...digital age, it is no longer possible to become an educated person in such a troubled world. True or false? We live in an increasingly complex world of rapid change and can only begin to imagine what the future will look like. It is also a very troubled world in which we are confronted daily with a myriad of challenges. The sheer scale of information and social constraints threaten to overwhelm us and we may be justified in thinking that it is no longer possible to become an educated person. Contrary to this view, however, I believe that it is not only possible, but also imperative that we do so if we are to both survive and thrive in the modern world. Any rewards will outweigh the challenges. The real question is not really whether it is possible to become and educated person, but exactly what that education should look like in such a climate? Education is highly valued universally and the sphere of education today is extensive. In most countries, in addition to a developed system of state schooling, there is an expanding system of private schooling. This has arisen in response to the growing demand for qualifications and accreditation in an increasingly diverse range of professions. However, being an educated person today is not simply about possessing knowledge. The educated person is one who is able to utilise knowledge and apply it productively for the good of the society in which they live. Becoming an educated person is a social process and the end result of education...
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...The Educated Ideal The U.S. Census Bureau reports that over 1.5 million bachelor’s degrees were earned in America in the year 2007, alone. Combining all degrees of higher education, over 3 million were earned. For these millions of degrees, how many students are considered to be educated? Certainly the majority of these students are educated by the present standards of their respective fields of study. However, one field of study is but a single facet of the manifold realm of Education as a whole. How then do we determine an individual to be educated? Education and schooling are not inter-dependent. Focusing on education independently of schooling requires an abstract approach. This is the intended approach when evaluating the educated person. The Educated Person is fully aware- Aware of himself, aware of nature, aware of virtue. First, we must ask, “What is education?” Leona Okakok refers to the definition of her native Inupiat Eskimo language, “to cause to become a person.” (p. 80). Education is a process of becoming self-aware. Therefore, the educated person is primarily one who is fully aware of, and one with, himself. As humans, we become aware of the natural world around us far before we begin to truly develop any sense of our unique identity. Awareness is accomplished in three phases. The initial phase is the reception of information- the facts. Little is accomplished with information, alone. It is random, chaotic, and entirely formless until we reach the...
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...who want to acquire knowledge have to be educated. Education is important because it trains the human mind, opens people to the rest of the world, and helps people find solutions to many of the world's problems. Education trains the human mind to make the right decisions. From learning about past decisions and mistakes, we can figure out what the best path to take is in certain situations. Education helps people make the right decisions because it encourages them to be thinkers. An educated person can think of the positive and negative effects of every decision that they make and, more likely than not, they will make better decisions than an uneducated person who does not know how to reason would. All humans have some reasoning ability, but only the educated can reason and make decisions in the most efficient way. This is because their reasoning skills have been fine tuned. For example, an educated person may use his or her knowledge of science to fix a chair or to determine why their metal baseball bat is rusting. For another problem, an educated person might draw on their knowledge of English and logic to help them form an argument. For an educated person, these tasks would be very simple. But, for an uneducated person, these tasks would prove very difficult, if not impossible for some. An uneducated person will have many difficulties in his or her life because he or she does not possess the ability to reason as well as educated people can. The training of the human mind...
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...Being Well Educated Febraury 13, 2010 Patricia Ricks-Armstead In exploring what it means to be educated one must take a closer look at how we seek and acquire knowledge beyond the traditional sense. If you take a closer look you will discover that there is an evolution of how knowledge has been shared and obtained throughout human history. And it is with this discovery that we will learn that acquisition of knowledge is not a “one-size-fits-all” process that has dominated most educational institutions in the recent decades. Being well educated does not always mean that you know everything all the time. If that was the case, we would all be perfect. I feel that everyone has a bit of ignorance in them. To define ignorance so no one will be offended; it is the lack of knowledge: lack of knowledge or education, unawareness: unawareness of something, often of something important. Synonyms are the state of unawareness, inexperience, illiteracy, unfamiliarity, obliviousness, witlessness. Now if you look at this, I don’t know how to fly a plane so therefore I am ignorant to that fact but it definitely does not mean that I am not well educated. Some people would argue the ignorant factor asuming that this is a way of calling them stupid. Like it says in the "What does it mean to be well educated story", the husband talks about how his wife is very knowledgable when it comes to medicine and anthropology; she freezes up when you ask her what eight times seven is. (Kohn...
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...Name: Course: Date: Education in the modern world As the world becomes more civilized and connected, global competitiveness makes it the duty of every global citizen and government to reconcile the true meaning of education to the standards and practices applied in learning. Without this societal reflection, a country or person risks lagging behind as the world progresses. This paper seeks to understand education and its place in the 21st century society. The first step in this quest is to ask the question, what is education? There exist a myriad of definitions on education. Key to every definition is the transfer of knowledge, values and skills. This knowledge transfer requires an knowledgeable guide or tutor to impart what they know to a willing learner. This is a process of illumination for the learner. As Will Durant eloquently states, “Education is a progressive discovery of our ignorance” (Durant). Every great kingdom throughout history has placed a premium on education. From the library of Alexandria in ancient Egypt to the depth of information on the internet, education remains at the heart of every successful society. Currently, modern formal education has largely failed to provide value to learners. The most common forms of modern formal education employ rote memorization. Knowledge imparted does not go beyond the testing stage. Another failure by modern learning institutions is their over emphasis on the academic aspects of education. These institutions forget that...
