Education is a learning journey full of diverse teachers and masters.
So many different voices allow us to fulfill our connection with knowledge and confidence. As the cliché says: knowledge is power; in my opinion, it certainly is. We can find intelligence in many forms, not only in books, universities, or colleges. It is also about life and experiences that create an impression on our education.
Throughout the years, I have seen people going through the motion of life without being aware and continuing to make the same mistake. However, they had previously learned all this in school or with a tutor. There is a time to learn, and the mind and body need to receive the message. Perhaps it is the moment we realize that we need to make a change, that the pain and feeling of being stuck are too prominent in our lives for us to finally open up and be ready to learn or act.
Sometimes, it is the monetary investment that pushes the awareness of learning. Nevertheless, most of all, it is the different voices surrounding us. What does that mean, the other voices? For example, when parents advise their children, the percentage of this to be fully understood or grasped is moderate, and the same advice given by a parent’s friends or an uncle will have a more substantial impact. This issue is so common and has driven me crazy as a parent. That is what I mean about the various voices, same message, different voices, different impacts.
Let us look at the different voices and the delivery of learning:
The parent’s voice:
This is the foundation of all. Parents must communicate and teach their children. Yes, it is challenging; there is no doubt about that. We, as parents, need to provide advice and live them as an example. Our children at young ages are seriously influenced, and as parents, we must help them search through the information and help them develop core values to make the right choices later.
The teacher’s voice:
This voice is often the most respected and sometimes the only representative of reason because the parent’s voice is absent. Learning in an academic setting is the foundation of education for every human being; unfortunately, it is not the case in all nations. Nevertheless, I am so grateful for institutions such as UWC that spear a global voice worldwide, creating opportunities and scholarships for all, focusing on gender equality, diversity, sustainability, and more. However, the pandemic brought challenges and is creating a new set of demands to be efficient and inclusive to set a high-impact learning system for all. The issue at hand and for the moment, children tend to turn off this voice and do not get the full benefits of the learning process.
The friend’s voice:
This voice significantly impacts our way of thinking of gathering experiences. It may be because of peer pressure or out of kindness and connections. Learning from friends is the most impactful these days, even for adults, because it is generally not a formal setting, and we tend to feel more comfortable with that. Because of that, the importance of choosing friends who will have our best interest at hand is the most crucial.
The media’s voice:
In my opinion, this one is the most dangerous, especially for young adults. In the era of fake news, it is challenging for everyone to navigate the flow of information that feeds our lives. Everything must be triple-checked, especially when it comes to social media. Finding unbiased news is tricky; everyone thinks their opinion is the truth.
In conclusion, we need to teach each other how to navigate the learning forced into our conscious and subconscious minds.
In my case, I have gathered tons of little nuggets of information for years and applied them step by step to my coaching. As a training professional, L&D ( learning and development) in the work environment comes into play and can be more effective as it becomes the experiential voice. In my opinion, experiencing, feeling, and practicing learning is the future, and I will develop this theme in a future blog. Stay tuned for more!
