Read Deborah Meier’s passage below and think about what it means to be “well-educated”?

If we agree that what we want are citizens with a lively curiosity—who ask, "how come?" and "why?" and "is it truly so?" — we’ll have the start of a new definition of ‘well-educated.’ How about being closely observant, prepared to keep one’s eyes and ears open for patterns, for details, for the unusual? Schooling should encourage playfulness — the capacity to imagine, to wonder, to put things together in new and interesting ways — as well as the possession of a skeptical and open mind. To be in the habit of imagining how others think, feel, and see the world — in the habit of stepping into the shoes of others — should surely be one of our new basics. (How else, after all, can we follow the Golden Rule?) And of course we need to be respectful of evidence, to distinguish good data from bad, to hesitate before sounding off without any facts. I’d add knowing how to communicate carefully, persuasively, and powerfully in a variety of media — including the skilled use of written and spoken language. My definition would also put a high premium on caring enough about the world and one’s fellow citizens to take a stand and defend it.

Deborah Meier. The power of Their Ideas: Lessons for America from a Small School in Harlem. Boston: Beacon Press, 1995.

As students, what types of skills, knowledge, and understandings do you need to be “well-educated?”

As students, we must be able to communicate effectively, process new information into knowledge we can utilize, be aware of people around us, and connect to different cultures. We also need to be aware of how the world works to be able to survive and accomplish our goals. It is important that we are able to stay close to our community as well.