Wednesday 5 June 2013

The Real Purpose of Education

Growing up in North America and in most westernized cultures, we have been indoctrinated with the concept, "In order to get a good job, you need a good education." Indeed with the world shrinking, the global community is now latching on to this principle. Today we're going to talk about the real purpose of education - YOUR purpose of education... is it to merely to survive or do you want to thrive?
There's no question that in this age of information and communication, a minimum standard of education is an absolute requisite just to exist. Those of us who are able to read these words simply cannot imagine what it must be like to be illiterate and try to function in this world. Yet for many reasons, an unsettlingly large part of the world's population remains uneducated. The primary purpose of education then would seem to help us get by.
Are We Serving This Purpose of Education?
Thankfully, many - if not most - nations around the world have laws that make education freely available to everyone. With three basic styles readily accessible - formal, non-formal and informal learning - there is a method of education to suit just about anyone. All that's left to do is for an individual to decide his or her own purpose of education and what amount is necessary to survive and/or thrive.
Let's take a brief look at the three systems of schooling and see how they are currently serving an individual's purpose of education.
How The Formal System Serves The Purpose of Education
The formal system is perhaps the most familiar, not to mention the most accepted form of education among the industrialized nations. It's the system responsible for 'getting a good education in order to get a good job' rationale. While there are no guarantees for anyone to live 'happily ever after', there's no question that those who successfully survive formal education have a definite advantage in today's world.
Survive is the key word here. For those with a purpose of education of getting a piece of paper, formal education can be a very long process... impossibly long! In my own experience, approximately 2,000 students enrolled at my college back in 1971. Four years later, only 40 of us graduated with a Bachelor Degree.
Today, I am moving away from the main discipline that decorates my diploma. At least I had 30+ years to apply and earn a living from what I learned. Not everyone is so lucky. Stories abound of over-qualified degree holders, flipping hamburgers and parking cars because there is no work for them in their field.
So does the formal system serve the purpose of education? If we're talking basic survival, then it's definitely 'Yes'! Is it worth all the years of boring 'mandatory' courses to chase a degree that might not even be worth the paper it's printed on? Talk about a leading question!:)
The Non-Formal System and the Purpose of Education
The non-formal system is similar to the formal in that both have a common goal of obtaining a piece of paper - either a diploma or certificate - that supposedly eases entry into the working world. The advantage of the non-formal system is that it offers individuals a little more flexibility in terms of location and scheduling.
Students may enroll in part-time or full-time courses taking place during the day or on evenings and weekends, giving the ability to work around current jobs and/or childcare and other responsibilities. Alternative distance learning and self-study programs are also available for those who require the utmost versatility.
As mentioned, stringent requirements of attendance, assignments, tests and a list of co-requisites still exist in order to pass each course. Individuals must carefully consider all factors to determine if this systems satisfies the purpose of education, and ultimately if it is worth it in the long run.
Informal System Is Best for the Purpose of Education
Yes, I'm biased and I know that many will disagree with me. That's the whole point of initiating and stimulating this discussion!
I was trained in the formal system for 16 years and taught a formal system of education for over 30 years. That's why I can say that the INFORMAL system is for me, by far, the best to suit most people's purpose of education. The informal system is like a giant buffet. You get to choose the exact courses that will serve your immediate needs. You assimilate the material and apply it as you like.
Rinse.
Repeat.
There are no certificates or diplomas to chase. Nothing to prove to anyone other than the results you show from having studied something you are passionate about. No taking unnecessary courses that have absolutely no meaning or interest to you. (For example, as a music education major in college, I was required to take courses such as biology and political science. What a waste of my time, especially with the latter subject!)
Mind you, would I want to be operated on by a doctor who studied only informally? Of course NOT! The point of this article is to question the purpose of education - does it help us to survive and thrive in 2009 and beyond? Put another way, do we all need to strive to become doctors in order to survive and thrive?
For the vast majority of us, the answer is a resounding, "NO"! Yet, what is the advice the vast majority of us receive? "In order to get a good job..." with the implication that the only way to do this is through formal education.
Enough already.
In my music studio, I've had students who obtained their advanced performance 'certificate'. Yet they can't play a note for you today. I have other students who didn't care about the paper chase. They just wanted to play for the love of it! And oh, how they can play!
Who would you pay to listen to... the 'paper' boy, or the musician?
I rest my case.

