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Link to Prezi Presentation: http://prezi.com/rpoznlh0qr2g/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share = = =Matrix Presentation 2: Education for a Sustainable Future=

For many people education may not look like a sustainability issue because there is no direct link between them and people rarely talk about them in the same context. However, if we look at one of the big factors that make sustainability difficult we will see that education is a big part of it. One of the reasons why sustainability is so difficult is because education does not provide sufficient critical thinking training. Also, in many cases our education is one sided and very standardized. To see a bigger picture and think of new solutions that will make mankind more sustainable people have to be different and have the capability to accept different ideas. As we try to move towards a new sustainable world we have to shift from an old mindset and adopt new ideologies. This is why critical thinking is so important. Education is the main factor in any government, economy and culture. When we have problems like energy crisis we need the smartest people to step up and bring new ideas. However, if a science advisor makes a proposal to go with nuclear energy that person will most likely get direct criticism. When the majority of population has not been exposed to such possible solutions there is almost no hope. If we want to create changes we must look deeper at factors that may prevent those changes. Another problem with current education is privatization and conversion to for-profit. This is where education turns into business. When for-profit schools like University of Phoenix invest more money in advertizing and recruiting than corporations like FedEx there is a serious problem[1]. Many for-profit schools spend only about ten percent on providing that education that they publically advertize. The danger here is fast foodalization of education itself. Another factor that concerns many people is the rate of debt repayment. While for-profit school students represent ten percent of all students they are responsible for nearly half of all loan defaults. This by itself demonstrates how poor the quality of such education is. The reason this type of “business” is around is because billions of federal aid money flow with not that much regulation. This problem is currently being addressed by the department of education but since some of these schools are in fact multibillion corporations they have big law firms that lobby for them and protect them. Finally, another issue with current education is the tenure system. While it is beneficial in some cases it also has some serious side effects. One of such side effects is the fact that it impedes the dismissal of underperforming teachers. For example, to fire a teacher in New York City costs on average $250,000. This system was first put in place back in the days when female teachers got fired after getting pregnant. Nowadays, we have other laws and regulations that protect teachers from getting fired so unfairly. However, in many smaller towns teachers still need tenure protection for teaching such classes as evolutionary biology that goes directly against what people know from the Bible. Also, tenure allows teachers to advocate on behalf of students and disagree openly with school and district administration. So if tenure looses its weight to make it easier to dismiss underperforming teachers it will also make good teachers more vulnerable. From my own experience I know that a bad professor can make a student lose interest in the subject. In many universities, professors in such areas as electronics focus mainly on research and don’t teach classes properly. This is explained by the fact that research brings money to the school. The more investors you have the more likely you will get tenure. Therefore, focusing on teaching over research cannot be justified if you look at personal gains. So the side effect of the system is that professors come to class not prepared to teach their students. While some may argue that students should be learning the material on their own others will say that at least a little guidance from an expert would be helpful for 50k. In our day and age, sustainability became big and there are currently many ongoing battles which will bring people to a new socially responsible era. However, to win these battles we need strong fundamental skills. Like a tree that needs good, strong roots to flourish, we need a strong education system that will nourish us and make us stronger.

[1] //PBS FRONTLINE: College Inc. (2010) | Watch Documentary Free Online //. Accessed April 8, 2014. http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/frontline_college_inc_0104/.

=References and Annotations= **1. 1) Full citation:** //PBS FRONTLINE: College Inc. (2010) | Watch Documentary Free Online //. Accessed April 8, 2014. http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/frontline_college_inc_0104/. Writer : John Maggio  He also wrote “Educating Segeant Pantzke”, which is an investigation of for-profit colleges and how they aggressively recruit veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. The main focus is the for-profit college system and how unsustainable it is. “It’s just business” “You’re gonna get a free education” (Lie) “They are there to make money. They are there for profit.” The fact that for-profit colleges exist means that our education system is unsustainable. I used the statistic of debt repayment rates. Also, I presented facts about advertising spending.
 * 2) Where does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his credentials? **
 * 3) What is the main topic or argument of the text? **
 * 4) Describe at least three ways that the main topic or argument is fleshed out. **
 * Low debt repayment rates were presented.
 * Incentivized recruitment that is considered to be illegal was covered.
 * When students leave that are not prepared for the workforce due to poor training.
 * 5) What three quotes capture the critical import of the text? **
 * 6) Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports your research focus. **
 * 7) List at least two details or references from the text that you have used in your presentation and wiki post. **

It is a websites that posts short articles that compare, usually, two things against each other. Another work that was posted is “ Can Alternative Energy Effectively Replace Fossil Fuels?” To look at both pro and cons of tenure system. Many interesting facts were presented. Such as: “ Tenure protects teachers from being fired for personal, political, or other non-work related reasons” “ Teacher tenure creates complacency because teachers know they are unlikely to lose their jobs ” “Eliminating tenure will not reduce class sizes or make schools cleaner and safer” "Tenure is the holy grail of teacher unions, but it has no educational value for kids; it only benefits adults.” “It allows under-performing teachers a chance to improve their skills rather than be hastily fired.” It provides facts about education system that can be used in discussion to improve the system. I used the fact that to fire a tenured teacher in New York City costs on average $250,000. Another referenced used: “smaller towns teachers still need tenure protection for teaching such classes as evolutionary biology that goes directly against what people know from the Bible”
 * 2.** **1) Full citation.** “Should Teachers Get Tenure?” Accessed April 9, 2014. http://teachertenure.procon.org/.
 * 2) Where does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his credentials? **
 * 3) What is the main topic or argument of the text? **
 * 4) Describe at least three ways that the main topic or argument is fleshed out. **
 * 5) What three quotes capture the critical import of the text? **
 * 6) Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports your research focus. **
 * 7) List at least two details or references from the text that you have used in your presentation and wiki post. **


 * 3.** //College Conspiracy //. Accessed April 9, 2014. [].