The Importance of Education- REAL education

"No...I mean something about what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we're not going to learn any defense from her at all," said Hermione.

"Well, what can we do about that?" said Ron, yawning. "'S too late, isnt' it? She got the job, she's here to stay, Fudge'll make sure of that."

"Well," said Hermione tentatively. "You know, I was thinking today...[...]...that maybe the time's come when we should just- just do it ourselves.

"Do what ourselves?" said Harry suspiciously. [...]

"Well- learn Defense Against the Dark Arts ourselves," said Hermione.

"Come off it," groaned Ron. "You want us to do extra work? D'you realize Harry and I are behind on homework again and it's only the second week?

"But this is much more important than homework!" said Hermione.

Harry and Ron goggled at her.

"I didn't think there was anything in the universe more important than homework," said Ron.

"Don't be silly, of course there is!" said Hermione [...]. "It's about preparing ourselves, like Harry said in Umbridge's first lesson, for what's waiting out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Pg 325

Yes, I'm using a Harry Potter book to make this point. The reason for this is that HP #5 is structured around the importance of being prepared- even if that means going against the system to do so.

As illustrated in the passage above, an evil and unprepared teacher has descended upon Hogwarts, and is making a right muddle of the school's most important subject. Without proper training, none of the students will be prepared to face the forces of evil descending on the world (which the government is currently refusing to believe).

So the students take matters into their own hands. They realize that it is not tests and papers and homework that is important- but rather what they are learning.

Why is this important? It's important because in this day and age, very few people truly care about what they're learning. They go to school because they *have* to. They get a four year college degree not because they really want to learn what's being taught, but because they want an " good education" and the degree that will get them a high paying job.

Well, first of all, if a degree is all that's important, why bother with a Liberal Arts college? Yes, in our system for some jobs that is the only way- which is slightly stupid.

What is the use of learning something if you don't really care?

And why don't you care? Shouldn't you?

First of all I should say that I'm not blaming young people for this attitude. Once the government made school mandatory, no one really had any choice about what they were going to learn. All they could do was learn what the government required. It didn't matter if the subjects or teachers were irrelevant- they had no choice but to get the best grades they possibly good. Because it was the grades that really mattered. Grades, apparently, are a test of how much you know.

But here's the thing that I think any person knows. Things stick in your mind if they are interesting to you. Sometimes you may not want to learn them, but they interest you, so they stick in your mind anyhow. And there are of course some interesting things that slip out anyhow. But if you want to remember something, for it's own sake and not because of a grade, it is much more likely that you will.

So what's the point of this?

The point is, everyone needs to come to a place in their life where they take a step back and look at their education. And it is especially important to do this before going off to college and spending thousands of dollars on a four-year-degree.

What I learned a year ago was "Don't go to college if you aren't going to take advantage of it." If you ever find yourself going through a class only for the grade, then stop and think. You're paying for this. Why is it important? Is the piece of paper that is called a degree really worth years and money to sit through classes that you forget?

Ultimately, I think the grade system, at any level, is somewhat stupid. I was forced through high school math by being told "You need it for College."

Well so what? What if I get to the point where I'm not in college anymore? Then what use were all the years I spent on math?

To sharpen my brain? To build discipline? Well couldn't I have learned something more useful than Algebra???

I'm saying all of this not to make you discontent with your school system, but to make you stop and think. Why am I here? What is the purpose?

And then to determine an answer.

If your school isn't teaching you what you think you should be learning- don't give up. There are plenty of books and videos and smart people around you who can help you learn what you think you need to know.

Take charge of your own education.

Whatnot and Wingnuts

Time to welcome another friend to the blogosphere! My friend Max has joined us with Whatnot and Wingnuts, a blog which is already surprising me by it's depth, even though I've known Max since he was born. :)

So, without further talk, click here if you want to see some interesting and intriguing ideas...including some C.S. Lewis stuff, which I know you all love.

