We must rethink how we teach Students

Previously

In the previous article, I have mentioned that the educational system is not providing the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare the stundents (future employees and entrepreneurs) for the current technological possibilities and challenges.

The problem

Respectfully for the exceptional schools, but the majority of the educational institutions are still using the same methods and tools as 10-20 years ago. What do I mean by that? The students are still and only learning how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (in good cases). I am not saying that these tools are not useful, but they are not the only ones which are important to learn in 2025. Plus, the hands-on experience is missing from the curriculum, which is essential to understand the basics. The foundamental knowledge should be taught by their language, and I mean not their spoken language, intead of their interest level or communication style.

Possibilities and Challenges

The technological world is changing rapidly, the tech people sometimes struggle to follow the changes, so how can we expect the students to keep up with the pace by themselves? Average students are able to use popular social media platforms and applications on their smartphones, but they are not understanding the foundamentals of how these technologies work.

What foundamentals am I talking?

How the internet works, of course I do not expect them to know the details of the protocols, but they should understand the basic concepts. What if they upload a photo on any platform where it goes, who can anybody see it, and how impossible to remove it from the "internet". Furthermore to keep secure and strong passwords, use MFA and use different passwords for different accounts to decrease the risk of being hacked or exploited. Do not share personal and sensitive information on the internet, and be aware of the privacy settings of the applications they are using. The list is long, and maybe I will write a separate article about it.

Why should they learn these?

Simple, because they are using day-by-day these technologies. The internet is awesome, but still there are many vulnerabilities and security issues that they are not aware of. They should understand the importance of security, privacy, and how to protect themselves online.

Possibilities

The possibilities are endless, the students can learn new languages free of charge, they can find openly accessible resources to learn about any topic they are interested in. Learn new skills, and even get a job in most of the cases without a degree or formal educational background, because they know how to use the tools or they have the necessary knowledge to do the job. Work from anywhere in the world, and collaborate with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Do the shopping, banking, and access the government services which are available online. I think we can agree that the internet is a powerful tool, and it can be used for good, so much more than just social media and entertainment.

Challenges

Like I mentioned before, the internet is not a safe place, there are many risks and challenges that the students should be aware of. Cyberbullying, online predators, identity theft, and scams are just a few examples of the challenges they may face. They should learn how to protect themselves, how to report any suspicious activity, and how to stay safe online. What ecological footprint they are leaving behind, and how to be responsible digital citizens.

Solution(s)

We have to change the educational system, and we have to do it fast. Each stundent which finishes the school without the proper knowledge and skills is a lost opportunity for the society.

Each and every educational institution should rethink their curriculum, and focus more on hands-on experience, practical knowledge, and real-world applications. The students should be taught how to use the tools and technologies that are relevant in today's world, and how to apply their knowledge in real-life situations.

IT classes should not be boring anymore, I still remember that most of the class was so bored with the Microsoft Word and Excel lessons, that they were not paying attention at all. Even the few classmates who were interested in the classroom dominantly were boys, but the technology should not be narrowed down to a specific audience. Nowadays everybody is using digital technologies this or that way. Newborn babies seeing their parents using smart gadgets, and they immediately catch up how to use them.

Let me tell you a personal experience:

One of my nephew was so little that he could not even speak, but he was able to unlock his mother's smartphone and play games on it and watch cartoons on YouTube. He did not know how to read, but he was able to navigate through the applications and find what he was looking for. For minute, let us not focus and talk about parenting, instead the fact that he was able to do it without any help or guidance. He learned it by himself, that is crazy, right? Immediately, I was thinking that ho-ho, we have to hurry and think twice how we teach our students and children.

Of course, I was blaming the educational system in the previous article and in this one, but we have to take responsibility as well as parents and guardians. Kids should not access these tools or specifically the internet without any supervision, guidance or proper education. Because most of the adults are left behind as well, we have to quickly catch up the educational system and break the cycle to be aware and responsible.

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Do you think that the educational system is outdated? Do you have any ideas or suggestions on how to improve it? Please share your thoughts with world, or contact me directly. I would love to hear from you and discuss how we can work together to make a difference.