Beyond the Classroom: Lifelong Learning Insights

The Broader Scope of Education

During our lives, we are often told that we have studied all we need to know at school and in various academies. But is that truly the case? Is school the only or best place to learn and develop? Are there no other avenues where we can improve ourselves? If what I've heard is true, what about the education we receive at home? Are my family, my friends, the people I have known, the trips, the good moments, and the hard moments not part of my learning journey?

At school, I learned how to do mathematics, how to write, how to read, and how to be polite. While these lessons are important in life, the specific details can often be easy to forget. In contrast, the things I have learned in other places, outside of formal schooling and academies, have proven more useful in my personal and professional life, and I will never forget them.

Rethinking Effective Learning Strategies

First and foremost, we must understand that if we want to learn something effectively, mere memorization and repetition are not the most efficient methods. As someone aspiring to be a preschool teacher, I am currently studying how to be a good educator. I realized when I came to the university that much of what I had studied in the past (such as mathematics, history, philosophy, and English) I had forgotten within a year.

While these subjects are crucial for our cultural understanding and cognitive development, the traditional approach of studying them solely for exams, by memorizing terms and concepts, is neither useful nor efficient. For example, if a teacher constantly tells a child, "Repeat with me: 'hello'," but the child cannot use that word in any practical context, and it doesn't have a place in their daily routine, they will likely forget the word once the repetition stops.

The Power of Collaborative Learning

The most effective way to learn is often through group work. Working as a team is when you truly achieve great success. Therefore, it is very important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each team member, so that everyone can play a role based on their unique knowledge and skills.

For instance, in our significant "Octopus Project," the first thing we did was assign each person a specific role. In my case, I was the one who knew more about fishing in general. This allowed me to teach Ander concepts he didn't know. Conversely, Ander has a better level of English, so he taught me a lot of vocabulary. This collaborative approach maximized our learning and project success.