When I first started to write this post I thought that it would be short enough to read quickly. But I soon realized that the subject demands more in-depth consideration to be of value so I am writing it in two parts. As always, comments are most welcomed.

Recently, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg made a comment about whether or not there is value for all people to seek higher education. He used the example that for some, a better choice might be in the trades, like plumbing. Needless to say, the Twitterverse lit up with comments both negative and some with support for the idea. And, as an observation, I agree with the basic premise that not everyone needs or should saddle themselves with incredible debt from educational pursuits in a rapidly changing world because it is expected.
Somehow over time, the four year degree has become the “brass ring” that had some assurance of success in the career of choice.  But, it really does not take long to realize that this is simply not true. There are many individuals who have a degree and are not working in their field of choice, not working at all, or have never used what they learned in college, and yet have still spent a lot of time and money to “become educated”. So, maybe we should look at what learning is and how to best prepare each of us in an appropriate approach to education.
In my opinion the only real value in education is learning how to learn! Once the concept of acquiring new information has been assimilated, the doors to the world are open. Recall that prior to the internet the information that we needed was to be found in books, journals, and libraries of our local community. The Encyclopedia Britannica was the Wikipedia of today. But all of that information was already out of date with long publishing times, and changing information.  Now we can access current information as it is published. But, we have to learn how to use this new technology before we can really profit from the abundance of quality knowledge. In the next post, Part 2, we will look at alternatives to the four year degree including community colleges, online education, and the trades that are so desperately needed.

As early as the 1780's, America was considered to be a blend of diverse individuals from all over the world. The concept of  a nation becoming homogenous from one of heterogeneous nature was accepted as the cultural norm. But, I have always questioned this metaphor as not only being incorrect, but also deceiving to those who want to believe in a totally integrated society.
But, let me back-up for a minute. The exact term "melting pot" came into general usage in the United States after it was used as a metaphor in a play written by Israel Zangwell in either 1905 or 1908 describing a fusion of nationalities, cultures, and ethnicity. It was first performed in Washington D.C. It is my best guess that the author had a view of a utopian nation and that it would be different from what they had seen in the countries from which they originated. After all, the reason for coming to this country were to pursue a dream where all were considered equal. The following quote is from the protagonist in the play:
"Understand that America is God's Crucible, the great Melting-Pot where all the races of Europe are melting and re-forming! Here you stand, good folk, think I, when I see them at Ellis Island, here you stand in your fifty groups, your fifty languages, and histories, and your fifty blood hatreds and rivalries. But you won't be long like that, brothers, for these are the fires of God you've come to – these are fires of God. A fig for your feuds and vendettas! Germans and Frenchmen, Irishmen and Englishmen, Jews and Russians—into the Crucible with you all! God is making the American."
But, as I have traveled across this country I continue to see  towns and cities with groups of people with similar color, culture, and ethnic similarities living together but separately. There seems to be a greater comfort in being with the "same" as opposed to being with the "different". But please don't consider my view anti-American. I am simply anti-metaphor. In some ways it explains why many Americans still do not speak English. If they live and shop in an area that supports their language and culture it may be easier to not try to learn a new language. In some ways however, it diminishes the possibility of a true melting pot. We are more like a salad. Different vegetables with the same dressing. But it also occurs to me that the predominantly white rich male leaders in congress, both republicans and democrats, also  live in different tents. Just an observation...