Main Aspects of Education: An Argument for Experience, Curiosity, and Commitment

Education is one of the most difficult matters in human life, because it involves the society as a whole and the individual. People have many different ways of learning, and often these methods fall into what are called, traditional and nontraditional educations. Traditional education is to attend classes at school where there are teachers and pupils. Nontraditional education may involve traveling, hands-on experiences, or reading. However, these two types of education are based upon five components of education: experience, curiosity, mentoring, communication, and commitment.

No matter what we do or where we go, as long as we face new obstacles, we are learning. In Ryszard Kapuscinski's Travels with Herodotus, Kapuscinski immerses himself in several different foreign countries, constantly picking up cues on the culture and mannerisms of the different people in the regions. Kapuscinski is inspired by Herodotus, the world's first historian, who embarked on journeys that were "the means by which he hopes to learn about the world and its inhabitants, to gather the knowledge he will feel compelled" (Kapuscinski 79). Kapuscinski is an example of learning from experience. Another travel writer, Rolf Potts demonstrates experiential learning in his book, Marco Polo Didn't Go There: Stories and Revelations from One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer, by noting the significance of attending local festivals to help learn about the culture in a village. Experience is key to human education, no matter how traditional and nontraditional educations implement it. There are some things one cannot learn without experiencing them. Even Eric Liu, in his book, Guiding Lights: How to Mentor and Find Life's Purpose, commented, "The people I encounte...

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...ce, curiosity, and commitment , to gain the most out of education, whether it is traditional or nontraditional.

Works Cited

Iyer, Pico. "The Alien Home." The alien home - Salon.com. Salon Media Group Inc., 19 Feb. 2000. Web. 30 Nov. 2009. .

Kapuscinski, Ryszard. Travels with Herodotus. New York: Vintage, 2008. Print.

Liu, Eric. Guiding Lights: How to Mentor-and Find Life's Purpose. New York: Ballantine Books, 2006. Print.

Malcolm X. "A HOMEMADE EDUCATION." A HOMEMADE EDUCATION. BRUNSWICK SCHOOL INTRANET. Web. 03 Dec. 2009.

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Potts, Rolf. Marco Polo Didn't Go There: Stories and Revelations from One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer. Palo Alto, California: Travelers' Tales, 2008. Print.