Being Well-Educated
Abstract
Being well-educated is a product of both the school and the individual. Simply going to a quality institution and obtaining an education does not translate into being well-educated. On the other hand, being able to perform a specific task very well but lacking in some very basic academic fundamentals does not mean a person is well-educated either. Alfie Kohn examines what it means to be well-educated and I will respond to some of his thoughts on the topic.
What exactly is being well-educated?
Being educated can mean many different things to a variety of different individuals. Does it mean possessing a PhD or some other proof of higher education? Or can you assume that someone who performs well at the local bar on “trivia night” is well-educated? In my experience, being well-educated is a combination of several different things. Most importantly, it is a commitment from an institution to be willing to educate others and a commitment from individuals to be open to education both from an institution and elsewhere. I feel like a well-educated person cannot be identified by simply the level of degree they hold or the amount of correct answers they give to a quiz. In the article “What Does It Mean to Be Well-Educated”, Alfie Kohn lists different criteria that can be used to identify a well-educated individual and some measures that should not be used.
School vs. Intelligence
As mentioned earlier, I feel that the measure of a well-educated person encompasses more than just an education or just an expertise in a certain subject area. There are many people who have gone through their required class schedule and graduated from an institution that are unable to complete elementary level tasks. There are also many individuals who have not been educated by an institution and are able to not only complete basic tasks but can complete higher level tasks quite well. The first individual had the opportunity and personal
Being well-educated is a product of both the school and the individual. Simply going to a quality institution and obtaining an education does not translate into being well-educated. On the other hand, being able to perform a specific task very well but lacking in some very basic academic fundamentals does not mean a person is well-educated either. Alfie Kohn examines what it means to be well-educated and I will respond to some of his thoughts on the topic.
What exactly is being well-educated?
Being educated can mean many different things to a variety of different individuals. Does it mean possessing a PhD or some other proof of higher education? Or can you assume that someone who performs well at the local bar on “trivia night” is well-educated? In my experience, being well-educated is a combination of several different things. Most importantly, it is a commitment from an institution to be willing to educate others and a commitment from individuals to be open to education both from an institution and elsewhere. I feel like a well-educated person cannot be identified by simply the level of degree they hold or the amount of correct answers they give to a quiz. In the article “What Does It Mean to Be Well-Educated”, Alfie Kohn lists different criteria that can be used to identify a well-educated individual and some measures that should not be used.
School vs. Intelligence
As mentioned earlier, I feel that the measure of a well-educated person encompasses more than just an education or just an expertise in a certain subject area. There are many people who have gone through their required class schedule and graduated from an institution that are unable to complete elementary level tasks. There are also many individuals who have not been educated by an institution and are able to not only complete basic tasks but can complete higher level tasks quite well. The first individual had the opportunity and personal