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...ENG 101-D23 LUO Professor Desiree B. Sholes 11/12/2012 To be or not to be well-educated: A Narrative Response to Alfie Kohn’s “What does it mean to be well-educated?” To be or not to be well-educated: A Narrative Response to Alfie Kohn’s “What does it mean to be well-educated?” Alfie Kohn’s essay “What does it mean to be well-educated?” begins on a personal note using his wife as an example to substantiate his hypothesis. Encountering Alisa at the very beginning of the essay was indeed a refreshing way to initiate thought into a subject not often considered. Today not everyone ponders the real relevance behind education nor does anyone contemplate just how much of education is needed to be considered well-educated. Alisa has a doctorate in anthropology and is an excellent physician yet her lack of knowledge in basic math and English leads her husband to question the implications behind what true education is all about (Kohn, 2003, pars. 1-4). My first response to this startling line of thought was that something like this had never occurred to me before. One is either educated or not. But where does one cross over from educated into well-educated and what does the latter term encompass? These were interesting premises that galvanized me into Kohn’s text, rapidly seeking a resolution for my questions. The first question that Kohn tackles involves the purpose of education. Is education meant to create better individuals or introduce better...
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...2015 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………2 2 Introduction The question of what does it mean to be well-educated is addressed by author Alfie Kohn. Mr. Kohn expresses, “It’s not enough to memorize facts or score well on tests but a good education is hard to define.” The author shares some personal reflections about his wife Alisa, as an illustration in building a foundation to help provide the answer to the question, what does it mean to be well-educated. Mr. Kohn outlines his wife’s educational background, her current employment, and certain perceived deficiencies in her education. The author’s conclusions are markedly different than my own, inasmuch as I am convinced that to be well educated means to possess a balanced education that exhibits orthodox academic achievement, and practical knowledge that contributes to the fulfillment and enjoyment of daily life. The author shares: When I met Alisa, she was at Harvard, putting the finishing touches on her doctoral dissertation in anthropology. A year later, having spent her entire life in school, she decided to…apply to medical school. Today she is a practicing physician…She...
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...goals with ease.He stated that people are prone to have their mental lives be invaded by the media and propaganda. Education can also become a dangerous weapon if used by the wrong person. People think that education should be used to trample over those who aren’t educated. Education should be used to reach one’s life goals. The goals vary some will be challenging others not so much. With the proper education one can reach those goals with ease all through hard work and dedication. The more education one has the more doors they open for themselves, meaning more opportunities later in their life. As he said in his speech “Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.” Martin Luther King said that a majority of the educated people do not think logically or scientifically. He firmly believed the people are prone to...
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...David Pope Mr. Grant English 101 June 11, 2013 An educated person does not need good writing and speaking skills. Most people would argue that one needs to be able to write and speak well in order to be educated. However, these people are not looking at the word educated objectively. The mere definition of educated is simply: having an education; especially: having an education beyond the average. This simple definition does not prove that one does not need good writing and speaking skills. In fact, it raises more questions on the subject. What is the definition of education? Does one need good writing and speaking skills to have an education? The answer as shown above is no. Objectively, education can be defined as the following: the imparting and acquiring of knowledge through teaching and learning, especially at a school or similar institution; the knowledge or abilities gained through being educated; training and instruction in a particular subject. If education is training and instruction in a particular subject that would mean being educated would be having training and instruction in a particular subject. An example of this could be the job of a carpenter. A carpenter may go to a trade school. At this trade school he will learn Geometry, English, and will also receive hands on training in the basics of carpentry. By taking these classes he has become educated in each one of these. Because he was educated in English 101 he learned how to speak and write properly...
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...Second half of one’s life begins at the early forties. Not many people manage their second lives as these people are the minority. People who managed their second lives are those who see the long working-life expectancy as a chance both for themselves and for society who will become the leaders and the models. Bill Gates once said, “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” But one does not simply become a success person. It took years to become one. There is one requirement for managing the second life of one’s life which is to begin creating it long before one enters it. Other than to become leaders and models, we need to think on what to do with our second half of lives because we cannot put hope that we will still be working in the same organization in twenty years from now. As the saying goes, “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” We were taught in class the graph of life; as we are getting older, the options that are available to us are getting smaller, but the responsibilities are getting bigger. So at this young age, we need to grab any chances for the benefit of our future. As the professor said in class, “Don’t get old, alone and broke.” If we did, we might have nothing at all; even family. We do not want to be a burden to ourselves and people around us. Life is about drawing circles. If we have a great life, we will draw a perfect round circle. If we slipped somewhere, the circles drawn might not look like a circle...