Snapshots of Random Beauty: October '08

We are often too busy to stop and look at the world around us, and notice the beauty of the colors, shapes and patterns that form the changing seasons. I'm implementing a new feature on this blog to draw attention to this deficit....to be called, "Snapshots of Random Beauty"

Looking through the wire
A humble surface
Forgotten fruits
Still in bloom
Berries and Leaves
Two roads diverging in a yellow wood. ;)
Crimson set apart.
A Tree of Gold
Sunshine.
Dreamy afternoon

Wisps and mists
The details and the larger picture.
Shadows and colors
a break in the wall
A rainbow of colors

Pumpkins in the leaves
Autumn in the backyard
Purple still flowers
A Cat's eye view

The Road Not Taken, By Robert Frost

A year ago I was sitting in a variety of classrooms, learning a variety of subjects that were more or less interesting. But while I was learning these more or less interesting subjects, I was internally debating the wisdom of a four-year college degree. After all, my major was English Literature and Writing, and that wasn't going to immediatly land me a job when I graduated. At least, not the type of job I wanted.

The following poem, which we studied in American Lit that semester, in many, many ways describes what I was feeling then (and have felt since). It is written by my favorite of the modern poets, Robert Frost, who manages to be simple, beautiful, and understandable in an age when the face of poetry was fast changing.


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the differance. Who knows? Only God can truly see where our paths will take us. All we can do is take the one that he seems to be pointing too, and pray for guidence every time we come to a fork in the road.

One thing I should probably make clear- I haven't totally abandoned higher education. At some point I'm going to finish my degree so that I can someday homeschool my children. But at this point in my life it doesn't make sense to be sitting on a college campus, when I could be doing other things like, say, making "The Shadow of the Bear" into a film or nannying four amazing children.

Drawing of Lady Jane Grey

Based on the cover of the DVD for the movie "Lady Jane" starring Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes.

Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair is not a movie I would pick up off a shelf and just watch. It looks much too...suspicious...for that. But at the third recommendation of a very good friend of mine, I decided to give it a try. And I was pleasantly surprised.

The heroine of the movie is Rebecca "Becky" Sharp. She's a social climber, but not an unlikeable one. She's smart, witty, beautiful...and genuine. That was what made the movie more than just a soap opera or a tragedy...Becky is real. Her heart isn't made of stone, although she hardens as she matures. She's human though, and makes mistakes, but is forced to pay for them. And Reese Witherspoon does a fantastic job of portraying her.

The rest of the cast is fantastic as well. It is a rather large cast, though, so I'd only recommend this film to those who can follow complicated social plots and are prepared to think about things afterwards.

As I said to one of my friends, this is like Jane Austen on hormones. It is set against the backdrop of war and thus brings harsher realities than Austen's heroines deal with.

What I also enjoyed was that I couldn't predict everything. The romances are just as complicated as those in real life, with multiple triangles weaving in and out of the story. And the ending is somewhat unexpected, though not unsatisfying. Most importantly, it is realistic.

The main theme of the story is social position vs. true love. Not surprisingly it makes the strong point that our loved ones are far more important than social position. Perhaps that doesn't seem directly applicable to our lives today, and yet I think we can all understand how temperal things of the world can overshadow more important, eternal things such as faith, hope and love.

I'm pretty much just throwing out thoughts here...I don't have a concrete thesis that I'm writing this with, but I thought this movie was too interesting NOT to write something about. I think it's worth watching. However, it is rated PG-13 for good reason. It's definetely an adult movie, with the sensuality being about the same as Phantom of the Opera but the themes being more mature. Still, I will note that it wasn't as "adult contented" as I expected it to be, and if you're into period films with deeper themes, this one is a good one to watch.

DisneyWorld Adventure!

I apologize for the lengthly absance....but I hope I make up for it with this extensive photo post on my trip to Disneyworld!

The pictures are all somewhat out of order....first is the firework show at Epcot

Cinderella's Castle
Our shadows. (I went with my friend Meg, who often posts as Princess_At_Heart over at the FT Forums.)
A show at Magic Kingdom
The light parade at Magic Kingdom. (Is this Flora or Fauna?)
A London street at Epcot.
Italian pillar at Epcot
Roofs of Germany at Epcot
Florida moon.
A Bagpipe band! (At Epcot)
My Pretty dessert. ;)

Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse (which was closed for renovation. Rats.)
A Pirate Demonstration with Jack Sparrow.
Our Hotel.
The front building at the hotel.
Audrey Hepburn's handprints at Hollywood Studios.

Susan Pevensie's LWW dress at Hollywood Studios
Lucy and Edmund's costumes
Edmund's torch and chess piece
Caspian's costume!
The Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom

Cinderella's Castle at Night
Another look at Cinderella's Castle
The Mural under the castle.
An inspiring plaque at Hollywood studios.