Effective Education

Education is a word that comes from the Latin word “educare” meaning to bring up, to raise. Ultimately it comes from the Latin “educere” to lead out. ( ref: Thorndike Barnhart World Book Dictionary) I think that is a really nice concept of leading the adult or child out into new worlds or vistas of knowledge. However one then looks at what some forms of education have become and shudder.

It is a funny thing but before a person can learn anything he must want to learn it and this usually means he needs a purpose for learning it. Whether it be to get a certain job, to be a doctor for instance, or to be able to do something that the person has always wanted to do, you will always find where there is an intense desire to learn there is a purpose for doing so. For a child this often has to be named and not in the adult’s terms but the child’s.

Many years of teaching children and adults teaches one the above to be true. For a child it can be as simple as “ so Mom and Dad will be pleased” or “so I can be the best reader” or “ so I can be a famous motorbike rider when I grow up”. Getting the child to find a purpose for school and name it can be a little game that has as its end prize an increased desire to learn.

After that other factors enter in and I often feel too much emphasis is put on the child and adult as to their ability to learn, what are they capable of. In my experience many bad educators turn the blame to the child or adult as just not able to learn. A wonderful shift of responsibility.

How someone is being educated is of prime importance.

Here are some common methods of educating that really stop education from occurring:

Are they having facts shoved down their throat with horrendous threats if you don’t learn it?

Are they thus being prepared for an exam where they will regurgitate facts rather than have an understanding of the subject?

Are they in a huge class of 30 or more that makes any individual attention impossible?

Is the subject being presented in an interesting way for that age group?

Is the subject at the correct level for those students or is it way over their heads to comprehend?

As part of the one above, is the educator using terminology that can be understood by his students? Reversely is he talking down to his students, below their ability level?

Is the educator making sure his students duplicate what he says that they get “tree” not “bee” ? Before understanding comes duplication- seeing or hearing exactly what is read or said.

Is there a balance of theory and practical? Does the theory have some connection to the practical and can this be demonstrated?

Well here is some food for thought in the realm of education. An educator is a professional and he should do his job as a professional and not be above improvement and correction.