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...could expect to earn about $1.2 million, someone with a bachelor’s degree could earn about $2.1 million, and a person with a master’s degree might expect around $2.5 million. The average salary of a high school dropout is about $21,000 a year which equates to $840,000 over a 40 year period. By most standards, there is a substantial difference in the lifetime earnings presented in the data which will undoubtedly have impact on any one person’s life and those who depend on that person to provide for them. An education is the single most important tool a person can acquire. Well educated individuals not only earn more money throughout their lifetimes, but they also live longer, healthier, and more comfortable lives. Every aspect of peoples’ lives is affected by the level of education or lack of education that they have. The type of career, salary, health, social environment, and community are all factors associated with academic prowess. Also more important, the post professional quality of lives of individuals with higher education credentials is greatly improved over the lives of non-educated retirees. Pursuing higher education empowers individuals to take control of their future by providing more employment opportunities, which leads to a healthy lifestyle and improved wellbeing. The pursuit of knowledge is the driving force behind most every successful person and is what America was built up. Since America is based on a free market society, knowledge translates into power...
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...influence (noun): the power to affect someone or something. influence (verb): to influence someone or something is to have an effect on what they are or do. (Allen, 2003: 217). People are influenced by the things that surround them. This mostly refers to what we see and hear on a daily basis. Power leads one to influence people, no power leads one to be influenced. Power in this regard may refer mostly to money. Peer pressure is another form of influence, where one would do something to rather fit in, than take a stand and be different. It is easier to influence people who are uncertain about themselves and their values, than people who are self-assured. Often, peope who are less educated, feel inferior to those who are well educated. Therefore, uneducated people are often influenced by educated people. This is also seen in politices. The language we use, the clothes that we wear (fashion), our behavior or attitude etc. are all things that are influenced by the society we live in. Influence can either have a positive or a negative outcome. Social class: Social class has to do with ones’ place in society. People are ussually grouped into social classes according to the amount of money they make, but also on the education they have recieved. People with higher social status ussually have more influence over those with a lower social status. A person’s social status influences the way the live, dress, eat, speak, what they read, what music they listen to, their behavior...
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...defines education as “a process necessary for the creation of a sound mind in a sound body.” Education is a process of developing a human being into a person who is reasonably informed about the world in which he lives. This enables him to model his life according to the aims and objectives set forth by the cultural and ideological entity of which he or she is a member and tells him about his responsibilities to make him punctual and to balance his life. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) Said: “And acquire knowledge from cradle to grave.” Education is the fundamental factor in the process of human development. The importance of education in the process of nation building and economic prosperity can not be denied. The famous Greek philosopher Plato, while emphasizing the need and importance of education, said: “Education brings light to human mind and eye.” There is no denying the fact that uneducated and illiterate people cannot perform their duties, national as well as personal, in a proper and befitting manner. The success of democracy, the most popular system of government in modern times, largely depends on education. Every civilized society is desirous of progress in the modern age, gives top most priority to the acquisition of knowledge and spends huge amounts on education in order to curb and eradicate ignorance. Educated people are the source of strength for the state, for they can effectively contribute towards the development and progress of society. They can ably help...
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...our life. Even the regular happenings and events around us educate us, in one or the other way. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the existence of human beings is fruitless without education. An educated person has the ability to change the world, as he/she is brimming with confidence and assured of making the right moves. Education makes a worthy contribution to our lives, by making us responsible citizens. We get to know our history and culture through education and imbibe those values. Education opens our mind and expands our horizon. It enables us to understand our duties as a citizen and encourages us to follow them. There is no denying the fact that an educated person is a better citizen. Education is futuristic in character, in so far that it ensures that the one who receives good education gets a secure future. Our productivity is increased by acquiring new skills and talents through education. We find ourselves in the most competitive jobs, courtesy the right training and education. The importance of education is evident by the dizzy heights we achieve in life. The significance of education, for a great part, lies in its ability to open new vistas for us. It expands our outlook and teaches us to be tolerant towards other views. An educated person will find it easier to understand a different point of view than the one who is uneducated. Education broadens our mental landscape and is the way forward to greater enlightenment - the ultimate goal of every...
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...different than what shapes our society today. It is well known that one of the many qualifications of a good leader is that who can improve the country's educational system. Why?, because the youth are our future leaders and teachers. A parent would rather pick a private school over a public school, and a job interviewer would look more highly on a private school graduate over a public school graduate. You can say that education is important in today's society, as well as Plato's society. The youth can be educated in many different ways, either by keeping them in the shadows, or exposing them to the light. this means that the future of the society can be either ruled by a person who is oblivious to the society's past, or by a person who has been fully exposed to the society's history. If a person is censored from education, then they love their life as a perfect world. this is best described when Socrates says that a Guardian should be a person who "must be gentle to their own people and harsh to the enemy." (375b-c). Socrates wants to educate these Guardians to be noble, righteous, and tentative to their every word, like a robot. He wants to educate them by making them obedient. He also believes that repressing their knowledge of music/narratives, and physical strength will make them grow into smarter adults....
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