Knowledge Is Power?

Is it often said that “knowledge is power.”  I would have to disagree.  There are many knowledgeable people athat are powerless.  I would argue that it is the application of knowledge that gives us power and the ability to create change.  In the United States, students enter a cycle of homework and standardized tests—a system of rankings and percentiles and various tracks of ability at an early age.  Most students can memorize the facts needed to complete at worksheet, quiz or project but often forget the material they’ve crammed the next week—let alone the following year.  What is lacking in most classrooms is the power of purpose:  How can students use reading and writing, math and science in the real world?

Think about it:  The youth of the United States today can pick up a cel phone they have never used before and figure out how to use it with ease within 5 minutes.  TOPS.  Why? Because it’s a knowledge that they use every day and one that for them has a purpose in how they live their lives.

William Kamkwamaba is not an American youth, but his story is one that speaks to the universal idea that the application of knowledge can stir the winds of change.  Here is his story:

In a time where our own nation is looking to improve the education system, become energy independent, develop better health policy and create financial stability it is clear that knowledge does not equal power.

My D.U.M.B. Questions are these:  What knowledge have you attained? What knowledge do you want to attain? What is the purpose of your knowledge and how will you use that knowledge to spark change?

“Knowledge Is Power” originally appeared as an article on www.justdumbproductions.com on October 8, 2009.