...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 professionals? (2003, par. 7) Although...
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...governments are shifting resources to grow globally - which means they are recruiting just about everywhere. Education is still one of the best investments I can make in myself - as I aspire making my mark on the world. therefore, I have used college as a ticket to a better future, not only in terms of money, but also in terms of a higher quality of life. That could mean job security, greater social mobility,...
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...What Does It Mean To Be Well-Educated? Greg Bonner Abstract To be well-educated mean more than the quality of the schools and colleges I attend. My education began with the sovereignty of God, the Creator. At birth my training and education began with my parents and care-givers. Throughout my life I was taught by those whom God had predestined for me as stewards, mentors and teachers. God created me in His image in every way. Divine wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are gifts inclusive of His image. I was and am increased in His knowledge through the nurturing and discipline of the Holy Spirit, our parents, teachers, and professors. To be well-educated expands further than the class rooms and curriculum of studies. My God given knowledge is released in “precept upon precept, and line upon line” in all that I do personally, academically, and otherwise (Isaiah 28:9-10 ESV). The best schools do not merit one to be well-educated. To be well-educated is forever learning, never ceasing to learn the knowledge of God in one’s self and others. What Does It Mean To Be Well-Educated? Reading Alfie Kohn’s article, “What Does it Mean to Be Well-Educated?” compelled me to answer the question. His article caused me to reflect and assess my own meaning of one being well-educated. My initial thought was that of academic and scholastic achievement. Being well-educated entails greater experiences than academic success. Life lessons, discipline, and...
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...I Write by George Orwell both talk about what it means to read and write. For Fredrick Douglass, reading and writing means knowledge or the ability to understand what is happing in the real world. In Learning to Read and Write Douglass writes, “This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge.” Using a metaphor Douglass compares the value of bread to knowledge, which helps the reader understand how important it was for him to learn how to read. Since he is saying that the “bread of knowledge” he was receiving was more valuable than the bread he gave to the kids. In addition, for Douglass to read and write also...
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...My pawpaw Steve never went to college or made it out of middle school, but he is the smartest man I know. He always tells me that I could save more money and not go to college, because I can go to a technical school for the job I want. He talks about college with me a lot, he does not recommend me to go to college, but he wants me to do what makes me happy. I feel like sometimes college is not where I want to go; my grandpa tells me it is better to have a higher education to get a better job, than to be working at a fast food restaurant my whole life. He always reassures me that I can do absolutely anything I set my mind to do. Although my parents/grandparents were not successful, college is worth the cost because people can get a higher education and better jobs. College is worth the cost because people get financial aid, have more education, and we can do our dream job....
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...college and utilize more idealistic means in choosing where they will go to college. Idealistic means such as where their parents went, what the campus is like or whether its academics cater to a specific lifestyle or career choice. Others, like me, must base their decision on where they attend based on more realistic means. So what makes Western Governors a more realistic choice for people like me? In order to give you a better idea of why I decided on WGU as my choice for higher education let me begin with what brought me to decide that college was important for me at all. I had barely finished High School, had moved out from my parents and lived from place to place at an early age. I had no idea what my ambitions were or what I wanted to do with my life. Instead of deciding what I wanted to do with my life I just went from day to day until life seemed to decide for me. I worked my way up through food service jobs gaining experience and credentials over the years. I even got to a point of comfort or perhaps it was better defined as a point of complacence. I had started a family and had a job that afforded the bills and the occasional luxury. What my education and current career did not afford was security and self fulfillment. Not only was I not happy working food service anymore but I was suddenly laid off and unemployed during the current economic downturn. Management jobs that once came easy but with limitations now passed me over completely. With such a pool...
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...informants view about education, how they perceive it. My experience as a researcher was a picture of interest and anxiety in their faces as they gave me their individual understanding about education (formal of nonformal). They expressed that women in other rural communities like Yelequelleh are making progress through the provision of education by their churches (e.g. the Lutheran Church in Gbono-ta), where women are trained to make soap, bake bread, etc, while Night School is provided for those wanting to sit in class. Yet for them in Yelequelleh they still see a community facing extreme poverty, high rate of women illiteracy and the dependence of women on their male counterparts for survivor. I posted this question; what does education mean for you? In answering...
