Thursday, October 11, 2007

How ready are you?

A part of the mission of Edina Public Schools is to educate you to be "responsible, lifelong learners who possess the skills, knowledge, creativity, self-worth, and ethical values necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing, culturally diverse, global society."

When you complete your education here at Edina High School, enter college or a trade of your choice, you will be making many if not most of your own decisions which will dictate how you are going to survive in the "rapidly changing, culturally diverse, global society". Do you think you will be ready to step up to the plate?

To get you to think more about this, I ask you to please read the article under the "Links" titled "Generation Q". It is written by best selling author, New York Times columnist, multiple Pulitzer Prize winner, and former St. Louis Park graduate Thomas L. Friedman.

In your next blog comment assignment, I would like to know what you think about your education here. Do you feel like you are being prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century? Why?

36 comments:

WattsUp03 said...

I have no idea. I really want to say that I am secure and confidant and that I know what the 21st century will want me to contribute. I want to leave the world a better place, but what else? When I go to school my perspective of students and my environment change every minute. So my view of the world is adjusting, so my view of my future is adjusting as well. I think Edina is the opposite of Friedman’s pessimistic view of the world in saying because we, “Generation Q”, are not protesting or getting angry we are not going to get anything done. That is a sick view of the world very depressing and doesn’t seem like we will succeed. Edina is a hardworking and determined community that wants everyone to succeed especially in school. I have not had a teacher that didn’t want me to do well and just by Edina’s mission statement we are supposed to contribute. The media is taking advantage of our changing view. The U.S. has not received much credit for being innovative, efficient and successful in saying that we are the cause of the end of the world. I would like living in a place that respects me for my choices and not play the blame game of “who’s ruining the world.” Yet, I know we will find ways to fix most our problems. I really don’t know if I am ready for the 21st Century, but with all the support I am given I am confident that Edina will have made their best effort for me to succeed.

—A.M. Landreville said...

I think that this generation being called "Generation Q" is a misnomer, and that this man obviously does not go around to high schools and other colleges. I think that unlike the generations of the 60's. 70's, and 80's, we have become much more direct in our forms of protest. True, we dont strike or march on places as much as they did back then, but who's to say that that is an effective method? To organize all that manpower is ineffective and slow. Contrast that to the fast paced world of the internet, where candidates can be brought down or lauded depending on simply a few bloggers.
I think at Edina High School, we get the kind of education that does help us in everyday life, presented by people who care. That there is the key: caring. When we see that someone cares whether or not we do well, we tend to try to please them by trying extra hard to get better grades. That is what Edina High has taught me the most: Caring is Key.

Chris Anderson said...

I think that we are not prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century. We are learning about things such as math and history, which are very valuable for certain professions and other things, but they are not helping us deal with issues such as global warming and Social Security. I don't know how to fix this problem, but it is a problem nonetheless.

Tyler K's Blog said...

I feel like I am being prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century. According to Newsweek, Edina High School is the 89th ranked High School in the United States, so compared to other schools, we are being prepared well. Personally, I feel like I am learning a lot from our school, although I would like to do more online/electronic work because that is what I feel the 21st century will be like.

Hanna L. said...

In my opinion the students at the edina high school are being prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century.
The question I have is how well can you actually be prepared for this world? But I think this High School is doing a good job. It is one of the top 100 High schools in the country and the students here are very smart and willing to learn and work hard.
The School system is different from the one in Germany, and there are advantages and disadvantages in both systems but all in all I would say that I am being prepared for the "world outside" here, as well as in my homecountry. And I also think that this exchange program helps me to be prepared for the 21st century.

Abbi Butterfield said...

Our education is teaching us how to thrive in the world of our generation, not the world of the former, the one we're living in now. There's a big problem with this article. The author talks about how Generation Q doesn't seem to be politically active. We don't seem to be angry or trying to do anything about the problems in the world. Instead, we're doing our own private things to help the world be a better place. But when you look at the Generation before us, one where mass movements like post 9/11 hysteria have a negative effect,and with people constantly telling us that we can't trust any politics, does it really surprise you that our rebellion isn't a large public outcry, or a political movement, but rather a private event? And he complains that our only unified movements are online, but our education and our educators told us that our world is going to be completely digital in a few years. Isn't our generation the digital generation? So doesn't it make sense that our protest are digital? Our education is preparing us for the world we will inheriet, but in the mean time, we still have to live in this world, not the world of the past. This is good, but it causes others to ask; 'why aren't they reacting like we did as teenagers?'

Sarah J said...

