ដាស់សតិ - ​Dassatek

What does it mean to be truly educated? This is one of the questions that we oftentimes haven't heard of or have the answer to. Many of us grew up going to school because everyone else around us seems to be doing so. We are pretty much trapped in a societal loop of growing up, getting higher education, possessing a higher degree, getting a well-paid job, settling down to raise a family, and trying to stay alive healthily until our last day. Most of the education systems in many places around the globe don’t remind us to ask ourselves this one particular question, because we are too fixated on manufacturing enough obedient and conformed workforces to keep the world economy going. I am writing this essay to discuss this question. To be truly educated means to be able to know how to best acquire knowledge and learn to think about what is true for ourselves. It is more than acquiring a degree.

We are responsible for figuring out what our learning style is when it comes to acquiring knowledge. Learning is a very individual experience. Every student has a different learning style. One student might be an auditory learner, whereas another one is a kinesthetic learner, who learns best by experiencing and doing hands-on activities. I am a visual learner, so I like to observe and prefer my learning experiences to revolve around diagrams, scribbles, pictures, and videos. Being aware of my learning style allows me to choose the right note-taking strategy to use, which in my case is mind mapping. Moreover, learning style could also be about self-studying versus classroom learning. I like to do self-studying on different topics that I find fascinating. Thus, asynchronous learning, a form of education that allows you to learn at your own pace from anywhere at any time, suits me very well. On the other hand, some students might need to be sitting in a classroom listening to someone talking and interacting with other students. Victor Weisskopf, an Austrian-born American theoretical physicist, said, “It's not important what we cover in the class, it's important what you discover” (Chomsky, 2015). Whatever learning style fits you most, it is our responsibility with the help of our education system to discover it and make the most use out of it to best acquire knowledge for ourselves.

In the modern internet age of our data-driven world, we must be able to critically think about what is true for ourselves. There is quadrillion bite site information out there on the internet to which we have access. Information is no longer accumulated only in physical volumes or kept exclusively in ivy-league school libraries or government offices. There are global revolutionary movements that advocate for free open access to intellectuals' legacy ー their findings, researches, books and journals, knowledge, and ways of thinking. The University of the People is doing exactly that. Nowadays, we can search for almost anything on the internet at our fingertips. Hence, the question doesn’t lie in whether or not we have access to necessary information, but whether or not we have the ability to distinguish the truth from faulty information. This is where the ability to think independently, question existing knowledge, and challenge what we have been told comes into play. We all want to make the right decisions in our lives despite knowing that mistakes can also help us learn. Therefore, critical thinking is one of the most valuable skills we should be seeking for us to decide for ourselves what is true.

The sole purpose of education goes beyond merely obtaining a degree. Wilhelm von Humboldt claims that the core principle and requirement of a fulfilled human being is the ability to inquire and create constructively independently without external controls (as cited in Chomsky, 2015). Learning is a lifelong experience. A person can either keep learning gradually every single day or become stagnant. The desire to acquire knowledge and the commitment to work hard to expand one’s knowledge and others’ are what makes us human and what has brought us to where we are at now. The degree could get us the job we desire, the salary we need, and the lifestyle we dream of. However, what is more meaningful than that is the satisfaction and happiness we get from our enlightenment ー the ability to understand the world around us ー and the application of that understanding in creating creatively and constructively the solutions to improve our own lives and others’.

In conclusion, as we are going through our education journey, it is useful to remind ourselves often about what it means to be truly educated so that we can stay motivated and on track. Being truly educated is more than just getting a higher degree, it is about how we can discover our learning style to best acquire knowledge. It is about how we acquire the critical thinking skill needed to analyze for us to make the best use of the information and knowledge we have accumulated while making a difference in our lives and the world.

Reference
Chomsky, N. [The Brainwaves Video Anthology]. (May 27, 2015). Noam Chomsky - On Being Truly Educated [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYHQcXVp4F4

នឹកពេលដើរតាមមាត់ទន្លេ​និងពេលដើរតាមសួនច្បារវត្តបុទុម។នឹកពេលដើរជុំវិញពហុកីឡា
ដ្ឋានជាតិអូឡាំពិកនិងពេលដើរក្នុងបុរី។នឹកពេលជិះកង់ឆ្លងខេត្ត ឆ្លងប្រទេសម្នាក់ឯង។
នឹកពេលដើរចូលព្រៃបោះជុំរុំឡើងដេកលើភ្នំជំុគ្នា។នឹកពេលជិះយន្តហោះឆ្លងប្រទេស
ជិះរថភ្លើង ជិះរទេះ​ ជិះទូកដើរផ្សងព្រេងកំសាន្តមានតែខោអាវមួយបង្វិច​និងទ្រនាប់
ជើងមួយគូ។នឹកពេលដេកតាមផ្លូវ ពេលសុំផ្ទះអ្នកភូមិស្នាក់​ ពេលសុំរថយន្តគេជិះ។

