The Capacities of Education
In front of an audience of eager new students at the New School, Pablo Medina spoke about the national fervor in Cuba following the revolution in 1959. A turn of events would cast doubts on the future of Cuba, and soon, Cubans found themselves under the control of another dictator. Channels of the media were the first to be censored and I of course was not surprised. Education, knowledge, and even simple words hold great power. We are fueled by ideas, by messages, and it is why dictators control media sources to control the will of the people, amongst other forms of control. As Medina says, “education is the Achilles heal of dictatorship” and Castro quickly took control of the media to silence dissenting voices …show more content…
While Padilla would spend the rest of his life in exile, he should be admired for using his gift of poetry to express his beliefs. With education, as with wealth and fame, comes the responsibility of utilizing your newfound knowledge. Now, I do not believe you should always put yourself in danger if speaking up will threaten your life or those of your family, but I do believe expressing yourself is not simply about courage, but about recognizing your role in society and your potential to effect positive change. I believe that as society members, we must be aware of the accompanying responsibility to use the knowledge you have been given. How can one expect to receive the benefits of belonging to a society (i.e. safety, the chance to be heard) if they are not an active participant in society? I define being active in this way: by helping the needy, teaching, being a community organizer, choosing to speak up in challenging times, and so on. Medina declares “the value of freedom and civic responsibility “ are “inseparable” and I affirm that they both arise from …show more content…
A school settled in Union Square will not have the same feeling as a school settled in Washington Heights. I believe every school has a responsibility to interact with its surroundings and will inevitably be influenced by its energy, its history, and local residents. As Goldberger said, " we are here because everything we do connects to New York, and is informed by it". One cannot educate in isolation. Furthermore, he states "a liberal education is an education of engagement" and it comes with a responsibility and a call to use it as noted earlier. New York City is diverse and Goldberger believes that this location allows students to be exposed to ways of thinking from all over: "its very essence lies in a sense that they are multiple paths...there is no orthodoxy, no single mode of thinking". This way of thinking is imperative to keep in mind in thinking of the aims of education. We must prepare students to think out of the box, to understand that there are opposing views, that debate is essential, and that one can learn extensively from different frameworks. This is how we can address the quality of education in places where students are not benefiting from attending
In front of an audience of eager new students at the New School, Pablo Medina spoke about the national fervor in Cuba following the revolution in 1959. A turn of events would cast doubts on the future of Cuba, and soon, Cubans found themselves under the control of another dictator. Channels of the media were the first to be censored and I of course was not surprised. Education, knowledge, and even simple words hold great power. We are fueled by ideas, by messages, and it is why dictators control media sources to control the will of the people, amongst other forms of control. As Medina says, “education is the Achilles heal of dictatorship” and Castro quickly took control of the media to silence dissenting voices …show more content…
While Padilla would spend the rest of his life in exile, he should be admired for using his gift of poetry to express his beliefs. With education, as with wealth and fame, comes the responsibility of utilizing your newfound knowledge. Now, I do not believe you should always put yourself in danger if speaking up will threaten your life or those of your family, but I do believe expressing yourself is not simply about courage, but about recognizing your role in society and your potential to effect positive change. I believe that as society members, we must be aware of the accompanying responsibility to use the knowledge you have been given. How can one expect to receive the benefits of belonging to a society (i.e. safety, the chance to be heard) if they are not an active participant in society? I define being active in this way: by helping the needy, teaching, being a community organizer, choosing to speak up in challenging times, and so on. Medina declares “the value of freedom and civic responsibility “ are “inseparable” and I affirm that they both arise from …show more content…
A school settled in Union Square will not have the same feeling as a school settled in Washington Heights. I believe every school has a responsibility to interact with its surroundings and will inevitably be influenced by its energy, its history, and local residents. As Goldberger said, " we are here because everything we do connects to New York, and is informed by it". One cannot educate in isolation. Furthermore, he states "a liberal education is an education of engagement" and it comes with a responsibility and a call to use it as noted earlier. New York City is diverse and Goldberger believes that this location allows students to be exposed to ways of thinking from all over: "its very essence lies in a sense that they are multiple paths...there is no orthodoxy, no single mode of thinking". This way of thinking is imperative to keep in mind in thinking of the aims of education. We must prepare students to think out of the box, to understand that there are opposing views, that debate is essential, and that one can learn extensively from different frameworks. This is how we can address the quality of education in places where students are not benefiting from attending