I do feel that EHS is preparing us for the world post high school. We are being educated on world events and being taught to look further than just outside of our state or county, to be aware of things happening throughout the world. I think this because most classes are going beyond the basic curriculem and having discussions about current events and global changes that are taking place, all leading us to becoming more globally aware than maybe other previous generations have been.

Sarah Jursik

Mark Wegmiller said...

The world is rapisly changing, and I think the education that Edina gives us is putting us on the right path to be successful in it. We are learning to use the newest technology and we learn about many issues that the world is having due to things like global warming. One thing that Thomas L. Friedman missed in his article "Generation Q" is that even though our generation does a lot of things "quietly" online, we still have a huge impact by what we do. The fact that information on these important issues is so easily acceseible through the internet allows our generation to be enlightened on the problems that people around the world are going through at the click of a button. We are able to get help on these issues from people all over the world and support from mass amounts of people. The world is changing, liek Friedman says, so maybe the new world will be run through debates through the internet, maybe what we're doing will be more effective than he thinks.

sarah jo said...

I think that at Edina we are getting a glimpse of what the real life is like, and I think that we are given tools to potentially help us. Yet, I dont think that we are being shown enough of what is going on in the world or how to react to it. Just like the article said, we are too concerned with our world or helping through internet groups, but that wont help us to act on our feelings. We are all so used to getting everything or asking politely that we dont know how to respond so that others will listen. I think that we are being helped too much in technology but not being shown how to use it to actively protest or exhibit our thoughts.

Erin said...

I believe that "Generation Q" is prepared for the world, and that my class and I are also prepared. Friedman said that we are too online, but this world is an online world and that is how everything happens these days. I am very good with the internet and with computers, so I feel like I am educated in that sense. I also try my hardest in classes at school and I believe that I am challenging myself to a level that will prepare me for life.

Erin Connors
E Bio 1
10-15-07

keredthemanraf42 said...

There is no education forcing students to be politically active, to step outside their comfort zone by leading others. This is one area that I feel civics education is sorely missing, an education which is necessary if humanity is to grow in its knowledge, scientifically, ethically, politically, etc. If you read Friedman's "The World is Flat", one of the problems that he outlines is that students are not getting interested in science and math, since everyone wants to be a lawyer. Students have never been taught that leading is hard, and requires a huge amount of dedication and perseverance, and also a certain radical quality. This means that when we look for our next leaders we should be looking for how far they are willing to go to protect their ideals. And teachers should be teaching the next leaders how they can go far enough to protect those ideals. Idealism is meaningless when we don’t do anything about it.

yasmine ghanem said...

I think that Edina is helping to prepare us to go into the real world. We will spend our three years at Edina learning how to go out there prepared. We do alot of work on the internet and we use different softwares and most of us can easily solve problems realted to technology. All these electronics and new technologies are going to be something that we need to know in the futre and Edina is doing a good job of teaching that.

Dani said...

The eight years of my education after kindergarten were spent at OLG, a small Catholic school. Ever since them I've been going to Edina. I have gotten to experience both environments. They have both helped and prepared me in different ways. Political wise, I went from mostly conservative students, like me, to many liberals surrounding me. Because of this I have gotten to know both sides of issues fairly well. I have been able to view both sides logically, and I am now confident in my stance in politics. So far Edina has been very inspiring and helpful. I feel that my education here will help me persevere and face challenges that come my way. I am confident that I will survive when I go out in the world.

Anna M said...

EHS is preparing us for our future as best as it can. We don't know what we will face 20+ years from now, so how can we really prepare for it? I don't think we could be perfectly prepared anywhere, but Edina is a pretty good start. Students learn to how to learn at school- that is very important, especially in the 21st century. We're going to be exposed to many new things that we're going to have to learn how to master, so the faster and better we learn the better off we'll be.

Anonymous said...

i know i cant speak for everyone, but i do not feel ready to conquer some of the problems our generation will face. i feel that Edina has taught us lots about math, English etc, stuff that will help get us into college, but hardly nothing about current issues. I think that some individuals are more globally aware and they will be more successful while facing the challenges of the 21st century.

alex eastman said...

There are ways I feel Edina does prepare us for the challenges of the 21st century, and there are ways I feel that it does not. When I leave Edina, I know I will have been properly educated by great teachers. Such education has taught me to be organized and the importance of time managementl, both of which will always be a challenge no matter what century we're in. But while this is a definite plus, I feel as though I don't know anything about what's really going on in the world. Sure, we'll talk about certain current events, but when it comes to knowing what's actually taking place in the world we live, it seems to me that Edina is it's own little "bubble" and we're not exposed to some of the true challenges of the world that so many people face everyday.

