JACKIE BEERE: WHEN IS THE LEARNING CYCLE COMPLETE?

I thought them well. They passed with flying colors. Parents are happy – we all are. It is the perfect win win situation. But deep down I know something is amiss. It tugs my heart like a fish at a tantalizing hook line not eager to go for the bite but persistently nibbling at morsels of fishmeal.

Yes I knew the strategy I employed. I visualized the end product and it came to pass. But certain questions fleeted through my mind as this moody cloud descended on me. How would they fare on their own out there? Would my method stand the test of time? Would they be able to solve their challenges in the university? Do the weaker ones among them have what it takes to hold their ground in the field of learning? Does it arouse in them the power of critical cum independent thinking? It is very easy to get them do it the way I wanted than making them do it for themselves (Page 105).

Two things came to my mind as I mused on this problem – Independent and Collaborative learning (pages 104)

Spoon-feeding students is a bad deal. Sometimes, it makes the job a bit easy for us. Students turn in their assignment on time, they always pass my papers etc – everything is done and dusted.

Yet have I challenged them to seek each other’s counsel; collaborate with each other? Does my method foster peer to peer learning? Does it make them go out of their way to explore other body of knowledge out there, rack their brains to tackle a phenomenon, think out of the box?

How has my learning facilitation made them better, brushed up the weak ones to become independent learners? How has it thought them the power of collaboration, rubbing minds together?

How adequately prepared are they to tackle academic and life issues out there? Have I prepared them for leaving life after we have parted company? Are they ready to be relevant to themselves or just bunch of intellectually dependent cum lazy students?

Education is not only what happens within the fore walls of a school but it is life itself.

So when is learning cycle complete?

Papa Mmeso