What Does It Mean to Be Well Educated
Getting an A Doesn't Mean I am Well Educated
Abstract
Whether or not a person is well educated is not an easy question to answer. There are several things to consider when answering this question. Some people look to their grades, level of completion, or what school they attended. Others look at their ability to interact with others in society and consider issues such as philosophy, politics or religion. While these are all common criteria for measuring ones education, a person ought not to ever stop learning. The mark of a well educated person is their ability to apply what they know to learn the things they do not know.
When I was in high school I was regarded by my family and teachers as a bright student. My mom always bragged about my report card because I received mostly A's and a few B's. I graduated with a 3.86 GPA. I went on to attend Sacramento City College where I did not make it past the first semester. I was devastated to realize that what I had relied on in high school to excel did not work for me in college. I lacked the tools necessary to continue in my education. A person's education cannot be measured by the mark they receive in a given test or class, but rather by their ability to understand, solve, and apply the solution to the problems and challenges they are presented with in life. You have all either said or heard it said, “I will never use this in real life” when studying for a calculus exam or writing an essay on classical literature in high school. Well for the most part for me that was true. I don't remember very much from my high school English class or any of the formulas from my Calculus class. The real world has been very different than high school. I graduated from high school because of my ability to remember facts. I spent little to no time studying or completing homework. In fact, if I didn't finish my homework before the end of class I never completed it. You are probably thinking that I
Abstract
Whether or not a person is well educated is not an easy question to answer. There are several things to consider when answering this question. Some people look to their grades, level of completion, or what school they attended. Others look at their ability to interact with others in society and consider issues such as philosophy, politics or religion. While these are all common criteria for measuring ones education, a person ought not to ever stop learning. The mark of a well educated person is their ability to apply what they know to learn the things they do not know.
When I was in high school I was regarded by my family and teachers as a bright student. My mom always bragged about my report card because I received mostly A's and a few B's. I graduated with a 3.86 GPA. I went on to attend Sacramento City College where I did not make it past the first semester. I was devastated to realize that what I had relied on in high school to excel did not work for me in college. I lacked the tools necessary to continue in my education. A person's education cannot be measured by the mark they receive in a given test or class, but rather by their ability to understand, solve, and apply the solution to the problems and challenges they are presented with in life. You have all either said or heard it said, “I will never use this in real life” when studying for a calculus exam or writing an essay on classical literature in high school. Well for the most part for me that was true. I don't remember very much from my high school English class or any of the formulas from my Calculus class. The real world has been very different than high school. I graduated from high school because of my ability to remember facts. I spent little to no time studying or completing homework. In fact, if I didn't finish my homework before the end of class I never completed it. You are probably thinking that I
References: Kohn, A. (2000, September 27). Standardized Testing and Its Victims. Education Week. Kohn, A (2003, March). What Does It Mean to be Well-Educated?. Principal Leadership. Lewis, L., Farris, E., Greene, B. (1996). Remedial Education at Higher Education Institutions in Fall 1995. NCES 97-584. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.