Defintion Of Education

The definition of education in common usage, that education is merely the delivery of knowledge, skills and information from teachers to students, is inadequate to capture what is really important about being and becoming educated.
The proper definition of education is the process of becoming an educated person.
Being an educated person means you have access to optimal states of mind regardless of the situation you are in.
You are able to perceive accurately, think clearly and act effectively to achieve self-selected goals and aspirations.
Education is a process of cognitive cartography, mapping your experiences and finding a variety of reliable routes to optimal states when you find yourself in non-optimal states.
The idea that the definition of education is the delivery of knowledge, skills and information from teachers to students is misguided.
While this definition of education is partly true it is grossly inadequate and is probably the fundamental source of the vast tragedy of “accountability” which treats arbitrarily inadequate results on irrelevant tests as proof that some school communities need to be punished.
The logic of “accountability” in this instance is taken to be a literal “accounting” of units of knowledge and information through highly orchestrated student performances of test taking skills.
This is that same kind of literalism that causes absurd behavior in religious communities, too. (At least, in education the fundamentalists are only fiscally killing their enemies and not literally.)
Two Problems With the Traditional Definition of Education as Delivery
There are two problems with this definition of education.
First, the definition of education using the delivery metaphor is too often taken to be literally true.
Knowledge, skills, and information, as we mean these terms in the field of education, are not literal units.
In computer science and telecommunications they deal with literal units of information in the form of electrical pulses that can be observed in a variety of ways.
In education we are dealing with entire realms and fields of both worldly phenomena and uniquely human narratives that have no literal, physical existence.
We use the term “unit” as a convenient way to organize our thoughts about a complex set of phenomena that is utterly incomprehensible without this metaphor.
What we know from the findings of cognitive and neuro-sciences is that even science and mathematics use metaphors to develop ideas about complex and otherwise incomprehensible phenomena.
If even our deepest scientific and mathematical understandings of the physical, literal world are based on metaphors, then it is neither surprising nor unusual to use metaphors in our defintion of education. (see Philosophy in the Flesh, Lakoff & Johnson, Basic Books 1999, and Lakoff & Nunez, Where Mathematics Comes From, Basic Books 2000)
But it is a problem to take a metaphor literally.
What we learn from this insight into how we understand the world is that our understandings of anything complex, especially something as vastly complex as education, are based on metaphors and the challenge is to figure out which of the metaphors are most useful for creating the right outcomes.
The second problem with this definition of education is that it is pathetically inadequate for describing what is most important about both the process of becoming, and the results of being, an educated person.
Whenever I have pushed people to really delve into what they mean when they talk about a person being educated they quickly abandon the notion that educated people have a greater quantity of information or that they have the traditional evidence of instructional bookkeeping like diplomas, degrees, certificates, etc.
Education is Free With This Definition
The wonderful irony of real education is that it is essentially free.
My definition of education is the mapping of access to optimal states of mind.
The result is an educated person, a person who is able to perceive accurately, think clearly, and act effectively on self-selected goals and aspirations.
The process of becoming educated requires a practice of persistent disillusionment, a consistent method for having an on-going dialog between the world and your mind to constantly revise your concepts of what is really going on.
There are three roles that we all play in our own and other people’s education, the learning agent, the learning catalyst, and the learning context.
Our moral responsibility as educators is to align the bio-, psycho-, communo-, socio- and eco-spheres as best we can to assist our students (and ourselves) with this on-going mapping project.
Everything about this process has been available to human kind as long as we have been human.
Only recently have we become aware that this is true.
There is not a single technology high or low that is necessary to accomplish this, but just about every technology both high and low can help us educate ourselves and everyone of our students, if we use them with the right attitude.

PRIVATE EDUCATION ( Nizwa University )

Nizwa University
Pre-establishment Phase: The work started on the Project of the University of Nizwa in response to the directive of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said which calls for a more active role of the private sector in contributing to higher education in Oman . This new sense of direction was stated in the Royal Decree 41/99 which permitted the establishment of private universities. A Higher Foundation Committee was established to oversee the development and implementation of the Project of the University of Nizwa . In complementing this, an Academic Foundation Committee was charged with the task of preparing the Project. Both committees enlisted membership spanning a wide range of expertise and specialties. The guiding philosophy for the establishment of the new University is that it must truly prepare students to contribute meaningfully to the economic, artistic and aesthetic growth of the country. Graduates, irrespective of their majors, will be capable lifelong learners with skills in numeracy, communications, critical thinking and problem solving. Graduates of the University will possess an appreciation of their culture, values on which it is founded and shared values of humanity in general. To create a University capable of fulfilling these objectives, several innovations were built into the University's organizational structure. Firstly, the Faculty will govern the University and will be charged with responsibilities and given the rights which are essential to a vibrant academic institution. Secondly, the University will foster research through the establishment of programs for research and graduate studies and interdisciplinary research centers. Finally, the emphasis throughout the entire University will be on the students, their abilities and welfare. The University will recognize the value of diversity and strive to utilize it in the development of its integrative programs. The University of Nizwa will have relationship with external academic and research institutions. This is essential in order to enhance the funding base for the University's research and other programs. To achieve this mission, the post of Vice-president for Graduate Studies and Research and External Relations has been instituted. A unique aspect of the University of Nizwa is the establishment of an Investment Fund which has the capacity to own and manage companies that provide services needed on campus and elsewhere. The Investment Fund is expected to enhance growth and sustainability of the University.
Establishment Phase: Upon the satisfaction of all requirements set forth by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Higher Education Council, the University of Nizwa was granted the legal status of established entity by a Ministerial decision No. 1/2004 issued by the Minister of Higher Education on 3/1/2004 . It has been created as an academic non-profit organization. The University of Nizwa has been granted a plot for the Main campus in Nizwa along the new high-way at Hail-Farq. A master plan of the main campus has finalized and work is accelerating to finalize detail plans of all buildings. On February,2004 the University of Nizwa received a generous order from His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said allowing the use of a Royal Boarding School by the University as an initial campus. This 250.000 m ¬ 2 site with around 10,000 m 2 of building that were totally renovated by the University will serve as the initial campus of the University until the new campus is created. On 27 July, 2004 another ministerial decision (No.60/2004) granted the U of N prevision to commence its teaching and other scholarly roles. Accordingly and as of 14 March,2004 all former committees were seized and the first Board of Trustees was established. All these efforts were realized best when the university received its first class of student on 16 th October 2004 , this class was composed of around 1200 students, 88% of them females. The University of Nizwa embarks to the vast horizons of contributions, growth innovations and everlasting developments.

