What does it mean to be Educated?
What does it mean to be Educated? Have you ever had a conversation and walk away thinking…”Wow that person is so smart?” Now what about that conversation made you feel like that person was smart? Was it the spectacular vernacular they used? Because they bragged of their Ivy League education? Was it because they knew about about current events? The way they dressed? How they held their head high? Knew which red wine was the best? Is there one thing in particular that you can put your finger on? Probably not. But as a society we so value education, but how do we know it when we see it?
And we value it, but how much are we willing to pay for it? $60,000 per year for 4 years? Yes. Lots of people pay that much. Some because they can easily, but more likely, others cut corners and save away to pay for it? And is that worth it when you have Kahn Academy online for free? If there is something about the mortar and pestle of a building, what is it that happens there that can not online? What is it that teachers teach them? Is it the person to person contact? Interesting in such a digital age. Is it the variety of courses? The personalized tests? Is it the internship opportunities? And when you go to that internship, do you learn how to make a pot of coffee? Is that what it means to be educated out of high school? To be able to go to college or a job and know how to make coffee? Personally, I’m a tea drinker. I don’t know how to make a pot of coffee. Does that mean I’m uneducated? But I also can’t do the electrical work in a house or fix a car’s engine? But an electrician and mechanic are not always college grads. Would we consider them uneducated? I certainly don’t myself and wish society would not at large. But certainly we all know parents who hope their children grow up to be Doctors, Lawyers and Engineers. Why does no one aspire to be a car mechanic? How many of us drive to work? So this brings me to think that there are certainly many different types of smart and ways to be educated. There are skills needed in all trades. I think we put so much value in getting pieces of paper that say we are smart, and then we belittle people who don’t have those pieces of paper. I don’t think education comes from a pieces of paper. But the most valuable thing that we can do for any one is to teach them to be ok with not knowing everything, and what to do when they don’t know what to do. Let me finish with another question, is being educated the same thing as being smart?
