I think that societies have always recognized that there is a basic body of knowledge that is essential for one to have in order to be a productive member of that society. This idea is now a basic right of everyone instead of a privilege of the elite, which makes it much more complex and controversial in terms of what knowledge to include.
I see the word "schooling" as meaning the actual subjects that are studied and learned, while "education" is a much broader concept that includes all real world experience, too. Some of the most "educated" people I know don 't have a lot of formal classroom time in their past: they have just become wise about life along the way.
Many people in my family have advanced scientific degrees, but seem to stay in a very narrow corner of their academic world. They are very good at passing on their knowledge to their students, but aren't too savvy about what I think of at the business of real life.
So is one way of being educated better than the other? I think you have to play the hand you are dealt in life and don't always get a choice in the method. I think people from opposite ends of the education spectrum (real life vs. academic) sometimes look down on the other, missing a chance to appreciate their strengths.
I don't think my own schooling has been the most useful part of my life, although a lot of it has been very interesting. Most of that was because I didn't have a big-picture goal developed in my mind and just sort of wandered around academically (i.e. three semesters of History of the Mongols! Great stuff but it's a lot of waiting for Genghis Khan to pop up in conversation so I can dazzle people with my knowledge.)
As for the purpose of teaching, I think that great teachers use the framework of schooling, the formal learning of the required subject, and squeeze in a big dose of "education" in and around the edges. The subject knowledge may or may not be used later on, but the education percolates in the students' minds.
At the risk of exposing how practical and philosophy-adverse I really am, I will say that if there's not a clearly identifiable bunch of specific knowledge offered in a class, I struggle to remain committed. I'd rather go kayaking.
I am going to have to ask you about Genghis Khan.
ReplyDeleteYou have an interesting take on how real life experience and academics are two types of education that should be respected and acknowledged. I agree the education can be broader that simple schooling and can included real life experience. Interactions with other people of society help educate people on social behavior. Learning about culture, other people's perspectives, and tolerance are just a few examples of how people are educated through real life experiences.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Mario! Tell me about the Khan, Genghis. Or, Ghengis Khan or whatever his non-anglicized name really is. I can hardly wait to hear.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I love your discussion of academics and what they are about, especially, the kayaking and the philosophy topics.
You write well and, for that alone, I enjoyed reading your post. I do agree that there is a difference between most academics and the rest of the workaday world. It is a delight when an academic can bridge the gap and synthesize physics and poetry, but it is rare.
There are some things that are much more interesting in person and I think that Ghengis Khan is one of them.
Lucky for me this isn't kayaking weather! I am interested in your comment about being a "productive member" of society. How do you define "productive" in this context? Would you say our society is pretty good as it is right now? If not, what would you say should change? Can this happen through teaching/schooling/education? If knowledge won't be used later on, should we bother teaching it? Should teachers teach other things besides content (like character, discipline, manners)?
ReplyDeletePS I had a band in high school called Genghis Kahn!