Then And Now: The Olympics and Education

By: Jaclyn Norton
Technique and technology is the driving force in the evolution of athletics and education. In the video below, Bob Wise, President of Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia, journeys back to 1948 – the last London Olympics – to examine how America’s education system changed pace over the last sixty-four years.

“Sixty years ago, the United States led the world in both the Olympic medal count, and high school graduation rates…Today, American students rank 21st among the world’s leading economies in high school graduation rates, and 15th in college graduation rates.”

Wise attributes improved athletic performance to advancements in technology, technique, and training over the years. He argues these changes must also be applied to education to yield better performance in our schools.

“As I saw in 1948, technique and technology transformed athletics. Here in 2012, digital learning, the effective application of technology to improve student outcomes, can have the same effect on education. By blending effective instruction with appropriate digital technology, teachers can engage students in a personalized learning style that helps them compete and succeed.”

As with athletes in the Olympics, combining changes in technique and technology leads to greater student outcomes.