Educational Metaphor

Education means something different to everyone. It is one of those things where words often don't truly express your views. This is a case where a metaphor-a picture, for example-can explain views and thoughts. I connected my metaphor for the Luther Education Department's five-part conceptual framework with one of my favorite pastimes: being outdoors.

Firstly, Luther's strong belief in the liberal arts is represented in my picture in the fact that being in the wild requires much more knowledge than how to set up a tent. It requires knowledge of terrain, water systems, weather patterns, animal behavior, and plant characteristics, just to name a few.

The Education Department's second goal is to develop "knowledge, abilities, and dispositions necessary for quality teaching and learning." This relates to being outdoors because not only do you need to know, be able to do, and possess expedient qualities, but you must be able to adapt and learn as you go. If you are static in everything and never learn, then new knowledge, abilities, and dispositions can never be acquired.

The third goal of Luther's Education Department is to have its students demonstrate skills that show they will be a competent teacher and will be competent in their vocational choices. When one goes camping, he or she needs to know how their skills relate to what they are doing-it is no good going into the wild full aware that what you know will not get you through the situations you will face.

Fourthly, the Education Department desires to provide students with experiences with "diverse populations," which will ultimately provide teachers with experiences that reflect the modern classroom. This is represented in my metaphor by all the different ecosystems. If it is good to know how to be in one environment, knowing how to be in any that may be encountered is invaluable.

The last goal of the Education Department is to develop "ethical, reflictive and critical thinking" All people who are taught about the outdoors are told the Leave No Trace principles of outdoor ethics. Thus, the individual who is hiking has certain ethical knowledge on how to treat nature in order to preserve its pristine beauty.