As a student I found myself reflecting upon what was the best way to train students correctly so they could be well prepared for the rest of their lives. I started thinking about what kind of content would work best, or maybe in what way would kids learn best; but after a long and deep reflective period, I came to the conclusion that the best way to prepare students for the future and the rest of their lives is to teach them how to be autonomous and think for themselves. I think that a lot of times the value of autonomy is underestimated, when actually autonomy is the most precious skill that you can teach a learner. Like the bible says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” It’s the same with students. You can teach a student any kind of content you like, but if he/she is used to only follow instructions and doesn’t know autonomy, then he/she will never have the power to drive his/her own life. Autonomy by dictionary means independence or freedom, as of the will or one's actions; it is having the power to drive your own life and be able to push yourself hard using nothing more than your own desire to learn. Something amazing about autonomy is that it’s the fact that you are completely free, and don’t have to depend on anyone else for motivation or to be pushing you to accomplish something.
I look back a year ago, and notice how a year ago I would have never even thought about jogging at 5am; this is proof of how I’ve learned and continue to learn to push myself harder everyday and find motivation in my ambition.
3 Comments
Frances Fischman
3/23/2015 12:06:37 am
Pau, I love how this blog entered a deeper reflection level than the other ones I have read. It was unique, and it mixed up your typical blog style. I would have added maybe an image or two to make it more visual, and the beginning of the entry wasn't as engaging as it had potential to be. In general, I really liked it; however, be sure to double check grammar. Loved it girl! Keep up the great work :)
Reply
Corey Topf
3/24/2015 08:04:01 am
Noa! Well said! This connects well to conversations that have been going on in your IA section. I know there has been a lot of discussion about universities, which is healthy, but it's important not to lose sight of what's most important: are you, or aren't you an autonomous learner. Can you ask deep questions? Are you critical of sources? Can you lead a project from start to finish? Can you decide, for yourself, what's valuable to learn and what's not? These are far more crucial to figure out, because if you can do these things, you'll be successful at virtually any university. If you can't answer these, good luck!
Reply
Corey Topf
3/24/2015 08:09:49 am
Paula!! The comment above is intended for you and your blog, but for some reason I wrote Noa. Sorry about that!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2015
Categories |