  Nano refers to the 10-9 power, or one billionth. In these terms it refers to a meter, or a nanometer, which is on the scale of atomic diameters. For comparison, a human hair is about 100,000 nanometers thick! Nanoscience is therefore the study of atoms, molecules, and objects whose size is on the nanometer scale (1 - 100 nanometers).

Physics is different at the nanometer scale. Properties not seen on a macroscopic scale now become important, such as quantum mechanical and thermodynamic properties. Rather than working with bulk materials, one works with individual atoms and molecules. By learning about an individual molecule’s properties, we can put them together in very well defined ways to produce new materials with new and amazing characteristics. There are multiple reasons for this and one simple example is the availability of new instruments able to “see” and "touch" at this scale. Currently, there are a large number of complementary instruments that help scientists and engineers in the nano realm. In addition to the enabling technologies, scientists and engineers have realized the future potential of this advancing science. By convincing politicians and leaders around the world, countries have instituted initiatives to promote nanoscience and nanotechnology in their universities and labs. With the recent increase in funding this brings, many scientists and engineers are pursuing this area, and the rate of discovery using Nanoscience has increased dramatically. This science and engineering area is here now and will be around for the next 50 years if not longer. I personally work in this area, developing solar liquid power at the nanometer level. Clearly a very exciting education, providing long-term opportunities now and in the future of NanoScience, across all imagined fields of work and science interests.

M –Music education – considering what instrumental music education may look like in the future to the music education profession; there are a number of themes, ideas, and philosophies that must be carefully examined.  Issues related to the relevancy of music education in today’s education system come to the forefront of the discussion in the light of teaching in an age where “high-stakes” testing results influence curriculum decisions and dictate policy to local administrators.  Instrumental music educators as a profession have a unique opportunity and responsibility to examine their role, their philosophy and teaching, the heritage of instrumental music, and the manner in which students are connected to music to better demonstrate the need for band, orchestra, and other ensembles to be a part of a future 21st century education.  Here are nine tenets posted by educators on the philosophy of music education including issues related to diversity, balance of process and product, technology, teachers as musical role models, and the connection between music in education and society in this our 21st Century and beyond.

Music educators must understand issues and challenges related to teaching music in an ever-changing school population composed of students with diverse ethnic, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds in an advancing 21st Century environment. Then, instrumental educators must make understanding their students’ abilities, background, advancements in instrumentation and context in which they are growing and learning a priority, they may better be able to make connection for their students to a unique subject matter that offers enriching and rewarding opportunities in music education. Music education needs to be considered a “Language” and hold an equally important position in the curriculum as the other subjects.

Finally, ME seeks to create diverse learning experiences for students allowing them to demonstrate a learned set of skills in music (i.e. performing, composing, improvising, listening, and theoretical concepts) and delineate their own meanings from the music studied.  While these challenges to the profession of music education might seem demanding, they represent issues and ideas that must be seriously considered by those currently teaching and training teachers so that music education will maintain its relevancy and now equal subject position in the eyes of school administrators, policy-makers, and most importantly, the students seeking to instill a life-long relationship with music that is authentic, dynamic, advancing, and satisfying.

HS – High School – We need to arrive where we need to be now globally, in high school education with some advanced kind of common curricular standards, raising education levels across the board by providing a curriculum worth achieving and relevant to jobs and careers. Advanced thinking HS education are standards that are anchored in the real-world demand that students are going to face, that reflect what you need to know in order to succeed in postsecondary education and in the workplace. They need to be internationally benchmarked as well, because our students are going to enter a global economy. They are going to be competing with young people all over the world. They need to be focused on what's most essential rather than filled with things that would be nice for students to learn. They need to be vertically aligned so there's a logical, clear progression from what you start learning when you enter kindergarten to where you're going to end up at the end of high school, and they need to be assessed well. And the reason for that is because when you sit down with business leaders, with employers, and with college faculty in any state and ask the question, what's essential for young people to know when they leave high school in order to succeed, the answer will astound you. Our early education system is 20 years too old and not preparing students for the work or advanced learning.  Currently, State education facilities are telling growing numbers of students in each state that they're “proficient”. But they have not defined proficient as meaning that the students are actually “prepared”. Over thirty percent of students, and the statistic is growing, entering Colleges now require remedial courses to become “prepared”.  

Studying the work related education areas mentioned in this article and considering there are many more not mentioned, it would be easy to surmise that our early education systems must be upgraded to support the currency and future of the career paths, support jobs and intertwined roles of the new era educators.

Note: Public Domain Contributions to this article: USA and UK Encyclopedias, Science Books, Internet, Grants Research, Congressional Studies on Education, UK studies on Education, Future Schools programs and National Science Foundation data.

About the Science Corner:  Doug Linman, PhD writes on science, technology and related education based on his knowledge and the knowledge exchanges with his colleagues in the USA, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. 

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