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...characteristic person. What is personal responsibility means to me? This mean to me is that you take responsibility of your acting or your life. Mean that you take care of yourself, meaning treat yourself with respect or manager your emotions. You have to understanding what around you and you have to accept consequences of your actions or what you doing in life. That included of taking care of your family as well as your education too. You have to think before you do it. I learned that it took me about 15 years to that is to think before you do it in life. Well to me it like personal responsibility is taking care of your own; take care of your family and what around you. You have to take responsibility of your life and some of the actions you that doing. To add to personal responsibility that also includes is to be on time for your classes, you have to study and be respected to your teacher. Well college success, it like you want to pursue your education. You want to do something different in life. You want to make a change, or want a better job or a better life than the old life. To be success in college is you have to be responsible. Without responsibility in life you won't succeed at all. Well for my preliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in my education is to set a goal for me to do and to complete my responsibility what I got to do. I want to succeed in my life and show my kids that I can do it and finish my education in life. I need to...
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...My philosophy of education is a far cry from the ideas my parents or teachers have been trying to convey into my wide open conscientiousness throughout my short but - in spite of what my parents or some teachers think - quite apprehensive and sensitive life. It is really annoying to hear all the time the same phrases regarding education as something one has to do, is expected to do or, in some cases, is forced to do...this way or the the other, it has always sounded to me more as my parents or my teachers philosophy of education and not mine. How many times have we heard such things as: if don't study you are going to be nobody or look at him, he didn't go to school and now he is just a small potato...to tell you the truth, nothing has disouraged me more then such " glorification of education ". Does it mean if I don't get well educated my value as a human being will decrease? I wonder who sets the standards? Does anyone remember what Margaret Mead once said: " Children must be taught how to think, not what to think ". As far as I can remember, the whole idea of education for me was surrounded with such words as: term papers, achievements, motivation, activities, tests, grade point average, best effort, etc, etc...my God and there was this little, poor student trying to lie, cheat, pretend or whatever alse it takes to get by all those educational " key words " - what a chalenge. I guess anyone who can get through all of these without any serious mental damages may consider...
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...Mississippi there was not much to do. The sound of going to college and earning a college degree meant a great deal to me. I use responsible as my motivation so I could achieve my goals I had set. I knew that holding me responsible for my actions would affect my attitude on life to succeed in anything. Personal responsibility helps me with academic success by helping me to be responsible for everything that I do that will affect my life as well as my education. Time management is an important personal responsibility to me concerning earning my education. According to Cemaloglu and Filiz (2010 season) “Planning the use of time must be considered a basic skill of the individual who wants to be efficient in every phase and activity of life. Thus, students should determine their purpose and methods and plan their time for the short-, mid-, and long term. Research has shown that some students plan their studies but cannot implement the plans worry about what to do when this happen (Can, 2000)” (p.6). I learned growing up that everything that a person do, such as going to school has to do with time. According to Ellis (2011), when you manage your time your life does not happen by chance. (p. 74). In school the daily schedule, class hours, or any project assignments must be done in a timely fashion. As a result of having to manage time in the military, have taught me to schedule things I need to do away from the military. An example like for this class I learn to set of daily time frame...
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...Why stop at high school. Have you ever thought about expanding your horizons and getting a college education? Well I thought about it and I feel as though obtaining a college education is important. And it’s important to me because my opportunities are not limited. As well as the many options I have to help me achieve such a great accomplishment. The Value of a College Education Graduation comes and goes for those leaving high school and entering the real world. ... Over the years I have seen the value of an education go up every day. Every day the value of an education goes up. Unlike most purchases, a college education appreciates in value instead of depreciating. It is obvious that higher education is important in a variety of ways. It teaches you to be more intellectual and to push yourself when no one else is there. Most importantly it teaches you to become an individual who doesn't have to rely on their parents for everything. Higher education isn't mandatory if you are planning to live a happy and successful life, it simply prepares you for the workplace and allows you to learn from your mistakes before you are out in the real world. It is becoming harder every day to lead a successful working life without a college degree. This is the main reason why obtaining one is in high importance for me. Accorgin to the united states bureau of labor statistics individuals that attended a university and obtained a least a four year bachelor degree make more money on average than...
