Classical Image of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classical Image of Education - Essay Example Though it defies description and is not easily defined, we know it when we see it as our imagination offers us a clue to its possibilities. Our classical image of education and its definition falls short of the true meaning when it is applied to a lifetime of learning. Typically, an education has been thought of as a specified period of time in which certain subjects are learned to a pre-determined level. Education is sometimes mistaken for the Bachelor's or Master's degree that indicates we have attended school, but it is not an education. Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world". The spark that ignites our imagination is education. The subjects taught in pursuit of these goals give us information and provides us with a key to further learning, but this is not education. Learning to appreciate art, perform logical operations, or the history of rock and roll are interesting to know, but they do not qualify as education. All of these activities and endeavors are simply the tools required to begin to mine an education. Yet, listing all the tools and components involved in making an education would be of no more relevance than calling a list of ingredients a cake. The traditional view of 120 credits, electives, and compulsory courses fails to completely define education. Education is the creation of a task, concept, or belief that we find useful in our life and defines us as a human being. The formal learning that was required to obtain a degree becomes useful as we enter the workplace and begin to assimilate with the culture of our livelihood. Here we learn what is expected of us, what is needed to make progress on a task, and how to complete a workplace function. Logic and art may help us temper the new environment and give us a sense of deeper understanding of the world around us, but the education takes place when we learn to undertake a project and develop the confidence that gives us our self-identity. Information needs to be put to use and contribute to our sense of self-worth to be considered education. In essence, we define education by how education defines us and the way that we define ourselves. Education is part and parcel of the human spirit that drives us to imagine, create, inspire, innovate, and invent. We may have an intricate knowledge of calculus, but in its dormant state it adds nothing to our education. Education is an action word that demands that we act and react to the facts and information we gained from attending school. When we encounter a new situation that requires us to solve a problem we create a solution from the tools we gained from our classroom experience. The innovative experience that we create out of our limited knowledge is the true meaning of education. It is not simply the information or the knowledge that defines us. Education is the inspiration we receive when we put our knowledge into action. When we integrate several fields of knowledge, while we stretch to invent a new process or concept, we can then say that the experience was 'a real education'.