A Response to "Changing Education Paradigms"

The "Changing Education Paradigms" YouTube video that we watched last class makes me think about my education in comparison to the education of students in the Los Angeles public school system, one of the worst school systems in the nation. My education was highly traditional, but I took so much away  from it. It was tailored for every student and her needs. While we were most likely tracked based on whether the administration expected us to be highly academic or not, I feel like every professor wanted to engage us and prepare us for university and beyond. However, the wool has not been pulled over my eyes; I know how horrible the public school system is, the drop out rate alone can explain it to anyone, and I know how lucky I was to have the education that I did. It seems that the video we watched explains why it is just as bad as it is; the school system of today is based on an old model. Not everyone is meant to be a student, but that does not mean that they should not be able to take something away from school, and it especially does not mean that they should not have the privilege of engaging teachers. But how do you solve a problem that has become so big?
I think that teachers and professors need to be put through a more rigorous training process. Just because someone desires to be a teacher, does not mean that he should be given that opportunity. It also seems, that if students are given freedom to take the classes that they feel passionate about, there will be a higher graduation rate among schools, and thus, the schools will be turning out more intelligent people. Also, the school system needs to recognize that the outside forces of technology are now apart of hourly life, so they should be used to benefit the classroom, not hinder it.
In the YouTube video it talks about how schools group students based on their ages and how that may be hindering the system. I think students are put in their age groups in school because they are with students that are of a similar maturity level to themselves. Obviously, everyone matures at different times, but I believe it is healthy for students of the same age to be grouped with other students of the same age, to facilitate bonding between those students. I think this is especially important in the Elementary and Junior High years.
It seems that the school system issue has become such a large one, that no one really knows how to take it on, and thus, no one has taken true initiative. I think that "Changing Education Paradigms" is very interesting and offers insight into the issue, but it does not give constructive ways of changing the problem, and I think that's what we really need. We need an inspired person who is willing to take over the system and rebuild it into what we need for the students of today.