Well, it has been a while. I just finished another project and musing time is available again.

What does what mean? Ok-Ok Thinking about education and narrowing it down from global proportions to local proportions, I thought of that old expression, "getting an education" or some say "receiving an education". Back to that in a moment.

We "educate" ourselves all our lives. It seems that the learning doesn't really stop. The "formal" education may come to an end, but the daily informal education goes on and on. Many job descriptions say, under qualifications; university degree, certificate, or equivalent experience. Quite often, the life experience learning will out-shine what is learned by getting a degree. Oh, a degree is good to have. Do try and get scholarships to pay for it though. The degree, and other qualifications, look very good on a business card. I am reminded of a social worker I met many years ago. He had many qualifications listed on his business card; his bachelors, masters, doctorate and so on. At the end of the list was one more which was indicated by, "PaL". Hardly ever did anyone actually ask what it meant. It was an inside joke for him and it meant, "Psychotic at Large". This little story illustrates the point that many people think that the more qualifications the better, but don't take yourself too seriously. Probably no one else does. Many people think qualifications equal respect. But really, respect is earned - unless you're the boss perhaps.

Let's go back to "getting an education". Remember another expression, " I'll learn ya!"? Well then, perhaps we are not giving our kids an education, we are giving them a learning. They are receiving a learning. To me it makes sense but perhaps it doesn't make sense to others.

Something to think about though. If we give it too much thought, we might just change the way we teach a bit. After all, we are there to give our kids a learning, so that they "get a learning". Now, since all kids do not learn the same way or at the same time/speed, or using the same style, we can check their "learning" and, knowing they are "learning", we can adjust our teaching in order to "learn" them better. Heh Heh. Sounds a bit like a hillbilly, but perhaps in their direct way, they had the right idea.

Ok, do you remember how we "learned" many years ago? We learned by reading, listening and seeing. Reading, interpretation and demonstration/reinforcement. I'll leave this with you, is it still that way?

Good learning...

Cheers - Mike