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I believe that learning happens when people feel safe to process information with their peers, and to share their opinions and ideas and ask questions without the fear of retaliation. Learning happens when the facilitator (teacher) is aware of individuals' barriers to learning and is proactive in addressing those barriers. Learning happens when people feel the topic is relevant to their lives, when they can apply the issue to their own society or life by compare and contrast or relation. In order to achieve an environment of safety for individuals to explore issues, a continuous building of community is essential. A learning community serves as a resource and support. It can provide an overall sense of belonging among differing individuals - a miniscule version of our world community. In building community, the element of competition, such as the emphasis on given grades, can be destructive. Providing a framework in which students can effectively evaluate their own performance and grade themselves can help to establish an environment where students feel responsible for their own learning, are more empowered, with less of the fear that often accompanies classroom learning. In building community it will be critical for students to realize that our world is not homogeneous, and that "the other" is not a threat to our own identity, but a compliment. Critical thinking skills are paramount to true learning. According to Bloom's Taxonomy, learning only begins with knowledge. True learning includes comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and, ultimately, evaluation - the ability to think for oneself. The role of the teacher (or learning facilitator) is to help the students to build trust in their community and to build confidence in their own insights, ideas and abilities, to recognize that there are many "truths," and to encourage independent, analytical and critical thought. As change is an integral part of true learning, it is the teacher's responsibility to model acceptance and celebration of change. |