Prompt 3: Why are we here?

This week I want you to think about why you are here...why are you taking this class at this institution? In other words, why are you pursuing a college degree? But along with that think about why others (as in society, the government, etc.) want you to have a higher degree and why are there universal (general education) requirements (such as Writing I) to earn that degree?

Obviously you are here to be educated, but what does it mean to be educated? Check out this short video about what some kids think it means to be educated: http://vimeo.com/33896868 What does it mean for us as a country for you to be educated? The 2012 State of the Union Address specifically mentions education in terms of job training and the economy, but why else is it important to be educated? What is the value of education?

• Why College Is Still Relevant in the Age of Free Information
• What’s a College Major Worth?
• General education classes produce well-rounded students
• The Purposes of Higher Education
• What does college teach you
• Liberal arts as workforce development

If everyone thinks education is so important then why are there so many problems with our current education system? What are some of those problems? Here are two that concern me. What concerns you?

• A disconnect between what we know about how we learn and the way we are taught as well as what we need to learn and what we are taught:

Read about education's outdated model

• Education is not fostering creativity and critical thinking but is instead focused on standards and tests:

Read more about the Creativity Crisis

As someone who believes the ability to communicate effectively is essential this commentary on the way we teach writing really strikes home.

How should education look? 

Is this class simply (just?) about writing? Should it be? Or should it be about something more -- such as how to manage (find, sift, process, share) information?