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> Gina responded and said the following (taken from the whole response):
> Case in point -- I graduated from one of the top ten journalism colleges
> in the nation and
> that was less than nine years ago. Back then we banged away on
> an archaic Wang system. Remember Wang?
Yep, old Wang went by the wayside, a victim of rapid-pace technology.
> I must agree with an
> earlier writer who emphasized that what we get from an education must be
> more than how to use the current tools, for those will be outdated
> shortly after we leave school. What we should gain is an education in
> how to think (process not content), question, deduce, extrapolate and
> communicate. Oh gee, did I just describe a liberal arts education?!
I agree that an education has many added benefits in addition to
simply learning a trade. But they definitely need as much revamping
as other educational systems. Most of the positions I've had have
required a degree, and I was glad they did. I believe that qualification
provides our profession with a much higher standard.
And while, as Stuart pointed out, occasionally colleges are leading
edge, most instructors are isolated from is actually taking place in
the business community and therefore may not be presenting materials
pertinent to the trends occuring in the marketplace. That was, in
many ways, my own personal experience. A college degree was great --
but it was not enough to compete in the job market. It's a catch
22, and I have no pat answer. I'm rather stating the observations
I've witnessed coupled with personal history.
The wonderful thing about the ready access of information is that
knowledge and learning is no longer limited one medium (eg, an
educational institution). This gives the learning process much more
flexibility and allows us all, in combination with a broad base of
knowledge and experience, to develop skills adaptable to specialized
markets. For those who desire to return college, is there for them.
For those not wanting or able to, thankfully, there are other avenues.
