In Class/OutClassed

I found this paper particularly difficult to write. The reason for my difficulties was my trouble determining what education is. Everyone has access to some sort of education whether it be education on street politics or Shakespeare. When writing my paper I decided to focus only on academic education because this is the education that is less available for the majority of people. My claim stated that there are two main ways to receive this kind of education. The first is by having the financial stability to afford academic education or second, by having some sort of mentor to guide you there. I used Rodriguez and Luttrell’s pieces to support my claim. Though, there are other factors to whether or not you have access to academic education, such as where you live, the base of it all is money and whether there is someone you trust who values academic education.

“However,  I strongly believe that the access that counts is access to formal education – education that makes waves. This occurs in the classroom and attaches a respectable title to your name and function, in addition to a higher pay check. It can make the difference between your wearing a blue or white collar. It takes you places, making you relevant beyond your immediate community. With it you don’t plead, you negotiate. It empowers you to play the game of life more successfully. Yes, to survive in today’s society an individual needs the platform of formal education to discover, harness and achieve his or her full potential. There is only so much that common sense or experience gained from daily life can do for you. To be a beauty queen, you must answer the questions you are asked intelligently, without stumbling over words or groping for them. If you cannot read, analyze data, and express yourself clearly and persuasively, you will be used, abused and recycled.  Common sense is never enough.”

When I started trying my essay my claim was going to be how wealth is the only thing that gives people an access of educated. Eventually throughout my writing I realized this was not my claim, my claim was that no matter the wealth, how people react to education is how they learn. Such as resources are important and you get resources through money but without enthusiatic teachers an education cannot be learned. It shocked my how much I related to my own claim because my teachers weren't very good but my school had all the resources they needed.

As I reflected this week about the relationship between access and education, I thought a lot about the balance that needs to be maintained between academics and life. Access to education is achieved by not only being smart but by also having the resources needed to maintain schooling. Poor and rich people get different educations, but not everyone gets the same education. Your access to education is not the only thing that makes education, it is your approach to it. If you don't appreciate it- all the access in the world won't do anything. I am definitely lucky to have access to education and reflecting on the fact that I've gotten both experiential and academic learning, I feel blessed!

As I reflected this week about the relationship between access and education, I thought a lot about the balance that needs to be maintained between academics and life. Access to education is achieved by not only being smart but by also having the resources needed to maintain schooling. Poor and rich people get different educations, but not everyone gets the same education. Your access to education is not the only thing that makes education, it is your approach to it. If you don't appreciate it- all the access in the world won't do anything. I am definitely lucky to have access to education and reflecting on the fact that I've gotten both experiential and academic learning, I feel blessed!

As I reflected this week about the relationship between access and education, I thought a lot about the balance that needs to be maintained between academics and life. Access to education is achieved by not only being smart but by also having the resources needed to maintain schooling. Poor and rich people get different educations, but not everyone gets the same education. Your access to education is not the only thing that makes education, it is your approach to it. If you don't appreciate it- all the access in the world won't do anything. I am definitely lucky to have access to education and reflecting on the fact that I've gotten both experiential and academic learning, I feel blessed!

As I reflected this week about the relationship between access and education, I thought a lot about the balance that needs to be maintained between academics and life. Access to education is achieved by not only being smart but by also having the resources needed to maintain schooling. Poor and rich people get different educations, but not everyone gets the same education. Your access to education is not the only thing that makes education, it is your approach to it. If you don't appreciate it- all the access in the world won't do anything. I am definitely lucky to have access to education and reflecting on the fact that I've gotten both experiential and academic learning, I feel blessed!

After leaving class today, I thought about Edmunson's assertion that not only do his students treat their education like a consumer product, but that they also lack a certain sense of self-hatred needed to really grow as a student.  In our discussion this afternoon, we touched a little bit on what that meant, but I was left thinking about some of the factors that may lead to Edmunson's students feelng the need to be constrained, unexctied and always looking for the fastest track to the next thing.  One of the things I was struck with today was how much pressure is put on students to alays be doing just that.  What I mean by this is that many of the student who spoke today about their educational histories spoke about the kinds of pressures that have been placed on them for their entire lives.  It seems like there is a constant push to be the best, so you cen get to the next level, so you can be the best there, so you can move and continue to compete.  In this kind of system, you're not only the consumer, but you're also the product.  It seems to me that, for 12 years, students are taught how to best market themselves in 3 pages or less and how to look impressively well rounded by the numbers.  To then expect them to view college as anything more than another link in that ongoing chain seems a bit unfair.