Reflections on Assignment 1

I consider intelligence a constant;  learning, a variable and education, an option.  The interplay between education and learning is undeniable.  In as much as  we acknowledge one’s innate abilities to play an important role in learning, so should we acknowledge one’s innate limitations, too which mean that the learning process differs between people.  What works for one may not work for the other.  Some may have faster grasp of ideas than others, some are adept at mastering skills or solving practical problems.    A single, perfect universal approach to pedagogy that will work for all is impossible because of these differences.

For the longest time the teacher-centered learning have dominated the education system that we know. Coming from old school, I remember we would not even dare challenge the teacher about the information being transmitted to us.  They did most of the talking in the classroom and we considered all that they said as right. We were heavy on textbooks, literally and relied heavily on them but over time the approaches to pedagogy and the tools used have evolved.   The use of textbooks has obviously diminished because of technology. It is astounding  that with the many approaches to learning  and teaching available it seems there are still ways that can be explored as suggested by the new breed of keen observers amongst us whose proposals can potentially revolutionize the way students are being taught and how students learn from early childhood through adult years.   Some schools have already started implementing a combination of conventional and alternative approaches to teaching and learning with the use of technology, immersion and involvement of parents.   An example is the home study program which is in fact not a new concept but is reinvented, re-introduced, and is gaining popularity even for grade schoolers. Many parents have started considering this option these days out of safety concerns for their children and due to incidents of bullying in schools. Home schooling was the option of the old rich in the past. Many famous personalities in history have been home-schooled like the Queen of England, George Washington, James Madison, Leonardo Da Vinci, Claude Monet, to name a few.

Perhaps an ideal pedagogical approach is one that would satisfy the needs of students based on their strengths, weaknesses and circumstances;  that which will allow them to interact with peers and teachers, and enjoy while learning. If students enjoy what they are doing their enthusiasm will not falter, they become passionate and learning comes spontaneously and will stick with them permanently.  We grow rich in knowledge with what we learn in school but we grow richer with the lessons taught by our experiences, environment and interaction with people.