Get an ‘accidental education’

Hope A. Smith
Published: February 21, 2008

"Accidental Education" - that's what I like to call an education you didn't necessarily sign up for. Do you remember the opening of the "Fat Albert" cartoon when Bill Cosby would introduce the latest episode- He always said, "If you're not careful, you might learn something."

If you have kids, you know that whether on purpose or not, you're going to receive an education. You're a dedicated parent, so you're going to help your child study and become the best they can. You'll also follow up and make sure they do their homework - or make sure they are held accountable if they didn't!

I thought about the "accidental education" last night, as I helped my daughter study for her history test on ancient Egypt. I don't remember studying about ancient Egypt in the fifth grade. Most of the history I was taught in elementary school was about the Civil War   - Lord knows, I can tell you most anything about the years 1861-1865. Some of my education last night included facts about the Great Pyramids, of which I had no clue.

Did you know that it took approximately two million blocks, each weighing 5,000 pounds, to build the Great Pyramid of Giza- Folks, the pyramid was built thousands of years ago -  and there weren't even pulley systems then!

Back in the day, the "educational programming" that was available to us was via PBS. I doubt that I'm alone in my opinion that they were the driest, most boring programs available. Not to offend anyone, but the minute I'd hear the music for "NOVA" or Carl Sagan talking about "years and years ago, when the Earth was a flaming mass," I would fall over myself getting to the dial to change it.

Surely, that was after "Electric Company" or "Sesame Street." The beginning of my education of the Spanish language was thanks in part to "Sesame Street," again by accident. We could always tell Mom if the door was "abierto" (open) or "cerrado" (closed).

We're lucky in this day and age of cable or satellite television - we have multiple choices, and the "educational" programming is hip and fun!

Only "Modern Marvels" could make the history of cheese appealing. And last year, Discovery Channel ran an 11-part series called "Planet Earth."

The series was five years in the making, and species that had never before been caught on camera were caught by a low-light camera, operated by a more-than-patient photographer.

We learned so much from that series - I had no idea that the emperor penguin females lay the eggs, and the male hibernates them under his downy feathers.

As previously mentioned, the History Channel has been on top of the world with its educational programming, and they make it fun. History Channel is owned by A&E Television Network, which is also responsible for the Military Channel, Biography Channel and A&E. In the realm of reality TV, these channels present groundbreaking "reality" programming.

One of the shows A&E is better known for is "Intervention." Yes! A reality show with a purpose! This show is about a TV crew from A&E, supposedly filming a documentary on addiction. The addict goes about their everyday life with the film crew. The addict's family is interviewed throughout the episode, climaxing with an intervention with the addict's family.

The end of the show gives us an update as to how the addict has fared in a rehab facility. Sometimes the endings aren't happy.

But what a stark look at reality and an education on the shockwaves addiction can cause.

They say that we learn something new each day. If you really think about it, it makes sense. How many times in a week do you say to yourself (or out loud), "Wow! I didn't know that," even if it's the most trivial fact-

Example - did you know that the myth about Mikey from the Life Cereal commercials was just an urban legend- You know, the one about Mikey eating the Pop Rocks candy, downing a Pepsi and blowing up, thereby causing his untimely death- There - you just learned something new. And, as GI Joe says, "Knowing is half the battle."

Hope A. Smith is an
independent columnist and
resident of Orange County.
Her column appears on Friday.
E-mail