The Role of Education — Broadening the Mind or Working Life?

By Tiffanie Hutchings. Tiffanie, 29, attends Southern New Hampshire University as an online student and is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. She lives in Delaware, USA. Please read her article and leave your thoughts and comments below.

Education comes in many forms, reflecting (but not limited to) instruction, practice and training. Through culture, society and history, education is the observation of life; changing over generations and learning through value and purpose. Education can go beyond working life, yet when broadening the mind through working life and education, one can explore further opportunities.

The role of education should rely on both working life and broadening the mind in order to prepare students to seek more than the basics of education (such as math, reading, and writing). Every human is different and unique: learning, believing, and living differently. There are many people in the world who have been limited when it comes to education. They grow up to know nothing other than working life within their own society and culture, while others are forced into education, starting school around age 5 and ending around the age of 18. Due to the fact that education has many forms, working life can be considered as one form of education outside of a school setting. In order to provide and survive, many people around the world rely heavily on working life whilst learning, expanding, and teaching those around them as they broaden their minds through values such as teamwork, communication, respect, and creativity. During the Great Depression and the Great Recession in the United States, many families and individuals were halted at the thought of education because food, shelter and money were scarce, and in order to provide for themselves and their families, people sought out work. (ushistory.org, 2017) Society and culture during these times helped to build character, strength and hope as many people had to rely on each other. Throughout different countries and societies during the 1800’s, many children did not attend school, and many teachers were untrained. (myplace.edu) Education for females was not much of a concern as it was for males and females were “looked down upon for wanting to attend school”. Also, the role of females was to learn through a home environment, training to be a homemaker. (evolution of women’s’ citizenship.weebley.com) Through such historical downfalls, students can explore the similarities and differences of other generations, comparing the values and principles by learning how to survive and experience the education of working life in the world they live.

The role of education for students within a school setting has changed over generations just as working life has. The role of education should express the values of broadening the mind for students through school learning and for the future of working life. Technology has evolved, creating a new generation of students who take advantage of what other generations never had, and this seems to have created a wall between teaching and learning. As technology has peeked over time, advancing in many areas of working life and school related education, it too has its limits as many students have been given an opportunity, yet halted by technology. By expanding beyond technology, students can broaden their minds to help in preparation for working life, to see beneath the surface of what the 21st century has come to – a valueless lifestyle of gadgets. In the words of Albert Einstein: “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots”. (Harry, Mount, 2015) The thought of technology does not discriminate the advancement of online schooling, or home schooling, yet both types of education lack specific tools of communication that students need to enhance, and expand their minds through a social setting and verbal communication. Students are very much involved with technology as it has become a regular routine to learn, while actual teaching and learning from a human is limited whether it be online or through a school setting. Students lack the experience of learning through other human beings as they come face to face with a computer teacher, which then does not broaden the mind beyond basic math, reading, and writing skills, rather it holds back the expansion of communicating, working as a team, and being creative, which are all tools that are essential in the world of working life.

Education is life, and life is work, which both play a major part of survival for the future of students. The role of education should rely on both working life and broadening the mind as students can explore their own values, beliefs and dreams for their future, rather than focusing on one main element of education. Education goes beyond a school setting and in order to contribute to society, a community, a job place setting and a family setting, students will go beyond what past generations were unable to experience, building an advanced future from both working life and education for all sexes and all races.

 

References:

Mount, Harry. (2015) Was Albert Einstein, right? Physicist once said he feared that technology would surpass human interaction. Daily Mail.com. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2929268/Was-Einstein-right-Physicist-said-feared-technology-surpass-human-interaction-photos-time-not-far-off.html

US history.org (2017) The Great Depression. US History Online Textbook. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/us/48.asp

My Place for Teachers. (2017) Education in the 1850’s. Retrieved from http://www.myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1850/decade_landing_15_1.html?tabRank=3&subTabRank=2

12 comments on “The Role of Education — Broadening the Mind or Working Life?

  1. James on

    What a thought-provoking essay! The discussion of the intersection between work-based learning and formal education was excellent on multiple levels. Also, the insight on technology as an impediment instead of an aid to learning really made me think in a new and different way.

    Reply
  2. Mel on

    Great correlation between working life and education and the importance of basic skills such as reading, writing, mathematics and most importantly the ability to communicate with others.

    Reply
  3. Melanie on

    Hear! Hear! The younger generation, as well as society in general, is becoming plugged in and tuned out. The ramifications are already apparent on so many levels. Teachers are following a mandated curriculum …change is needed! Parents need to be accountable – home is where core values and skills should be taught and exemplified. Great Job!

    Reply
  4. Ben on

    What an interesting perspective on the american education system. The evolution of training and education from unformal to formal is not without it’s tribulations but through ones own determination there is a lot then can be learned without the need of just a traditional route. Great job keep up the good work.

    Reply
  5. Shellie Hutchings on

    How refreshing to see the younger generation still appreciating Respect, manners, knowledge of what it means to come together as a community/family. I am SO proud of you, and how you’ve applied your own experiences, and teachings of growing up. So, HATS OFF TO YOU BABY! You’ve come a long way!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

    Reply
  6. Stephanie on

    Very valid points in today’s high tech – low personal face to face interaction world. It is too easy to label everything as this or that and not realize that we all learn each day from the everyday interaction and experiences we have from each other as well as formal education and technology. Great Job Tiff. Keep on reaching for the stars and beyond.

    Reply
  7. Chip Phillips on

    Hey sunshine I’m very impressed! Such an inciteful essay. The schooling is paying off. You touched on some issues that more people need to recognize are going on in society today. Too many people are distracted with a myriad of things that dont really matter and dont focus on real issues. And education in America can partially be blamed for this. They are’nt given the proper tools too even know how to interact with human beings face to face anymore and many would now rather text than talk in person. I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to read your novel! Get it published soon will ya?!?! Lol

    Reply
  8. Jim on

    Nice read, I like how you touched on the fact that technology has changed how we learn now, compared to the ways of the past that let use interact with one another verse communication through a computer screen isolated from the rest of the world unable to hear, see and feel the real experience. Nice Job!

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