What are your Greatest Learning Experiences and/or Opportunities?

Today I attended a session on equality in education. The assignment below was given to the participants in groups of two members each. Each one was to interview a partner and report back to whole panel. It amazed me what we use or see as our greatest learning experiences. I took the notes in italics when the reports were being made. Being a Friday, I have to run up and down. I will rationalise the points over the weekend.

Assignment: Think of a time in school, work and society where you felt you have an opportunity or experience that you have never had before that you think you learnt a lot. why you think your learnt a lot? What was so outstanding about the learning experience/opportunity?

Responses
I sample some of the responses that came out - I was disrupted when I was doing the mind2finger - I would have wanted a verbatim of what was said.

"On of the greatest learning experiences that have helped me is converting what I know to students in a way that is easy for them to understand. The is through the inspiration of my High School physics teacher who showed me how to learn. He was there, he used very unconventional yet intuitive means of teaching physics so that all of us could understand."

"The fact that the course I attended was Voluntary/ not-obligatory and it entailed personal improvements and brain power - allowing me to focus and refocus on myself, giving me the freedom to choose, so liberating - provided me an astounding learning experience. It helped me realize my potential beyond my wildest dream."

"The way my supervisor encouraged me to redo my proposal it did not feel like I had been told to rewrite the whole proposal. The way he reassured me after what I perceived to be my failure point. During the course of the study, I encountered people who were willing to get out of their way to assist me in my research. This was a great learning experience because it makes me always feel indebted to others - who would like to learn."

"My greatest learning experiences and perhaps what has shaped my life and career is when at the age of six my brother introduced me to the non-fiction side of the library. I frequented the library before then and I always ventured on the fiction side of it. I cultivated a passion for the library - and perhaps that is why am a librarian."

"During the initial stages of our entrepreneurship assignments, all of us had great, competing and divergent ideas. Although we had the best of intentions, and the commitment to the success, we did not want to talk with, and listen to one another. During these times, our business hit rock bottom. Maybe it was a wake up call for us to start talking with each other, because when we did, we turned the tables upside down. Withing a very short period, we were able to repay the loan that we were given to start our business, and our books were looking much better. I learnt to accept different and divergent ways of thinking and learning."

"When I started my distance learning course, all the excitement I had initially feigned over time because of the delays I experienced in getting reading resources. I felt that there was no commitment at all from all the people - in the distance learning college - to bringing me the resources I needed and on time. Within my frustration, I enrolled in a resident college where I could use the library facilities, and never even recognised the delays. I realised the importance of timely delivery of information and feedback"

This was such a great learning experience for me. First, reflecting on what counts to be learning experience or opportunities for different people, and what learning is achieved. Secondly, a chance to look back, to all the situations that I have been subjected to, and choosing the one that I think was a turning point - or at least I learnt a lot.