Turn The Paige | True Education Is…

… what, exactly? “Education” is a hot topic these days, what with an increased reliance on standardized tests, the growing popularity of charter schools, and the rise of data-centric pedagogy. We talk about “student-centered education,” “technology-infused education,” and—my personal favorite—“21st-century education.” But what exactly do we mean by “education” itself? What do our students seek in becoming “educated”? What do we seek in attempting to “educate” them?

It’s an inherently philosophical question, of course, but one that we must ask ourselves and each other if we are serious about this monumental, lifelong task of teaching and learning.

Yes! Magazine challenges the traditional definition of education with this list of qualities for “really educated” people. (Education, it seems, is not simply about achievement, but then, you probably knew that already, didn’t you?) Some say that true learning is knowing when to learn things wrong. Steve Jobs and other famous innovators have argued that true education is about finding—and then chasing after—your passions.

Still others might say that true education means a re-education of sorts—as in this lifelong learner’s grand do-over of her schooling years.

Education, obviously, is about learning important facts and figures. But facts and figures are only part of the equation. The other part, it seems, is a bit magical, even a bit mysterious. It is what makes genuine learning, and teaching, so challenging at times—and so joyful at other times. What is the meaning of “true education” for you and your students?

-Paige

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