Today in class we discussed how the geography of a country can determine where cities are located and what activities take place in and around those cities. Some students were quite engaged in thinking about the issue but others were fairly quiet. One of them, who I know has travelled a lot around the world with her family, was not participating at all. When I tried to engage her using the argument she would know since she has done some travelling, she shrugged her shoulders and said “I don’t know”. I then wondered if there had been any deep reflecting on these experiences. Has she ever been questioned and made think about what she has been exposed to in these trips? Maybe, maybe not…
I couldn’t stop thinking about it and realised that, in many ways, life experiences are only learning opportunities if we can reflect on them. What happened? Why did it happen? How did it affect me and others? How is this interesting? Surprising? Unexpected? Does that explain anything? What is to learn from this?
So, questions, questions, questions! Nothing more valuable for learning!
So, questions, questions, questions! Nothing more valuable for learning!