Though conceptually schools should be equal across the country, in reality this isn’t possible. Too many other factors come into play, such as how much funding the school receives or how much support from the surrounding community. The three schools from the video, “Crossing the Divide,” were all extremely different as far their capabilities went. The high school in Austin, Texas, had barely any access to technology, the high school in Cupertino, California had very good access, and Tech High in California was all about access to technology. Both the high schools in California far surpassed the one in Texas as far as technology goes, and so they seemed like superior schools.
But while schools have a large impact on a student’s direction in life, they are not the only deciding factor. Though Travis attended Tech High and was highly involved with computers throughout high school, he still only just managed to graduate. After high school, he did not attend college, opting to first find a job and save money. Kep, on the other hand, received an award for student of the year and got a full scholarship for college. Though they graduated from the same high school, both took very different paths after graduation.
Now, I don’t know if a school like Luisa’s could ever catch up to ones like Sidra’s or Travis’s and Kep’s, simply because of those outside factors such as funding and surrounding community. But that doesn’t mean the students themselves can’t catch up. For example, though Luisa had little access to technology and had to save for three years to buy her own computer, she worked with what she could. Though she didn’t manage to pass the Photoshop exam, she still tried to. While a factor such as a less technologically advantaged school can initially impede a student, if he or she has enough motivation, I believe he or she can overcome a boundary such as that. Look at Kep. Even though he did have the opportunity to attend the highly advanced Tech High, that wasn’t necessarily the reason he did so well there. If he had gone to a school like Luisa’s, he might not have learned quite as much about technology, but he still probably would have done well. Technology is just a means to the end, not the end itself.
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Thoughtful response, Jessica. Well stated!
ReplyDeleteI agree that technology is not the only factor affecting the success of a student after high school, although it does play a large role. I would also like to mention that although Luisa was very much driven to expand her technological skills, the majority of students would not go through the trouble of saving for 3 years for a computer, especially when there are more important things they would like to purchase such as decent clothes, shoes, or even food.
ReplyDeleteRelating this issue to my life, I am always very jealous of students who were offered foreign language classes at a young age because of the proven facts that young children pick up a second language much faster than high school or college student. I am jealous because I never had the option in school, just a Luisa never had the option for computers and advanced technological equipment in high school to become a competitor in the job market after school.