Essay 2 Prompt Education
What Does it Mean to Be Educated?
For this essay, you will explore the question, what does it mean to be educated and/or what is the purpose of education? Choose two class readings and compare their perspectives on what it means to be educated. Using ideas presented in the two class texts, create a thesis driven essay with your own unique perspective which argues what it means to be educated (OR what you believe the purpose of education should be).
Requirements
- Minimum word count = 1200 (this does not count Works Cited page)
- Avoid using 2nd person “you”.
- Avoid using first person “I” in this essay, except in circumstances where you share a personal experience to back up a claim. Keep in mind, though, this is not an autobiography of your personal educational experience.
- While additional outside sources (besides at least two class texts) are not required, you are welcome to bring in outside sources to back up claims. Be sure to properly cite any outside sources.
- Plagiarism of any kind or use of AI to write this paper will not be tolerated and will result in a 0. If in doubt about proper citation, seek help.
Readings
- Thursday, 1/30 “Hidden Intellectualism” Gerald Graff
- Thursday, 1/30 RSA Animate: “Changing Education Paradigms” Sir Ken Robinson
- Tuesday, 2/4 "Sanctuary of School" Lynda Barry
- Tuesday, 2/4 “Learning to Read” Frederick Douglass
- Tuesday, 2/4 “Purpose of Education” Martin Luther King Jr.
- Thursday, 2/6 from Educated Tara Westover
- Thursday, 2/6 "This is Water” David Wallace Foster
- Thursday ? “Elon Musk’s Incredible Speech on the Educational System” Elon Musk
- Tuesday 2/11 “Blue Collar Brilliance” Mike Rose
- Tuesday 2/11 “Cheating or Learning? Walking the AI Tightrope in Education” Erik Winero
- Tuesday ? “The Future of Education is Not What it Used to Be” Jack Delosa
General Structure of the Essay
Introduction
- Hook
- Introduce the question and make some generalizations about education
- Introduce the two articles you will be comparing/contrasting
- Thesis
Body Paragraphs 1
- Introduce article 1 and discuss key points about what it means to be educated from that author’s perspective.
Body Paragraph 2
- Introduce article 2 and discuss key points about what it means to be educated from that author’s perspective.
Body Paragraph 3, 4, 5, +
- Discuss how these authors are similar and/or different and incorporate your own perspective about what it means to be educated.
- Be sure to make about 2-4 clear claims to support your thesis & answer the question about what it means to be educated.
Conclusion
- Tie ideas together
- Don’t forget to mention two texts
- Suggested ideas for educational reform based on your thesis
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