Paper Writing Service - Affordable Custom Content That Makes You Look Good


A paper writing service can help save time when trying to meet various deadlines. Students who grasp the basic concept of a class but don't have the time to write a research report or essay can use a copywriting service to get the job done efficiently. Essay service companies stay up to date with formats and popular topics.
While essays are commonly provided by writing service companies, other papers include:
  • Term papers
  • Research papers
  • Case studies
  • Book reports
  • Speeches
  • Dissertations
  • Theses
  • Bibliographies
  • Articles

Paper Writing Service Basics
Online services utilize a questionnaire that asks pertinent questions about the paper needed. Buyers can relay the type of paper, topic, the number of pages and words, the timeframe, and the citations needed. The paper writing service will assign the paper to a professional writer who writes the paper within the given parameters.
In some cases, a buyer can pay extra to select a specific writer or choose a writer with higher credentials. There may also be an option to upload files, such as specific resource materials, through the questionnaire form. The writer will upload the file, and it will be sent to the email address on file for the buyer.
Students utilizing a copywriting service need to be aware of a few things before hiring a service. Any service with extremely low rates may be outsourcing the work to people with poor writing skills who write for pennies a paper. The writing service should also have a guarantee that all work is original and unique from other content.
Why Use a Writing Service?
Having a paper written for you can help save time and improve academic performance. It can also help poor writers from being penalized for their writing skills, even if they understand the class materials. Students using this service can trust that the paper will reflect highly on their grasp of concepts and help them achieve academic success.

Sample College Essays - Get Yours To Stand Out!

Getting accepted to college is long process that begins early in high school. But now you've come to that part of your college application and you are looking for sample college essays to see if yours measures up. Does that sound about right?
So many students across the country get great grades and test scores in high school, but when it comes to the essay portion of their application, they are STUMPED! But it's ok. This happens all the time due to the fact that your college essay is a very important part of the application. In fact, it has the potential to "make or break" your admission chances.
We are going to make this as simple as possible for you. We've gone ahead and broken down a few sample college essays already and are about to tell you what the main points are that you should cover. This article will cover a few of the basics of how to write a college essay or personal statement. Let's begin!
1. Start off by telling them about yourself!
Let's start by breaking down your essay into 3 parts, the first being about you. Here, you should tell the college where you come from, what siblings you may have and what your home life and family is made up of. This should not take long! Make sure you keep it around 4-7 sentences, that's it!
The key here is to be brief, but still giving the college representative a good mental picture of you and the people you surround yourself with. Again, just one paragraph for this!
2. Tell them about what you plan to major in and why!
The middle portion of your college personal statement or essay should go into a little more depth about what you plan on majoring in. After doing so, elaborate as to WHY you chose that major. Colleges want to hear some "real life" stories or experiences that you had that helped you come to that choice of major.
If you've taken a class, or just have a really good story about something or someone that prompted you to pursue Engineering (as an example) as a career, tell them that! Help the college to understand why you are so passionate about that specific major.
3. Stoke that school's ego!
That's right! A little flattery can go a long way in those good, sample college essays! The first thing you want to do in order to accomplish that is to visit the college's website. Next, look around a bit and pick out a fact or two about that school that they are PROUD OF. It shouldn't be hard to find something like recent campus additions or improvements. Another good aspect to pick out is to find something about the school that is "nationally recognized" like a program or certain area of study.
By point this out, you are doing two things: First, you're telling the school that they are so great! They love that. And second and more importantly, you are telling the school that you've researched them and aren't just applying because you like the school's football team. College representative want to see students who have put time into their college selection search.
But we are going to take the flattery a step further! One often overlooked thing you can do to greatly help your admission chances is to TELL that school that if you were offered admission, you would DEFINITELY accept and begin attending in the fall. One thing school's like more than flattery is a sure thing, so make your intentions clear!