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... | Did you ever stop and think that everything you are or ever ill be is completely up to you? Just imagine. You are where you are because of who you are, and everything that exists in your life exists because of you, because of your behavior, words and actions. You have the freedom of choice and because you have chosen each and every outcome of your life, you are completely responsible for all of your happiness and sadness, your successes and failures, your present and future. That thought is one of the biggest and most important ideas that can ever occur to you. The acceptance of person responsibility is what separates the adult from the child; it’s the great leap forward into maturity. Responsibility is the hallmark of the fully integrated, fully functioning human being. “Responsibility expresses the capability to feel and be responsible, not only ex-post (i.e., once freedom has been exercised), but also ex-ante, by the capacity to exercise self-constraint on a voluntary basis in order to satisfy one's obligations towards others. Within his or her structure of capabilities, the person has to manage the twofold interacting sets of freedoms and responsibilities during the decision-making process. When we consider the person's agency, introducing responsibility...
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...hard as to what my philosophy on life is. And that philosophy is “Never Be Satisfied.” Coming from a family of nothing but athletes, this phrase is used in my household a lot; almost every day, actually. It is something that I live by in athletics and in life as well. However, growing up I never fully understood what “never be satisfied,” meant. My Philosophy: The moment I started high school was when I truly began to think about what never being satisfied meant. I already knew how the phrase fit into my life athletically, but athletics was not my entire life. It took me a few years, but I finally realized what “never be satisfied” really meant. To never be satisfied means to never stop growing as a person. Never stop growing emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Different experiences have affected me positively and negatively, but they have also made me grow as a person. Mentally and emotionally, I have been tested and pushed past my breaking point, but it was an experience that I would never trade for any other. The knowledge I have acquired throughout the years has helped my outlook on the people that surround me and everything that I have been through has molded me into the human being that I am today. Yet, I am still not satisfied. I am not done learning and I am not done improving myself. Education Philosophy: Education in the US was a hot topic in many of my English classes and was heavily criticized by my peers and myself. I think high school education focuses more...
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...was able to ask him many questions about how he chose this path and what steps are needed to realize this dream. I admit it is a little difficult to envision such a path at my age but it seems with a lot of hard work and education, I can see myself coaching basketball. I already love the sport and hope to make it a central focus of my future. While I already knew there is not a lot of money in high school coaching, I also feel this position is more about a calling than a salary. Interview Questions: 1. How long have you been a high school basketball coach? 2. What type of education do you need to become a high school basketball coach? 3. How many years of coaching before you become head coach? 4. What has been the most impressionable experience of your coaching career? 5. Do you think your coaching makes a difference? 6. How would you define the job satisfaction of coaching? 7. How do you feel about having to teach history in the classroom and also coach the team after school and in spare time? Why can’t it be a separate job position? 8. Do you stay in touch with students you have coached? 9. What was the most difficult situation you encountered as a coach? 10. Do you need to continue your education to stay a coach? I think what I learned the most about being a head high school basketball coach is that it is far from the glamorous NBA or other basketball teams. To be a basketball coach means a lot of sacrifice and time management because essentially you are working...
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...What Education Means to Me My educational experience to date has been challenging. While I attended school, I did not have much encouragement or discipline to do well. Education was not your first priority in my home. With my family moving frequently it was hard for me to keep up with my educational level. I dropped out of high school during my sophomore year due to pregnancy. Although I was forced to grow up quickly and didn't have the freedom that most people my age do, I did manage to finish high school through an online program. This is my second semester of college. I had to take some developmental courses because I did not have as much knowledge as an average high school student. My developmental courses will ensure that I am ready for college level courses but at the same time will take a while to finish so this delays my degree. Finishing my high school diploma online was very beneficial for me. I was able to do it from home while caring for my newborn baby. Doing my college classes online is also very helpful due to the fact that I can do it anywhere at any time. This is very convenient because I am a stay at home mom and I can work around my daughter's schedule without worrying about finding someone to watch her while I'm in class. With all the distractions at school such as friends, clubs, and etc., online schooling is the better route for me at this point in my life. It enhances my learning, to be alone, focused, and self-disciplined. I now have a...
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