Learning with Open Eyes
Why do we learn? In life, learning is a vital tool that we utilize in order to successfully develop as individuals within our society. Learning helps us navigate the obstacles of life that we encounter on the road to growth and maturity. It is a guide, a mentor, and a level of excellence to strive toward.
When I began this journey to pursue a Masters Degree in Science and Mathematics Education from Michigan State University, I did so under the sole premise of advancement in my chosen profession; Environmental Education. I had progressed as far as I could without the aid of an additional educational degree, and I wanted the chance to grow to my full potential in my career field. Environmental Education focuses on introducing people to the intricacies of the natural world in an effort to connect them with the wonder and benefit of the outdoors. It’s a place for them to stop, unplug, and unwind. And up to this point that was my goal; the educational advancement and perpetuation of disconnecting people from the headaches of modern life and returning them to the simplicity of nature; that was of course until I was introduced to MSU’s online educational program.
Throughout this Master’s program I have had the pleasure of taking classes from truly inspirational professors and instructors who have opened my eyes to information that I would have once glanced over without a passing thought. The incorporation and amalgamation of technological components into my environmental teachings, the creation of learning environments that are truly inquiry based, and the advancement of biological understanding through multimedia applications, are but a handful of concepts that have been introduced to me over these past few years. My original idea of separating technology and natural teachings is but a fleeting thought that has now gone by the wayside.
In nature nothing is ever static; it is constantly growing, constantly changing, and ever adapting itself to a shifting world. If we want to truly grow and advance with this world we must be open to ideas and concepts that we may have previously been closed off too. We need to change, and that is exactly what this program has done for me. It has changed and developed a set of goals that once motivated my decision to pursue an advanced degree.
I came into this program with the intention of earning my degree in order to progress my financial and professional standing within my chosen profession. I am leaving with an openness and appreciation for the true development and expansion of an idea that I once thought to have mastered. So why do we learn? We learn because what we see right in front of us may only be a small glimpse into the endless canvass of possibilities that this life has to offer.