Heroes and Heroines in American Education - Essay Example

And yet for young Americans, the heroes and heroines have increasingly been limited to what they see on television, films, and those who excel in sports. This is due to the pervasiveness of media that has even taken over the role of educating the minds and ways of the youth, away from that of the schools and even to a certain extent, the family. Young people watch television many hours a day and even babies are weaned on cartoons. Likewise, Hollywood news and the latest victory of a Tiger Woods or a Roger Federer take much of the time and attention of youngsters.

The way that young America is idolizing or making heroes out of actors and sports stars should be taken into a certain perspective in as much as the positive influence of empowerment is more often a case of make-believe (in the case of film stars for there is no sure way to tell the spin from the actual or the real ) and rarely goes beyond individual achievement (in the case of sports heroes, except probably with Michael Jordan who was recognized not only a superb individual player but an outstanding team player as well).

Real heroes and heroines, on the other hand, are the real deal - say, for example, our parents, friends, and kin, who are really there for us to emulate, to give us encouragement when the going gets difficult and even to grapple with, in case they turn out to be disappointing. Real heroes also on a broader level go beyond their individual achievements - that is, they give much broader, much deeper, many time-tested repercussions on the way they influence and serve as examples. Heroes and heroines are the pioneers of whole societies, movements, and revolutionary changes.

They must be celebrated and their contributions recognized because, like all classic works of literature or the arts, their lives and works continue to shine and influence the directions of society. The values espoused by heroes and heroines are also the very ones that distinguish the society or nation from which they come from. Furthermore, heroes and heroines simply possess the best that a nation or society could offer, that is why they should be celebrated so that the youth could learn from them.

In American education, there are a number of men and women who are heroes and heroines for going beyond their individual achievements and consequently, shaping American society whose strong foundations were built on the universal provision of education to its citizens. Among these was the Daniel Webster, who lived in the 18th century, whose name is now often associated with the dictionary, recognized early on that a common language would lead to a unified American society. Another one, Catherine Beecher, was at the forefront of training teachers, especially women teachers and who strongly believed that education would civilize America's West in the 19th century.

What more could be fitting than having a Daniel Webster or Catherine Beecher holiday to commemorate the contributions of a great man or woman of American education?