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Tech-Op-ed June, 2018 SOUNDING OFF


By Michael Skinner Editor


Mastery: 21st Century Apprenticeships


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or all of human history, we have grappled with ways to pass on complex ideas and technical skills to each other. To this day, hands-on demon- stration and instruction from a master is still the most reliable and ef-


fective method. This is readily apparent in the many types of apprenticeship programs that can be found around the world. Apprenticeship programs have deep roots. Some, like those found in Eu-


rope, date back to the early Middle Ages, when guilds began to expand on and replace business and societal groups that had been based solely on kinship. Around the 13th century, the advent of craft guilds neatly separated those who had particular skills from each other. Such a narrow focus allowed tight- ly knit craftsmen, such as carpenters, masons and artists, to refine their skills, learn from one another and train the next generation. In medieval England, parents would strike a deal with a master crafts-


men to train their children. Such a contract bound the youth to the master’s service for anywhere from five to nine years. Guild regulations in established towns and cities often set minimum limits on the years of apprenticeship, as well as the number of apprentices that a master could train at a given time. Usually between the ages of 10 and 15, the apprentices would live with


master through their training and after completing their contracts, spend some time on their own as journeymen. To become a master, the journeyman was expected to contribute money to a guild, as proof of the marketability of their chosen craft, and produce a “masterpiece,” a technically challenging work that could be judged by the other guild members. Only after being elect- ed to the guild could the new master take on apprentices. Remnants of this concept remain in the U.S. The language we use in uni-


versity degrees, such as associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and Ph.D. students called apprentices, post-docs as journeymen, and professors as masters, is derived from the old system. Trade unions, including electricians, plumbers and pipe fitters, still use a formal system of apprenticeship. Even a skilled bartender can become a “master mixologist” of the Bartender’s Guild. Germany has preserved this system particularly well. The master crafts-


man, or Meister, is a state-approved qualification. In fact, some trades, such as electrician or chimney sweep, are required by law to employ at least one Meister for safety reasons. Becoming a master involves practical, theoretical, business, and legal training, and is regulated by the German Crafts and Trades Regulation Code. There are 342 recognized trades in Germany and apprentices complete a


dual program. Usually a little over half of their time is spent working for a company, while the rest of the time includes formal education. This is an in- tegral part of German working culture, and finding a job without having com- pleted an apprenticeship is nearly impossible. The skills taught during an apprenticeship program are strictly regulat-


ed. This significantly reduces the risk of hiring a worker who looks qualified on paper but can’t perform. These programs usually last between two-and-a- half or three-and-a-half years. Once completed, the freshly minted journey- man can enter the master’s school, which consists of evening courses for three or four years, or full-time study for one year. Once becoming a Meister, his or her name is recorded in the local trade register and they are then allowed to employ and train new apprentices. This cycle of apprentice to master, who then teaches the next generation


and so on, is deeply ingrained but unfortunately not widespread in the U.S. In an age of bloated secondary educational systems, where cash is king and churning out undergraduate degrees is a craft of its own, a return to a more focused approach would be welcome. One difficulty lies in justifying the cost of a professional’s time in teaching only a handful of students. Another is the enormous burden of student loan debt that many young graduates shoulder for years after earning a college degree. In the meantime, we should all try to find a master to glean knowledge from, which both enriches us and ensures that their years of expertise are not lost to history. r


PUBLISHER’S NOTE


By Jacob Fattal Publisher


The Inevitable Rise of Edtech


cused young people. In the U.S., even low-income and challenged areas for ed- ucation, such as the harsh inner cities, have federally funded programs for classroom tech, including laptops and tablets for students, as well as internet- enabled networks for homework assignments, grading and personalized les- sons for individual students. Unfortunately, many teachers are feeling undervalued in this new era of


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education. The old model of cramming 20-30 students into a room and spend- ing the entire class period feverishly attempting to keep their attention is end- ing. Even with today’s shift to high-tech teaching, the teacher’s role continues to be invaluable in our society. For one thing, something we can probably all relate to, as a school-aged


young person in a developed country, we spent more time around our various teachers than we did with our own parents. Some of these relationships last our entire lives. School teachers are one of the primary influences on the de- velopment of growing children, which continues long into adulthood. I’m sure we all have stories of “Mr. or Mrs. So-and-So” who illuminated some fresh idea in grade school that has stuck with us. Second, this technological shift is happening worldwide. In fact, accord-


ing to Nikkei Asian Review, by 2020, Asia will represent around 54 percent of the global demand for edtech. The absolutely massive population of Asian na- tions, such as China and India, is an obvious factor. This rise will be aided by the spread of the internet. Even now, around 53 percent of Chinese citizens have access to the internet, which is roughly the same number as the entire population of Europe. Companies, such as NetDragon, a Chinese mobile game developer, are


betting heavily on edtech. Their strategies involve “gamifying” education —of- fering students video-game-like scenarios that reward the player for complet- ed lessons. Key domestic players, such as Goldman Sachs, Times Internet, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg are pouring enormous amounts of money into digitizing education. There is much to be gained from this digital future of schooling. But, the


growing pains that come with increased technology will likely result in more bitter disputes between teachers and their superintendents over job require- ments and pay. We should be careful to ensure that the lasting effect of our teachers is not superseded by inexpen- sive and colorful mobile apps. r


ver the last decade, the educational technology, or “edtech,” market has grown rapidly into a multibillion-dollar industry. E-books and “smart” boards offer immersive lessons for the 21st century’s technology-fo-


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