My Philosophy on Education

A couple years ago I was asked by my daughter, who was working on a teaching degree, “Why is education important?”

Some of the ideas I shared with her I have shared with some of my classes. I feel it is important enough to share them here.

Everyone wants a good job, security, a good life.

Training and Education are the means to all of that, something you have all probably heard many times.

A lot of my students choose to take GRC course because of interest in entering the Creative Industry, And while many of them seek training, it is really the education that leads to an increased creativity, which is what makes them marketable in this industry.

First, Education helps people develop the ability to think and the ability to learn.

When tragedy happens—you lose your job--your education is what saves you.
The more you know and the more you know how to do, the better off you are in staying employed, being successful with people.

Training is another matter. A lot of people get trained to do a job. Jobs change and the training changes.

Those educated are more likely to learn and adjust to the changes. Those who have jobs that don't require thinking don't get paid much. Those who physically work very little, but think a lot get paid a lot.
The future will be the kindest to those who are able to think, plan, communicate.

I heard recently that the commodity of the future is Creativity. Those who are creative will be those who are successful. I teach my students about creativity.

What is my definition of creativity?

Without intending to mingle religion with the secular, let me make a point that there are some religionists and people who do believe in God, believe that He created everything out of nothing. The evolutionists and scientists, who seek to establish the origin of all things, refer to the Big Bang—where everything gathered together and then exploded.

I ask: “Where did the stuff come from?” And I answer, “It has always existed.”

And here is my point, my definition: Creation is not bringing into existence from nothing, rather it is the organizing of what already exists into something that previously did not exist.

When you are educated, you are better equipped to think; you are better able to organize existing ideas into new ones. You can be creative in that you can solve problems, think of new solutions, invent new things.

Training teaches you how to task, to do specific tasks. In the context of graphics, "What button do I push?" “Which menu has that selection?”

Education teaches you to think, solve problems, create solutions, advance ideas.
"If the button doesn't work, what could I do as a work around, to make it work?" Intelligence is part of the solution. Everyone, no matter their intelligence level, can learn. Education helps one to think better than they were able to do before.

General Education requirements include either a math or a foreign language component? Why one or the other? How are those two related. They both get you to think in the same way. Learning math or language has obvious benefits if you are going to do math or speak the language in your career. Yet. despite that, learning to think in the way that math and language demand, is something that advances your entire thinking process, which is something required in any career.

Education always teaches stuff considered a standard in the world among successful people: speaking intelligently. using good grammar; being conversant on timely subjects.

The tragedy of today's education system is that it is not teaching student to want to read.
Video and other media have made it too easy.

A friend of mine who teaches air conditioning to future tradesmen said that when he asks his students, "How many of you read on a daily basis, maybe one raises his hand." How are they going to learn more if they don't read?

What is sad is that I don't read unless it is for learning. I don't read for entertainment. For me, learning is entertainment. Joyful. Not learning is frustrating. Not knowing what I feel I need to know is depressing.