We Must First Play An Active Role

Make a positive contribution: being involved with the community and society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour.

He uses many rhetorical questions to provoke a desire to change oneself for the better, “What happens if we keep trudging along this bleak course? What happens if our most intelligent students never learn to strive to overcome what they are?” (Edmundson 402). If students cannot better themselves, can society ever better itself? If students have no passion for school, they will have no passion for things after college such as their jobs. They will settle for sub-par situations because it is the easy thing to do. Seeking a job raise will become too much of a hassle. Investing themselves into politics, too much of an inconvenience. Contributing to society, too much of a nuisance. They will take the easy way out, the way with the least amount of investment and passion and society will

Martin Luther King is quoted as saying: “Intelligence plus character; that is the goal of true education.” As I continue to develop as a person and meaningful and flourishing part of society, I aspire to attend a university that represents academic excellence, diversity and leadership in transformation. Nelson Mandela was once quoted as saying: “Education is the most powerful weapon which

While reading “Becoming a Learner” by Matthew L. Sanders, I found many interesting points on college education that I have never really focused on. One of my favorite statements that Sanders makes is that “who you are still matters more than what you can do because it speaks to your long term potential for success.” I thought this was very interesting and inspiring because it is encouraging the reader to focus on developing themselves rather than some impractical skills. I also thought it was really cool when Sanders made the point that “it’s not only what you do that counts; it’s also how you do it.” I thought that this quote is relatable on so many different levels, especially in the aspect of college. Sometimes you can take the easy way

In the article, “Only Connect: The Goals of a Liberal Education,” by William Cronon, William lists and explains the qualities of an educated person that he admires the most. While reading this article, I related to a lot of the points that he listed. William lists qualities that I value in myself and in others around me. As I read through the article, I also noticed that I am starting to see these qualities in me and that they are growing as I get older and as I complete a higher education.

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.

In 1852 when John Henry Newman wrote his essay, “The Idea of a University,” he wanted to convey that a University’s purpose was to be able to educate first-rate members of the social order. Newman’s theory, although over a hundred years old, still applies to today’s college students; many are seeking higher educations to not only lead to successful careers, but to also become an improved person in society.

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.

Politically, socially, environmentally or one person at a time, how will you give back to society? Day in and day out many citizens change the world, or they do just the opposite and make the world a worse place than when they woke up. The article I chose to review is, “Community Service” written by Robert Coles. The article tells a story of college students who make a difference in the world through peer tutoring, an act of community service, and have such an impact that they act as role models for Coles and he begins to do the same. Briefly in the beginning of the article, Coles states that, “students are likely to express their lofty political and social impulses and practical desires to change the world through community service, even if in limited or modest ways.”(Robert Coles, pg.93) We must make an ultimate decision about the world we live in, will we choose to make a difference in the lives of fellow citizens or discriminate and punish not only them but ourselves by not sharing the knowledge we have been taught.

live our lives in such a way that we leave a legacy that will impact future generations in a

Author Tara Isabella Burton writer of “Why Are American Colleges Obsessed With 'Leadership'” challenging the assumption that universities should seek out leadership qualities in students. “The implicit message behind the rhetoric of the leadership is that learning for learning’s sake is not enough” she says. Than questions the readers: “What’s the wrong with being a follower? Or a lone wolf?”

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people that are prepared for today.” These heartfelt words were spoken by the civil rights activist Malcolm X who believed that people should never stop learning. I’m very much like him in that way. I believe that everybody should have the right to a fair education. I certainly enjoy learning at my current school, Julia R. Masterman. Masterman has taught me many things that I never thought I would learn. In this essay I will discuss how my education, so far, has impacted my life through improving social skills, rigorous academics and has increased my sense of independence.

I used to believe that we could be anything that we wanted to be, as long as we wanted it enough; that was around age 13. I still believe that we can be anything we want to be, with a few changes to that belief: it has to fit in to the status quo, be accepted by those around you, and provide you with enough money to live in what society perceives as a comfortable and successful lifestyle. Although a lot has changed since American political activist Mario Savio wrote the article “An End to History” in 1964, a great deal of change is required before students can become part of the system without having to disregard their creativity and passion.

Finally, Noddings poses the question, “Does the study of traditional liberal arts best prepare students for full and satisfying lives?” (Noddings, Aims, Goals and Objectives, 2007). She concludes by reiterating the need for aims-talk and stating “The fundamental premise of democratic life is the belief that all competent citizens can participate in political decision-making” (Noddings, Aims, Goals and Objectives, 2007).

John Dewey, another educational philosopher believed “Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” (Inc.) He felt that learning took place only when students had internalized what they had gained through experience and practiced it in their own lives. In a progressive classroom, the teacher designs experiences for students with the idea that through experience, students build knowledge and skills. A society of individuals conforming to studying flashcards may be good, but a society of literate individuals consciously aware of why and how the facts on the flashcards and in mass media can solve new problems is better.