Making education matter: Taking cue from the students' interests and circumstances

Sometimes, educators need to cut back on their use of traditional learning methods and take a look at the situations and the interests of their students to find novel ways to make learning more enjoyable and more relevant.

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Evidence of the importance of a change in approach can be found in the success of alternative learning institutions such as the Frank Biden-supported Mavericks High, which has schools designed to be simple, inviting, and reflective of a teen’s lifestyle, and the use of Skype in the classroom initiative, which grants teachers with a free and easy way to open up the classroom.

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In many alternative learning institutions, students who found themselves hindered by traditional learning methods are given a unique opportunity to earn a state-recognized diploma in a school environment that matches their pace of learning instead of leaving them unable to catch up.

Meanwhile, through alternative learning opportunities that take technology that the students of today are used to seeing and using in their leisure time, educators can keep their students more engaged with the lesson. It also fosters the sense of curiosity that is inherently within young students, giving them the motivation to pursue topics related to what they have just learned.

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With educators who are able to take into account the students’ interests and their situations in and out of school, the students are able to focus on their studies better and are empowered to take charge of their own future.

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