The Lights Are On, Is Anybody Home? Education in America

“Education,” like healthcare, is a massive institutional enterprise in the U.S. and across the world. However, in the same way that “healthcare” is often confused with “wellness” or healing, education or schooling is often confused with “learning.”

That reality is not just a semantic quibble. It matters because we collectively build infrastructure, invest huge resources, create policy, and deliver “schooling” to millions and millions of people in the U.S. alone, from early childhood to university graduate programs, without fully understanding the distinction between the two.

Ironically, for most of human history, essentially all learning occurred in settings outside of what we would call a classroom. It is only in the relatively recent past (several centuries) that what we think of as education has existed at all. And, it is only in the last half a century or so that education (or schooling), in any form, has been widely available across society.

At WallacekPond.com, we explore both education and learning. Our education blog posts, links to articles and resources, and free materials are designed to inform and to stimulate thinking. For those individuals and organizations who are interested in taking a deeper look at challenges and solutions related to education and learning, Dr. Pond offers high impact consulting services.

So, take some time to explore and let us know what you think.