Educated person
An educated person is defined as someone who has received quality education and developed various cognitive abilities, including critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving. Education, particularly in structured settings, emphasizes not just rote memorization but the ability to engage with complex ideas through projects and inquiries. Influential thinkers, such as Alfie Kohn and Sabrina Stevens, highlight that a good education fosters skills like analysis, creativity, and adaptability, while also promoting emotional intelligence and a sense of community responsibility. Furthermore, being educated extends beyond academic achievements and test scores; it encompasses the ability to think independently, communicate effectively, and appreciate diverse cultural contributions from history, literature, and the arts. In modern society, the definition of an educated person has evolved to include technological literacy, global awareness, and a commitment to lifelong learning, reflecting the changing demands of the world. Overall, the characteristics of an educated individual are increasingly recognized as integral to contributing positively to a democratic society and navigating the complexities of contemporary life.
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Educated person
An educated person is an individual who has received a good education and possesses certain abilities, such as the ability to think and reason. Educated people attend structured schools that teach students to develop their intellect and identify and solve problems without guidance. These schools emphasize critical thinking rather than the memorization of facts or the learning of job-related skills. Many qualified people and institutions have defined what it means to be educated, including Alfie Kohn, Sabrina Stevens, Steve Denning, Harvard University, George Wythe University, and Princeton University.
Overview
An educated person, first and foremost, has gone to good schools. Author and lecturer Alfie Kohn claims that a good education is derived from schooling that is structured around projects, problems, and questions rather than skills, facts, and disciplines. Furthermore, he proposes that a good education allows an individual to acquire knowledge purposefully and in context.
According to writer, activist, and former teacher Sabrina Stevens, a good education involves the development of skills such as analysis, problem-solving, criticism, creativity, and curiosity. She also argues that a good education provides an individual with the ability to adapt to life. Additionally, Stevens claims a good education allows an individual to be creative. She also believes that a good education gives an individual the ability to love themselves, others, and the environment. Similarly, she feels that a good education allows an individual to strike a balance between their needs and those of others and the environment.
Kohn claims that the term educated is not defined solely by good test scores, the memorization of facts, the acquisition of job skills, and the amount of time spent in classrooms. Instead, he argues that educated means that an individual has developed their intellect, including language, analytical, and mathematical skills. Kohn also defines the term as having the ability to create and maintain a democratic society. Furthermore, he believes that educated means that an individual is competent, loving, and caring.
Author and consultant Steve Denning argues that educated means that an individual has the ability to think, reason, evaluate facts, listen, and imagine effectively. He also defines the term as having the ability to speak and write in a persuasive fashion. Additionally, Denning claims that educated means that an individual is reasonably familiar with the history, literature, art, music, theater, and dance of past civilizations.
Harvard University developed a list of abilities that an educated person possesses. Among these are the ability to identify problems without guidance, the ability to tackle problems heuristically, the ability to work in groups without guidance, and the ability to work alone. Princeton University and George Wythe University each developed similar lists. In the twenty-first century, the skills associated with being educated have shifted. Technological literacy, global awareness, a respect for diversity, an emphasis on communication and collaboration, and the trend towards lifelong learning have become skills many feel individuals should possess to be educated.
Bibliography
Anderson, Jill. "Defining the Educated Person." Harvard Graduate School of Education, 26 Apr. 2012, www.gse.harvard.edu/news/12/04/defining-educated-person. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Denning, Steve. "What Does It Mean to Be Educated?" Forbes, 10 Dec. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/07/31/what-does-it-mean-to-be-educated/#564d09441026. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Kaufman, Josh. "What Must an Educated Person Know?" Josh Kaufman, 19 Aug. 2019, joshkaufman.net/what-must-an-educated-person-know. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Kaufman, Margo. "Who's Educated? Who Knows?" The New York Times, 1 Nov. 1992, www.nytimes.com/1992/11/01/education/who-s-educated-who-knows.html. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Kohn, Alfie. "What Does It Mean to Be Well-Educated?" Alfie Kohn, Sept. 2015, www.alfiekohn.org/article/mean-well-educated-article. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Stevens, Sabrina. "What Does It Mean to Be Well-Educated?" HuffPost, 25 May 2011, www.huffingtonpost.com/sabrina-stevens-shupe/what-does-it-mean-to-be-w‗1‗b‗781240.html. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Tucker, Marc. "What Does It Mean to Be an Educated Person Today?" Education Week, 8 Oct. 2015, blogs.edweek.org/edweek/top‗performers/2015/10/what‗does‗it‗mean‗to‗be‗an‗educated‗person‗today.html. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
“What Does it Mean to Be 'Educated' in the 21st Century?” Times 10 Publications, 29 July 2022, www.10publications.com/blog/what-does-it-mean-to-be-educated-in-the-21st-century. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.