Corrin said...

i think that our education at EHS is preparing us for our future in college and after. edina is a hard school where everyone is very driven so we as students have to work hard and really want to do good in order to succeed. working hard and wanting to succeed will help us get ahead and find a place for ourselves in the real world. i also don't think using that we are a very electronic oriented generation is a good argument for us not being outspoken and wanting to get involved. so much can be learned and done through the internet that it will probably be a great help for us to learn more about politics and global issues.

Corrin Carlson
hour 2

Connor said...

I believe that we are ready for the future with the knowledge that our generation has. But we are taking the wrong course of action. America should be less self centered about being the best. Instead we should try to work with the UN to achieve a better future. If we do, we will see peace and a better environment.

Aaron Lomicka said...

I believe that "Generation Q" will be ready to step up to the plate of our changing society. High schools and colleges have become more competitive and challenging then ever and being a part of one of the top schools in the country (Edina), the will to learn and apply what you learned is evident in every day of school. Also, I feel that we are being well educated in global issues and 21st century technology. A day doesn’t go by that I am not on the computer surfing the web, printing a paper, or just staying in touch with friend.

megan said...

I think with the education that I have received this far in Edina Public Schools and the influence of the adults and the teachers in my life, I will be prepared for the challenges in my future to a certain degree. I believe that I am as prepared as I can be but life is unexpected and unpredictable so it is hard to prepare for everything that could or will happen. I think that I am prepared to make the right decisions in most situations, for example, recycling or not. But when it comes to choosing a career path, I know I am not prepared. So I believe that I am ready to face many of the challenges that are present and will occur in my future but I know that I can't be prepared for them all and I those will have to be dealt with as they come. There also is a big difference in the real world between common sense and having wisdom, or being educated and scholarly with knowledge. I think that Edina and the curriculum prepare us for the real world but wisdom comes from experience and learning from situations and the influence of others around you.

abby buuck said...

I hope that we are being prepared for the challenges our generation is going to face in our education. Sometimes I think that a lot of what we do in school is just irrelevant busy work. I think the best thing that we learn at school is how to coorporate and work effectively with one another. As the article states, our generation is going to have a lot of work fixing all the problems left for us. If we can't effectively solve these problems, then we are going to be in big trouble.

Danny Rose said...

We ("Generation Q") are not being prepared as best as we can, but given the uncertainty of both the futures problems and the challenges that the 21st Century may hold it is difficult to do more. And although we are uncertain what the future holds, Generation Q will be prepared to face it through the use of new technologies, and even though Friedman implies that they have hindered our ability as a society to act, I think that many of the challenges will be both caused and solved with the same technology. That is something that the public education lacks in preparation for the future, the teaching of technology. Yes, the teachers use technology to teach English and History but they don’t use the technology to teach us about technology itself, which they could do more of as a form of preparation for the uncertain future of the 21st century.

Peter Lord Of The Animals said...

I believe that our generation, "Q" has showed that we are not keeping up the changing times. Our lack of political activism and environmental involvement is and WILL make our generation a failure. Our use of technology is at a standstill because of the lack of change, and our use of 20th century fossil fuels should be obsolite. but the main point of the failure of generation Q is basically because were lazy. Sorry, im a kid, im lazy. but im not saying thats good, so i guess im a hypocrite. but oh well

Love,

Peter Zwickey

Carter K. said...

Yes, but only if we are willing to accept the fact that everything we learn here at EHS will have to be changed in one way or another in order for us to adapt to the "real world" environment.
Our school provides one of the best athletic and artistic programs, along with one of the best over all educations nationally. It is, however, up to each individual to take what the school can offer and use it to their advantage.

Jared said...

I'm not sure if we are being fully prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century. However, I do know that we likely being better prepared than most other students in the U.S. Mainly because EHS is one of the top 100 high schools in the nation. But in a more global sense, with huge countries like China and India that are producing tons of smart people as well, I'm not sure about how the U.S. will be able to compare to that.

Unknown said...

I think we are being prepared to face some of the challenges of the next century, however, I don't think we're being completely prepared for every situation. Like he said in the article, our generation is pretty poor in terms of political activity. I've also heard that our generation is the laziest of all so far, so I don't entirely believe we're going to put very much effort into saving much. Especially if the generation before us just messes everything up and expects us to clean it up for 'em.

CJ Bear said...

Mr. Friedman is saying that he doesn’t believe that students of our generation will not speak out and be activists about what we believe in. He seems to think that although we are intelligent we deal with indirect communication (i.e. facebook, myspace, email, etc). I feel like I’m not held back from being active in the ideas I support. In Edina I think students are encouraged to make a stand, to confidently address relevant political issues, therefore preparing us for the future.

