An Effective Communicator 

My greatest strength as a communicator is my ability to listen actively. I make sure to fully understand others' perspectives before responding, which helps me provide thoughtful and relevant input. This allows me to build stronger connections, resolve misunderstandings, and ensure that my message is clear and well-received. By focusing on listening first, I can communicate more effectively and create positive, productive conversations.

One area I would like to improve as a communicator is being more concise in my messaging. Sometimes, I tend to elaborate too much when explaining ideas, which can make it harder for others to follow. I want to work on delivering my points more clearly and efficiently, ensuring that my communication is both effective and to the point, while still maintaining clarity and detail when necessary.

Active listening is an important communication skill because it ensures that you fully understand what others are saying, which helps build stronger relationships and prevent misunderstandings. By focusing on the speaker, asking clarifying questions, and responding thoughtfully, you show respect and make the conversation more productive. Active listening also allows you to gather important information, process it effectively, and respond in a way that addresses the needs and concerns of the other person. It creates a more positive and collaborative environment for communication.

Efaz Ahmed

Ms. Radaskie

English 10 Honors

March 2023

Social Justice Speech

Over the past hundred years, significant changes to cars, healthcare, and technology have helped the U.S. propel forward into one of the biggest powerhouse countries. However, classrooms still need to improve to keep up with these changes in this new day and age, leaving uneducated students lost in the new world. Moreover, classrooms have yet to be improved over the last 100 years, though they could be more efficient and can be improved. As a result, education in the U.S. today is counterproductive and needs to be changed because instruction has stayed the same over the past 100 years. The situation is problematic because technologies have rapidly evolved, there are enough resources to make specialized courses for students, and methods and practices used in the U.S. are less rigorous and methodological compared to other countries, and addressing these issues would lead to a higher level of education among students throughout the country.

With technology evolving rapidly to a point where we can almost live online, classrooms cannot take advantage of that because of current designs. A quick Google search of a school from 100 years ago would show an image that looks very similar to today. We have been able to change and improve technology, healthcare, and living situations over the past 100 years, but classrooms have stayed the same. We have been unable to improve the standard classroom because we, as a country, are scared to develop even more. People right now are scared of the technological advances we have made. However, they must realize that the classroom setting only works because it fits the standard from 100 years ago. To keep up with new technology, we need to improve our classrooms. If one wants to see the future of America be better than it is now, then we should research different classroom arrangements and compare them to see how they increase productivity and mood.

Alongside the development of technology, it brought the upbringing of A.I.  Every day, a new A.I. is being created or developed at the cost of nothing. These A.I. can produce an essay within a minute or create an image of whatever one desire. With all the new software and A.I. available for free, a course specialized for a student is possible. According to a survey from PWC, a company working to create sustainable A.I.s at a low cost, 86% of respondents think A.I. will be mainstream tech in their businesses this year.  Not all students understand the same material at the same speed, so a lesson tailored to a student's needs would be helpful. Most schools have an Honors class to help kids accel where they can, but there is more difference between students than just Honors and non-Honors. Two students in the same Honors class could still perform at very different speeds and need help comprehending the same material at the same pace. Schools must provide the materials students need to perform as well as they can. People see America as the new land of freedom where they can start a new life, but they need to know that the education system will be unable to keep up with them and their learning styles. As a student, I have witnessed that only some content works for some students. A specialized course sustained by A.I. that fits students' needs could help them perform their best.

Nevertheless, taking a step away from technology, the methods and practices used in the U.S. are less rigorous and methodological compared to other countries. So when people come to America, they hope for a new life where their children can pursue a better education. Instead, they face a sad reality where their children do not feel challenged because the education level in their home countries is higher than in the U.S. A study by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2016 shows that the U.S. did better than most countries but scored lower than 12 other countries, those being the Russian Federation, Singapore, China, Ireland, Finland, Poland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Latvia, Sweden, Hungary, and Bulgaria. The education system in the U.S. needs to be improved compared to other countries. If America was to change its strategy to challenge students from different countries, only then would the U.S. be the country that every immigrant wants. Coming from an immigrant family, I have seen that education in the U.S. needs to challenge me appropriately. I have seen my friends from other countries go through more challenging courses even though we are the same age. We could partner with other countries to create a class that challenges those students that need it.

To improve the education system in America, we need to act now. We can start by researching how different classrooms arrange and compare them to see how they increase productivity and mood. Then, we can work with developers to create an A.I.-supported course that fits a student's needs and partner with other countries to create challenging courses for students who need them.