How Outside Agencies (Like DMA) Are Filling the Void of Public Education to Meet Demands

Let's face it. A debate is raging in America as to the state and future of our education system. It seems like classrooms are becoming more packed with students as budgets are cut and teachers are being required to work overtime trying to teach curricula that are so jammed with subjects that each one can only be taught for a day. But as increasing numbers of parents like you and me try to navigate what this means, outside agencies are cropping up to provide better teaching environments for specific skills. These agencies, such as DMA, are able to give students a unique experience that can greatly boost their ability to learn and achieve. As an example, I want to look at how DMA is stepping into the gap of un-taught tech skills left by public schools and other traditional learning environments. Though DMA focuses on skills related to digital media, obviously, the same general principles apply to other agencies that have different focal points.

• More Available Resources

Outside agencies like DMA are less monolithic than the public education system, which often encompasses whole cities, counties, and states. Instead of having all of that bureaucratic red tape to cut through, DMA can raise its own funds for its own specific needs. This gives it the ability to acquire specialized equipment that traditional school systems are unable to acquire, given the debate that always rages regarding the allocation of tax money. As with any job, new and better equipment can be a valuable tool for staying on the cutting edge. Without the
proper equipment, DMA would be unable to allow students access to 3D printing, for example. Technology of this nature is almost certainly going to be a staple of the future world in which our kids find themselves working and living, so learning firsthand about how this stuff works is absolutely crucial.

• More Specialized Instructors

Attending outside agencies like DMA will put students into contact with experts in specialized fields of study. At DMA, students can learn about important subjects like computer coding, filmmaking, 3D modeling techniques, and even the burgeoning field of 3D printing. They can do this not only because they have access to newer and better equipment that allows for more accessible learning of these subjects, but because the instructors have tons of experience in these fields. This is not a knock on public schoolteachers—who have to know a lot about a lot of subjects—but it means that these outside agencies can offer access to instructors who have built their careers on these exact fields of study. Not only does this allow for a deeper pool of knowledge from which the instructors can draw, but it allows for students to get a glimpse of how these skills can transfer into public life in the “real world.”

• More Specialized Coursework

This goes hand-in-hand with the hiring of expert instructors. Since DMA can focus on those subjects related to digital media, they can craft their coursework around those specific ideas. In traditional education systems, teachers may have to split their time among a variety of subjects, but outside agencies typically can narrow their focus and energies. Like a laser beam, this focusing means that the coursework is more potent. Plus, this means that DMA can experiment and implement numerous teaching styles and methodologies. This is incredibly useful because children learn differently from one another. What works for your children may not work for mine, but public classroom settings rarely allow breathing room for teachers to individualize their instruction. With outside agencies, instructors can offer a range of teaching styles that reach each student.

I hope this blog post does not come off as a critique of public and traditional educators. Instead, the idea is that outside agencies can come alongside these institutions and provide more specific instruction. I want my children to have a well-rounded education that includes all subjects, but I also like the idea of having agencies like DMA who can offer short summer camps or after-school events in which my kids can go deeper in certain subjects.

That is what these outside agencies offer: depth. A traditional education system may teach my kids about 3D printing, but DMA will show them how to do that kind of work. A traditional education system may go over the basics of coding, but DMA will feature instruction from actual computer programmers. Rather than thinking of these agencies as replacements for traditional education systems, parents should recognize that ability of institutions like DMA to fill gaps in students instruction by going into increased depth in subjects in which public
schoolteachers can only scratch the surface. I don't know about you, but plugging in the gaps in my child's education is definitely a priority for me.