What Education Used to Be

April Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Graffiti & Street Art”

Creativity and imagination compete with STEM

Continuing with the 352Walls/Gainesville Urban Art Initiative in my city, which I first wrote about here, this mural is another featured in our downtown parking lot and garage. The tower in the painting is the University of Florida’s Century Tower, a 157-foot structure that contains a carillon.

The quote “Imagination is more important than knowledge” is from Albert Einstein. In his 1931 book, “Cosmic Religion and Other Opinions and Aphorisms,” he wrote:

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.

Many of our educational systems are veering away from the traditionally imaginative courses of the humanities (languages, arts, history, and philosophy) in favor of STEM classes (science, technology, engineering, and math), which do incorporate imagination but use different and often more rigid disciplines. Many educators believe that imagination must be born in the humanities before being blended into the sciences. Other educators believe education should focus only on the most “successful” career paths. Why does it have to be an either/or situation? Education shouldn’t be so limited that the humanities are regulated to the bleacher seats while STEM classes perform on stage. Unfortunately, the State of Florida is cutting funds to the humanities at all levels of education.

This mural is from artist Lyssa Wyn, whose art business is named Barefoot and Doodles. You can see more of her artwork here.

Back to the Century Tower, here is a 2019 news video about the 40th anniversary of the carillon being added to the tower. If you haven’t heard carillon bells, this video gives a sample and the history of the tower. Being on campus and hearing the bells is an awesome experience.

© Dennett 2022