នឹកពេលដែលទទួលបានភាពកក់ក្តៅពីគ្រួសារ។នឹកពេលដែលពុកម៉ែហៅញុាំបាយជុំគ្នា។
នឹកពេលដេកជិតម៉ែហើយនិយាយរឿងក្នុងចិត្តប្រាប់គាត់។នឹកពេលដេកមើលទូរទស្ស៍ជាមួយពុក។​
នឹកពេលធ្វើម្ហូបញុាំបាយជាមួយបងប្អូននិងពេលមើលរឿងយប់ឡើងជុំគ្នា។នឹកពេលជួបជុំមិត្តភក្តិ
ពេលអង្គុយផឹកកាហ្វេព្រឹកឡើង ពេលញុាំបាយថ្ងៃត្រង់និងពេលផឹកអីហើយតទៅរាំលេងក្នុងក្លិប។
នឹកពេលជិះម៉ូតូជិះឡានពេលយប់ដើរលេងមើលភ្លើងពណ៌ក្នុងទីក្រុងនិងពេលចូលផ្សារទំនើប។​
នឹកពេលចង់ទៅណាអាចចេញពីផ្ទះទៅហ្នឹងភ្លាម។នឹកសិទ្ធិក្នុងការធ្វើដំណើរសេរីទៅគ្រប់ទីកន្លែង។

កាលពីនៅតូចកើតចេញពីផ្ទៃម្តាយមកអ្វីដែលទារកទូទៅរៀនធ្វើមុនគេគឺរៀនត្រលប់ខ្លួនរួច
ហើយរៀនវារ។​​គេមានគោលដៅតែមួយគត់គឺធ្វើយ៉ាងណាត្រូវរៀន​​​​​​​​​​ឲ្យចេះដើរ។​ទម្រាំតែអាច
ដើរបានមិនដឹងថាត្រូវដួលប៉ុន្មានដងនោះទេ។ទោះជាយ៉ាងណាគេមិនគិតហើយក៏មិនខ្វល់ថាតើ
មនុស្សជុំវិញមើលមកខ្លួនតាមក្រសែភ្នែកបែបណានោះឡើយ។ធម្មជាតិពិតនេះឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំង​​ឲ្យឃើញ
ថាការតស៊ូទាមទាររកសិទ្ធិសេរីភាពក្នុងការត្រាច់ចរគឺមានតាំងពីកំណើតធម្មជាតិរបស់យើងមកម្ល៉េះ
។​លើសពីនេះសេរីភាពដែលពួកគេមានកាលនៅជាកូនក្មេងទៀតសោធគឺសេរីភាពក្នុងការធ្វើជាខ្លួន
ឯង។ ធ្វើអ្វីដែលខ្លួនចង់ធ្វើដោយមិនខ្វល់ខ្វាយភ័យខ្លាចអំពីគំនិតអ្នកដទៃមកលើខ្លួន។​
នឹកអារម្មណ៍មួយនេះ។

តើមនុស្សម្នាទូទៅសុទ្ធតែនឹកដូចគ្នាអញ្ចឹងមែន?

នឹកឳកាសដែលអាចជួបមុខមនុស្សជាទីស្រលាញ់ជាលើកចុងក្រោយ។នឹកឪកាសដែលអាចហៅនិង
អោបថើបគាត់។នឹកឳកាសបម្រើមើលថែទាំជំងឺគាត់ដោយផ្ទាល់។នឹកស្តាយមិនអាចទទួលយក
សាកសពគាត់មកប្រារព្ធធ្វើពិធីបុណ្យជូនតាមប្រពៃណីយនិងទំនៀមសាសនាជាមួយគ្រួសារបាន។