(Sorry this is late! I have a coupon if necessary!!)

Nick said...

I am satisfied with the education being provided at EHS. It is very sufficient. However, in the "adult world," the world isn't governed by the pythagorean theorem. I know that these things are very important in the technology of the contemporary world. It might be beneficial for educators to make more connections between teachings and the world. This could help the young generation be more prepared to handle the problems that arise on Earth.

Unknown said...

I do think we are being prepared to take care of ourselves and challenges. But to some extent i feel like Edina is some what sheltered from the realities of life. When i first came here, coming from a Third World Country I was marveled by how easy it is to live in Edina your whole and not ever have to taste what it means to not have enough to eat or what it means to live in poverty. Our world is full of poverty and suffering and as the population grows we are going to be faced with more of it and kids here at Edina may not realize the harsh side of things. As far as adapting and being ready for something like a job or living the ideal American life. Most kids will do fine.

SarahZZ said...

I believe that my education on issues like global warming are semi-sufficient. It would be more interesting to dig deeper into the causes of it, which would motivate a lot more students to further study this disaster. This generation's education on financial issues to come, however, is not sufficient. When the urgency to limit deficit comes in the future, no one will know what to do. Perhaps there should be an entire class devoted to researching global or even large community issues. This would help things propel in a more positive way.

Sean said...

Today's generation includes many smart people. From being a computer genius to an english genius and more. With all of these useful skills that we learn through our school systems we will have the ability to solve future problems but may not be mentally prepared. Our moral values come from learning outside of the classroom and it's hard for any school to help children learn them and with "Generation Q" being this online generation spending most of its time online, schools need to teach us these values because you can't learn them playing online games, chatting or using instant messengers. Schools that work extra hard at helping children and helping them learn not only facts and spanish, but help us learn how to be happy, interact with others and make positive decisions. Although English class is boring, those lessons and values we find in literature are things schools need to make sure us teenagers and children retain past school education.

Steve H rocks said...

I do think we will be prepared for the most part for post school life. The main point of school is to go through the learning process to gain a base of knowledge. I think we will be able to handle future events individually and as a whole because of our childhood learning. I think there should be less requirements, and more choice of learning so you can start/excell in categories and subjects that interest you and best fit you. APAL sucks...

pvich said...

I believe that we are not being prepared for what lies ahead. This is because we have no idea where the future will take us as far as technology wise or educationally wise. At the moment, we only use about 10% of our brain and maybe with future technology, we will be able to unlock the other parts of the brain to learn more. Also, technology may lead to programs that get inserted into you to teach things to you instantley which would cause a lack of eduction. An example of when education doesn't allow you to use technology would be many elders of us. My grandma was a pretty good student in school, but now she can't use our computers, e-mail, or internet. This is just a minor example of how we won't be prepared for what lies ahead.

Sarah said...

I'm sorry Mr. Krause. I thought I posted this, and my computer said I had, but you checked this morning it wasn't on there. I'm aware I might not get any points for it anyways, but I thought I'd put it here because i DID take the time to do it. (sarah A. 2nd hour)

Our high school has prepared us to it's best ability, but it can not do everything. What our social interactions within have taught us is to be adaptable: to change as our surroundings do. This is the key point to the 21st century as our world and everything in it is rapidly changing. While education is definitely important and essential to our futures in this world, it is the lessons we have learned around that which will be the deciding factor of our fates.

Ben Biewen said...

I believe EHS has done a lot to prepare me for the 21st century, but it cannot prepare us for all the problems that may face us. "Generation Q" may be too quiet like Frieman says to make an impact on politics, but schools can't or don't do anything to teach us how to do that. When we are older many things we learn in school will not apply to how we contribute to the American society.

Eleanor said...

I think Edina is doing many good things to prepare its students for the 21st century, but it is also putting energy into things that aren't so helpful or don't matter. I think the effort to bring the newest technology into the classroom is misguided. Knowing how to use a lot of fancy gadgets is not going to help us survive in the 21st century. These days technology changes so fast anyway that what we're using now will soon be obsolete. Schools need to teach students skills, like those relating to critical thinking and analysis, that will endure and remain relevant no matter how much technology changes. After all, in many excellent colleges in the U.S., professors are writing on blackboards with chalk, and I don't think we would say that they're not preparing their students to be independent, creative problem solvers.
I think at Edina we are somewhat at a disadvantage in learning how to participate in a global society because our school is not very diverse, but on the other hand, I've taken courses here that have fostered global awareness. The students who are most prepared to be engaged in the 21st century are those who have taken the initiative and dedicated themselves to something they care about or to making the student body aware of some global issue.