The Development Of Education In Oman

With only three boys schools open in 1970, Oman now has over 1,000 government run schools, providing free education from grades one to twelve, for both boys and girls.

In 1998 and 2007, the "Basic" and "Post-basic" education structures were introduced respectively, which are similar to the UK's primary and secondary systems. Further reforms have seen the introduction of a broad national curriculum, new teaching strategies, educational resources and types of student assessment.

"Basic" education comprises two main parts: Cycle One (grades 1 to 4) and Cycle Two (grades 5 to 10).
"Post-basic" education comprises grades 11 and 12.
In Cycle One, boys and girls are educated together, while from grade 5 onwards they are educated separately.
There is a mandatory national curriculum for schools in Oman, however, teachers are encouraged to design their own activities and develop new teaching techniques and materials.
Continuous assessment techniques are used in assessing students' achievement.
Child-centred activities are promoted in Omani classrooms
English language is taught from Grade 1.

The Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman is committed to going global and tapping into the benefits of international school partnerships. There has never been a better time to form a partnership with an Omani school.

Education in Oman

Education in Oman is provided free of charge up to the end of secondary education, though attendance is not mandatory at any level. In 1970 there were only three formal schools with 900 students in the whole country. Oman's national educational program expanded rapidly during the 1970s and the 1980s. In 2006–2007 about 560,000 students attended 1053 public schools. The number of students in private schools is about 20,000. There are also extensive programmes to combat adult illiteracy. Sultan Qaboos University, the only national university near Muscat, was founded in 1986 and in 2006 it had 13,500 students. The 2006 Human Development Report found adult literacy rate to be 81.4% in adults (older than 15) up from 54.7% in 1990. For the same period youth (15-24) literacy rate increased from 85.6 to 97.3%. Public expenditure on education was reported to be 4.6% of GDP and 26.1% of total government spending

Education degrees

Graduate study implies the need for a minimum of formal courses and a maximum of independent work under wise supervision. Coursework, in itself, is an inappropriate determinant of graduate progress and achievement. The appropriate determinants are the ability of the qualified student to master the various qualifying and comprehensive examinations which a program requires of the student. That is, not an accumulation of courses, but satisfactory progress through stages of achievement is the mark of a successful graduate career. All work taken by a graduate student in the major area or area of concentration shall be at the graduate level (500 or above). The following Graduate Degrees and Credentials are offered in the School of Education: DEGREES

MASTER'S

A Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) is an advanced degree and requires a minimum of 30 credit hours; however, all program requirements must be met to graduate. An undergraduate degree is one of the requirements for admission.
SPECIALIST

A Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) is a graduate degree requiring a minimum of 30 hours beyond a master’s degree. The specialist degree is independent of a doctoral degree. Specialist programs do not lead to additional certification.
DOCTORATE

A Doctor of Philosophy(Ph.D.) is a research focused degree that requires 85 credits beyond a bachelor’s degree. Ph.D. programs within the School of Education are highly competitive. Typical candidates have superior academic backgrounds, outstanding recommendations and strong professional experience. A Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is a practitioner-focused degree that requires 84 credits beyond a bachelor’s (60 beyond the master’s). The Ed.D. program is guided by a practioner-scholar model that focuses on the application of knowledge and theory in education and the social sciences to improve educational practice. In contrast, Ph.D. programs generally follow a scientist-practitioner model.
CERTIFICATE

A certificate documents expertise in a particular area of knowledge. Certification requires 12 to 15 credit hours in relevant courses, and can be completed either during or after graduate study.
ENDORSEMENT

An endorsement is added to a Florida teacher’s certificate to denote a particular expertise in an instructional level or methodology. Endorsements are 12 to 15 credits and require a bachelor’s or higher degree with certification in specific academic areas. The School of Education offers endorsements in ESOL, Prekindergarten Disabilities, and Reading.
OPTION-GRAD

The Professional Training Option (PTO) is a Florida Department of Education approved pathway for non-education majors to complete the professional Education component, one of the requirements to become a certified teacher in the State of Florida.The Post Baccalaureate PTO consist of 18 credits and has been designed for those persons who hold a baccalaureate or higher degree in fields other than education and wish to enter the teaching profession.Upon completion of the program participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. UM transcripts will indicate that the student has completed a Florida State approved PTO program. Program completers will be eligible for a Temporary Teaching Certificate.

Education is the learning of knowledge, information and skills during the course of life. Teachers may draw on many subjects, including reading, writing, math, science and history. Teachers in specialized professions such as astrophysics, law, or zoology may teach only a certain subject, usually as professors at institutions of higher learning. There is much specialist instruction in fields for those who want specific skills, such as required to be a pilot, for example. Finally, there is an array of educational opportunity at the informal level- such as with museums, libraries and the Internet. Informal education also includes knowledge and skills learned during the course of life, including education that comes from experience.