My learning...

I remember my first class of psychology in B.A 1ST year in which my teacher repeatedly explained ‘what is learning’? At that time my acceptable definition of learning was something like this…
“Any relative permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of practice or experience.”
I remember the first lecture on the topic Learning, in which our professor gave us a new definition of learning which was given by Gordon Allport.
But, here I find something different and something very confusing. I recapitulate the story of one of our school in which 2 kids were fighting with each other and during fight one of the kid pushed another kid’s head on wall and the reaction of this was a bang of cry. Meantime the teacher entered the class, and queried about the incident. The reaction of the teacher was unbelievable to see. He banged another kids head on wall and asked “do you now feel the pain”? This was the way of justice by the teacher .I was shocked to see the way teacher dealt with the situation . Many questions came to mind, the questions which were unanswered.
At that time, I wanted to ask the teacher what sort of learning you are giving to these kids? Are you teaching them how to take revenge? Or you are teaching them blood for blood concept? Is this the learning ? What sort of learning took place there? What’s the way of learning? And whom we blame when these kids do a crime in future?
But, now here after spending my two months in primary class with school kids, my whole definition of Learning has been redefined and I feel learning can be defined in many ways in different contexts. Today with my practical experience, I can explain learning , as “ a continuous struggle of organism with environment in order to achieve equilibrium for survival in which the genetics act as a barrier.”
I have a hope that in this journey , in future I will be much more closer to the exact definition of learning based on my experience.


Tehseen

Me as a Gandhi Fellow

Being a Gandhi Fellow! A dive into an ocean of eternal possibilities and numerous struggles …the aim being only one - CHANGE!

But what is this change all about? Change has several faces; gradualist, revolutionary, incremental and what not. But what is my connection to it? Why do I need to care about any change in any form? And why is this the platform that I chose?

Change is about dynamism but how one perceives that dynamism differs from person to person. For me my dynamism lies in steady and gradualist unfoldment of my self. But how does this unfoldment take place? My self’s unfoldment is a constant process; an eternal urge in me to learn, to reflect on my learnings and actions and further acting in the umbrella of that reflection.

The big difference is that now I have a way out for those dilemmas that is I have a way to act, the freedom to indulge in making the most of my capabilities and do not end up only intellectualizing problems around.

No doubt there are disillusionments and frustration that tend to overpower my optimism from time to time. But I feel that is the intricate part of this fellowship and my unfoldment in next two years.

I know that in the next two years, I would evolve with every new experience I get, preparing me for the years to come.


Preyansi