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There were a lot of things I thought Iowa lacked. All we’ve been hearing for years now is that Iowa has been losing jobs to other states for various reasons such as not enough opportunity for growth of new businesses, a lack of technology, so on and so forth. I have learned today that I was very mistaken. It seems as though Iowa with Des Moines playing a key role, has become an excellent place for young professionals to come and start their careers. Its population has grown substantially in recent years, and all of this attraction has actually gained recognition on a national scale. This being said, I am supposed to be talking about what I think Iowa lacks as far as opportunities or assets go. Technology is something that we as a state need to embrace and improve on rapidly. The world is an ever changing place and technology is going to be at the forefront of that change. With that in mind I think the main thing currently lacking in Iowa right now is a willingness to learn and properly educate. We used to rank in the few top spots in the nation in education, but that has fallen by the wayside here in recent years. It seems as though there is a significant amount of apathy towards learning by both teachers and students. Now before you assume I am trying to blame teachers and or students, hear me out. With policies like No Child Left Behind, schools must make sure all students achieve certain grades. It would be very difficult for them to make sure students that do not do as well achieve these grades with a tougher curriculum, so instead they make the material easier for the entire class. This lack of challenging students reduces their creative thinking and problem solving which in turn makes them less prepared for the real world. How can we as a state, even as a nation, promote this? It is a vicious circle that must be stopped before it is too late. We must challenge the kids of today and give them the new technologies and problem solving skills they need to compete. 

Aug 10, 2011 10:36 AM |Add a comment