Meet the 20 year old who thinks education can be better- Brent Pickett, Alabama native and Director of Action Alabama, a team of education advocates who plan to introduce legislation that “encourages young people to pursue their dreams and develop skills that would prepare them to not only survive but to thrive in the global marketplace”. But just how do they plan to do this?
“Every year technology is becoming more and more useful, millions of people utilize the internet for educational purposes. Why not maximize what the internet is capable of and utilize more technology in schools. The number of people that get online everyday to learn will only increase within the coming years, what were doing here is not avoiding the inevitable” .
According to an article from U.S. News approximately 6.1 million students took at least one course online in 2011. This representing a growth of 10.1 percent from the previous year. This is a smaller increase than was seen in 2009, when online class enrollment spiked by 21 percent, but it still shows substantial growth.
Action Alabama plans to advocate for a increase in the state of Alabama’s education budget, to allow students to have the opportunity to take online courses in high school – students would have the ability to transfer those credits to any university in the state. For the students who wouldn’t attend any universities out side of the U.S., “I’m sure the experience and the outcome that the student would get out of it would be well worth while, including those students who venture off. It’s a chance to expand their intellectual capabilities, challenge themselves.
Additionally, the plan would call for free ACT/SAT prep courses, and a program that would allow students to start grassroots campaigns to help fund their college tuition post high school. Mr. Pickett says it’s all in an effort to “encourage a better education for tomorrow’s leaders.”