Essays on Outsourcing - What People Are Writing About Outsourcing

Outsourcing is a hot business topic and many essays on outsourcing have been written already. Some are critiques of this business strategy and points out the supposedly negative effects of the trend. The negative essays on outsourcing points out that it is "robbing" jobs from Western counties and transferring them to developing nations in the East.
These writings are actually telling the truth. Since outsourcing became prevalent, it is estimated that more than 4 million jobs have been moved from developed Western nations to developing ones in the East. The problem with these essays is that they do not provide the complete picture which will be discussed later on in this article.
Some of the negative things about outsourcing go as far as to say that the trend is to be blamed, either in small or big parts, to the economic crisis that is being felt by the United States and other major economies all over the world. It may be true that there are significantly less jobs in the U.S. and Europe nowadays because of outsourcing, it is neither right nor logical to blame it for the economic ills of the different nations. What people writing negative essays on outsourcing fail to realize is that outsourcing is actually helping business in the U.S, and other Western countries become competitive and grow despite the recession. It is estimated that companies that outsource were able to save as much as 70% of operations cost.
Companies are not the only ones that benefit from this tremendous savings. When companies save they are most likely to pass their savings to consumers in terms of lower prices of goods and services. When prices of goods and services are down, consumers are more likely to spend money when consumer spend money, the economy becomes healthy. This is the reason why many economist actually believe that outsourcing is good for the economy and why the trend should continue for years to come.
Now let us discuss the positive essays on outsourcing. If you will be able to read and hear what business owners are saying about outsourcing - how it has enabled them to save thousands of dollars, how it has streamlined their operations and how it has improved their organization's efficiency, then you will be convinced that outsourcing is indeed a blessing to businesses and the economy.
Companies that benefit much from outsourcing some or majority of all their business functions believe that the practice will be here to stay and will nit be just a passing trend as some people would like to believe. There are experts who believe that it is riskier for business individuals to avoid joining the outsourcing bandwagon than it is to participate in it. Organizations that resulted the trend found themselves behind their competitors and spending almost double than companies wise enough to recognize the winning strategy.
If you are a business owner then you will benefit greatly from reading essays on outsourcing especially the positive ones that will inspire you to take action.
Outsourcing is a hot business topic and many essays on outsourcing have been written already. Some are critiques of this business strategy and points out the supposedly negative effects of the trend. The negative essays on outsourcing points out that it is "robbing" jobs from Western counties and transferring them to developing nations in the East.
These writings are actually telling the truth. Since outsourcing became prevalent, it is estimated that more than 4 million jobs have been moved from developed Western nations to developing ones in the East. The problem with these essays is that they do not provide the complete picture which will be discussed later on in this article.
Some of the negative things about outsourcing go as far as to say that the trend is to be blamed, either in small or big parts, to the economic crisis that is being felt by the United States and other major economies all over the world. It may be true that there are significantly less jobs in the U.S. and Europe nowadays because of outsourcing, it is neither right nor logical to blame it for the economic ills of the different nations. What people writing negative essays on outsourcing fail to realize is that outsourcing is actually helping business in the U.S, and other Western countries become competitive and grow despite the recession. It is estimated that companies that outsource were able to save as much as 70% of operations cost.
Companies are not the only ones that benefit from this tremendous savings. When companies save they are most likely to pass their savings to consumers in terms of lower prices of goods and services. When prices of goods and services are down, consumers are more likely to spend money when consumer spend money, the economy becomes healthy. This is the reason why many economist actually believe that outsourcing is good for the economy and why the trend should continue for years to come.
Now let us discuss the positive essays on outsourcing. If you will be able to read and hear what business owners are saying about outsourcing - how it has enabled them to save thousands of dollars, how it has streamlined their operations and how it has improved their organization's efficiency, then you will be convinced that outsourcing is indeed a blessing to businesses and the economy.
Companies that benefit much from outsourcing some or majority of all their business functions believe that the practice will be here to stay and will nit be just a passing trend as some people would like to believe. There are experts who believe that it is riskier for business individuals to avoid joining the outsourcing bandwagon than it is to participate in it. Organizations that resulted the trend found themselves behind their competitors and spending almost double than companies wise enough to recognize the winning strategy.
If you are a business owner then you will benefit greatly from reading essays on outsourcing especially the positive ones that will inspire you to take action.