What Books Have Changed Our Education System, the Choice of Students

Everybody knows that books are good for you – but not many people know how books have shaped history. Throughout our lives, we read a diverse range of content only to extract what’s truly necessary for our understanding. However, today, when technology is developing so quickly, we forget about the importance of reading and how a good book can change lives. We’re too distracted by our smartphones and TV shows to realize how essential reading is. 

Did you know that the word for “book” in Latin was “liber,” which also means free? Reading frees our minds and can literally change the world, a topic that we will be discussing today. Let’s see how reading can save our sovereignty, why we should do it, and how certain books have shaped and changed education forever. 

Why Should Students Read?

Reading changes your life perspective. In fact, it enlarges it. The more you read, the more prepared you are to have various conversations. Books have some sort of magical power that can be extremely empowering. Here are some of the ways in which reading can change your life.

• You get a sense of belonging. By reading, you’re connecting to a universe that seems separate from you. However, the more you read, the more that universe becomes yours. It’s not a movie that’s portraying and showing someone else’s imagination – the sense of belonging comes from your own sense and perception of reality. 
• More than that, you become empathic once characters become your best friends. You get attached to their emotions, thoughts, and actions, and put yourself in their shoes. This teaches you how to truly listen, which in today’s world, has become quite rare. 
• You will stand out in school. Writing school essays on books that you found interesting is easier than reading a book only to write an essay about it. For me, reading “The Thing Around Your Neck” was life changing. My friends and I got into it and were debating education reforms at school during breaks. If you’re thinking about reading the same book but don’t know what to include in your school essay, you could check some of the Thing Around Your Neck essay samples for educational needs. You could get free essay examples on love, class, homeland, and war, which are relevant issues in today’s world.
• You’re reminded of how small (yet significant!) you are. You’re only a tiny point in the universe that could change the world. Your ego subsides and your higher Self takes its place. You understand that your imagination can soar like this for ages!
• By reading, you gain knowledge of various things. Not reading leaves you ignorant and blocked into a mind cage. Reading molds your brains by promoting neuroplasticity. Once you start reading, you’ll realize that you’ve become more open to other points of view and reached a new way of understanding the world. 
• Since reading helps you become a better person, it’ll also help you become more confident. Once your conversation topics become broader, your conversations will improve, and your social life will become more interesting. 

10 Books That Changed Education Forever

1. Margaret Donaldson – Children’s Minds
2. James Davison Hunter – The Death of Character: Moral Education in an Age without Good or Evil
3. Anthony O’ Hear – Education, Society and Human Nature: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education
4. Alfred North Whitehead – The Aims of Education and other essays
5. Alison Wolf – Does Education Matter? Myths about Education and Economic Growth
6. Neil Postman – The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School
7. Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis – Schooling in Capitalist America: Educational Reform and the Contradictions of Economic Life 
8. Paulo Freire – Pedagogy of the Oppressed
9. ED Hirsch Jnr. – The Schools We Need and Why We Don’t Have Them
10. John Locke – Some Thoughts Concerning Education

How Can Students Get into Reading?

Reading can make you happy once you start to like it. However, getting there can be challenging, especially if you’re already past 18. Don’t worry, you can solve this with strong willpower and commitment. 

Check out this short guide on how to start reading frequently:

• Create a routine. Wake up at seven and be ready to read by eight. Eat your breakfast and leave to school/for work. Stick to this routine every day. 
• Keep yourself accountable. If you don’t read one day, you cannot hang out with your friends – or something like that. 
• Make a reading buddy. Yes, you can do that. Find an online friend who could help you stay on top of your reading habits. It’s easier said than done. 
• Journal – talk about how you feel when you read. Journal right after you read. Journal before you read. Compare. How does reading make you feel?

Read good books and discuss them with your friends. You could meet once a week to discuss various books that you’re all interested in. More productive than watching Lucifer on Netflix, don’t you think?