Richard Rodriguez writes in his essay, “The Lonely, Good Company of Books,” how he once struggled with the concept of being “educated” while studying in school (191). It is true that society has developed the idea that to be educated means to be successful in life, but is this really true? Education is certainly a contributing factor to one’s future, however, what exactly does it mean to be “educated” in today’s world? Although the times have changed and the world has become more modernized, learning has remained as important, if not more so, as it had when it was first discovered that it was essential to function in an advanced society. Being educated means that they know the basic knowledge, are able to apply those skills to different situations, and use them to comprehend and give back to the community.
To start, being educated is to receive an education, and more often than not, education begins with the basics. As soon as they are old enough, children learn the basics from their parents and teachers. Such basics include skill sets such as reading, writing, and problem solving, vital to one’s schooling, as they are the underlying structure to build up other skills. In order to begin their education, children should know the basic skills, the foundations, to accurately build their knowledge.
An educated individual in today’s world should be able to understand and relay ideas or facts to other people or themselves efficiently. As it is, the first foundation taught to a
Knowledgeable, educated, and wise have become descriptive characteristics that have become seemingly interchangeable in today’s society. However, what does it mean to be educated, wise or knowledgeable? In the article “The Educated Student: Global Citizen or Global Consumer” by Benjamin Barber, he says “…young people were exposed more and more to tutors other than teachers in their classrooms or even those who were in their churches, their synagogues-and today their mosques as well.” (417). It is suggested that the places where these characteristics are obtained have changed with industrialization and capitalism. “The Student and the University (from the Closing of the American Mind)” by Allen Bloom directly postulates from the vantage
“The Lonely, Good Company of Books” by Richard Rodriguez, is an expressive narration about the importance of learning through reading. The essay is a narration of his life from his early school years to high school and how he struggled with the general belief that reading books are the main source of education. “Open the doors of your mind with books” (172) he quotes from a poster over his teacher’s desk. He learned early on that books were the key to academic success. Even though his bilingual parents never read for pleasure, they instilled in him the value of books. This idea was repeated by his teachers that reading was the main activity of learning.
Education has existed throughout history in one form or another. The process of passing down accumulated information from one generation to the next has been present in every human society, past and present. From the young listening to the stories of the elders around the hearths of the ancient world, to pupils being instructed in the alphabet in a one room schoolhouse on the American frontier, to the present day online teaching sessions; the tradition of teaching and learning has been a constant in the ever changing world. Education has been and continues to be used for many purposes, chief among them being the creation of an educated citizenry, the empowerment of that citizenry, and improvement of the
Aristotle said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” What does it really mean to be educated? Many people thought that they knew what education meant, even I felt confident in myself to define education. However, the ideas discussed in class really made me question my definition of education. My definition has changed within the past few weeks as I discovered more about education. I am here to present my definition of education; with the lack of resources, one can still become educated by learning the unknown and putting your knowledge to good use.
John Spayde’s article What Does it Mean to Be Educated (June 1998) offers insight into the world of philosophical questions and studies of our educational system. Spayde shares and responds to the opinions of different novelists, journalists, professors, and colleges that have taken a stance on what it means to be educated. His article briefly covers topics such as; educational decisions, financial division, entitlement, humanities, and technology. Spayde also discusses the importance of being connected and learning from a real-life experience. Spayde believes that having a connection to the world around you allows you to use any experience as a learning mechanism to further your education.
Many are quick to disregard education’s role outside of the classroom. According to Mike Rose, “a good education helps us make sense of the world and find our way in it” (Rose 33). Rose emphasizes the value in the experience of education beyond the value of education for the purpose of custom or intelligence; he explores the purpose of going to school in terms of how he defines himself and his personal growth in the stages of his academic career. By reflecting on his personal experiences and how those gave him the tools applicable to his daily life, he emphasizes why education should never be overlooked. Rose’s referencing relatable experiences in a logical manner makes his argument persuasive to the readers and he succeeds in making the readers reconsider why education matters to them. In his book Why School?: Reclaiming Education for All of Us, Mike Rose effectively persuades his audience of the importance of education beyond the classroom, emphasizing how those experiences become crucial to one’s personal growth and potential in our everyday lives.
Education is a wonderful asset to anyone. With a good one the sky is the limit, and without one opportunity may never come knocking. In today’s society, so much emphasis is put on education. How many times have we heard the saying “if you get a good education, you’ll get a good job and make a lot of money”? Even today, my parents remind me of how much a college degree would add to my marketability. But when does it become too much? Is it possible that one could overlook the more important values in life in search to become a “learned man”? In Richard Rodriguez’s story Challenging The Traditional Classroom he examines his life as a student, and the affects his learning has towards his attitude about family and heritage.
What does it mean to be well educated? To be well educated it is a balance between academics and practical knowledge. Throughout this paper I will show that one does not necessarily need a college degree to be deemed as well educated. I will explore both aspects of academics and practical knowledge and how it affects individuals.
Gerald Graff insists “Street smarts beat out book smarts in our culture not because street smarts are non intellectual, as we generally suppose, but because they satisfy and intellectual thirst more thoroughly than school culture” (248). I believe that school generalizes the students to a point where academic work can be very unsatisfying. By putting them in a box, there are less chances to expand thoughts, and creating new ways of understanding. Graffs opinions on this subject are correct because many people who are successful, and contributing member of society are not formally educated. Even if they had more interest in sports rather than books, they still succeeded later in
“Learning in the Key of Life” In “Learning in the Key of Life”, the author, Jon Spayde, makes arguments for an education centered on the humanities rather than what he describes education as “training for competitiveness”. (pg.47) He first poses the question “What does it mean to be educated?” This question, as Spayed explains, is about more than just education.
Without education one would not know how to communicate efficiently. Having people understand your message is important in getting them behind your message.
Education is needed for individuals to function in society. Without the proper tools, people would be a burden instead of an asset. To become an asset, individuals need to be exposed to those elements which would enrich their lives through knowledge. Knowledge in our society is basically learned through education. The basic knowledge each person should receive from an education is the three R’s; reading writing, and arithmetic. These mediums will enable a person to survive in today’s society.
The term ‘education’ can mean many things. An education is the collective knowledge a person has, but what does an education mean? Although an education can be paid for, no one can physically give you an education, so it is not a gift. There are societal situations where an education is a necessity, but not many globally. Education is a tool to be utilized differently in every part of the world. Knowledge is power, but some knowledge is more powerful depending on your region. If you are part a primitive tribe in New Guinea, a person that is considered to be educated may be illiterate. Whereas in America, an illiterate person would have trouble functioning at all in society. Education is a tool that is to be
Education can be defined as a learning process in which a student and a teacher are involved. The work of the teacher is to pass on the message to the student while the student understands and applies what has been taught. It is also considered as a process of developing skills, knowledge and character of an individual. Education, whether formal or informal, has a function both to the individual and the society, these functions are either manifest or latent. There is a distinction between the manifest and latent functions in that the manifest functions are those that are intended whereas the latter are the unintended functions (Douglas, 2003).
To be educated: commonly defined as being smarter than your peers. Although most people would say the more educated you are, the better you are, it is often used as a tool to make fun of and discourage those who took the time to seek intelligence. For centuries this has been the case. From biblical times, to mid-evil times, to even modern times, it has been constantly argued what it means to be educated. Some believe that claiming education means hold certification. Others think that it means being able to communicate what you know or how you think. Ultimately, the author of this column, appearing in The Magnolia Potpourri on October 29th 2014, believes that sound judgment, mercy, and humility to be the marks of education.