នឹកឳកាសដើររើសកំប៉ុង​ ឳកាសរត់ដុប ឳកាសលក់បន្លែយកលុយទិញបាយម្ហូបចិញ្ចឹមកូន។នឹក
ឳកាសធ្វើការងារបើកប្រាក់ខែមកផ្គត់ផ្គង់ជីវភាពប្រចាំថ្ងៃជាធម្មតា។​នឹកឳកាសស្រោចស្រង់ក្រុមហ៊ុន
មុខជំនួញធុរកិច្ចរបស់ខ្លួន។​នឹកឳកាសផ្តល់ការងារដល់សរសរទ្រូងគ្រួសារដទៃៗ។​ចុងក្រោយគេគឺ
នឹកពេលដែលនៅរស់រានមានជីវិតនិងសេរីភាព។​នឹកគ្រប់ឪកាសនិងអ្វីគ្រប់យ៉ាងដែលអ្នកនៅរស់មាន។​

ទាន់នៅមានដង្ហើមយើងគួឆ្លៀតយកវេលាបិទខ្ទប់ វេលាធ្វើច​ត្តា​ឡី​ស័ក វេលានៅតែឯងនេះមកឆ្លុះ
បញ្ចាំងដើម្បីស្គាល់ខ្លួនឯង មករកអ្វីដែលខ្លួនចង់ធ្វើតែមិនទាន់បានធ្វើសម្រាប់ជីវិតមួយនេះសម្រាប់
បុគ្គលដែលខ្លួនស្រលាញ់ និងសម្រាប់សង្គមជាតិ។ សង្ឃឹមថាសេចក្តីប្រាថ្នានិងរបកគំហើញថ្មីអំពីខ្លួន
ឯងទាំងនេះនឹងក្លាយជាកម្លាំងវិជ្ជមានដែលជម្រុញទឹកចិត្តនិងធ្វើចិត្តយើងឲ្យធូស្បើយក្នុងគ្រាលំបាកនេះ។​​

I think Telegram can be considered as a social enterprise whose founder's philosophy is revolutionizing messaging app and solving problems in the communication realm. Its main mission seems to not be about maximizing profit but to expand its usage and impact. Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, said in his latest news update, "As I said when launching Telegram almost 8 years ago, the end goal for Telegram is to become a financially sustainable project that can serve humanity for decades (or centuries) to come." Durov seems to make conscious decision that Telegram is not aiming to be in the top ten largest companies by revenue or anything. On the other hands, he tenses to state clearly that it is about becoming a financially sustainable project.

A point to take into consideration, Pavel Durov was already a millionaire if not billionaire when he founded Telegram. He paid for the expenses of the company from his personal saving.

Below is my dissection of 5 key features of social entrepreneurship based on Telegram case study.

1. Social Value Creation

"We are not going to sell the company like the founders of Whatsapp. The world needs Telegram to stay independent as a place where users are respected and high-quality service is ensured. Telegram must continue to serve the world as an example of a tech company that strives for perfection and integrity. And, as the sad examples of our predecessors show, that is impossible if you become part of a corporation."

2. Social Entrepreneurship Organization

I think Telegram's organization is not-for-profit and hybrid.

3. Social Entrepreneur

I think to found and develop Telegram to what it is today, Pavel Durov is an entrepreneur and more than that.

4. Social Innovation

They just released a new feature, what they called "Radio Station", a voice call function within Telegram Channel and Telegram Group. I believe it can be utilized almost like a podcast. They will later this spring release what they called "TV Station".

"Telegram changed the way people communicate in several aspects – encryption, functionality, simplicity, design, speed. This journey has just started. There’s much more we can – and will – bring to the world."

5. Double Bottom Line

Telegram needs to find an innovative way to keep doing what they doing aligning with their core values while making sure they can be financially sustainable.

"In order to make points 1 and 2 possible, Telegram will begin to generate revenue, starting next year. All the features that are currently free will stay free. We will add some new features for business teams or power users. All parts of Telegram devoted to messaging will remain ad-free. We think that displaying ads in private 1-to-1 chats or group chats is a bad idea. Communication between people should be free of advertising of any sort. If Telegram starts earning money, the community should also benefit. For example, If we monetize large public one-to-many channels via the Ad Platform, the owners of these channels will receive free traffic in proportion to their size. Or, if Telegram introduces premium stickers with additional expressive features, the artists who make stickers of this new type will also get a part of the profit. We want millions of Telegram-based creators and small businesses to thrive, enriching the experience of all our users."

Lattest Update from Telegram

"Telegram has raised over $1 billion by selling bonds (a form of debt) to some of the largest and most knowledgeable investors from all over the world. This will enable Telegram to continue growing globally while sticking to its values and remaining independent. As I said when launching Telegram almost 8 years ago, the end goal for Telegram is to become a financially sustainable project that can serve humanity for decades (or centuries) to come."
Read more about above quotes at https://t.me/durov/142 !