Throughout the history of humanity, people have formed, accumulated, and shared information, knowledge, and skills to pursue adequate perceptions of the world around them. This process of acquiring knowledge and skills is commonly known as learning, which is a vital element of human development within personal, social, and intellectual domains. It is through the engagement in learning that people can explore and absorb the facts and ideas that already exist, form ties between different concepts, and generate their perspectives. The course readings have provided a substantial basis for thinking about and analyzing the concept of learning within the various settings, which contribute to the overall understanding of the necessity of learning within the process of education. Continuous learning provides individuals with multiple opportunities to see the world in its multiple dimensions, expand the knowledge beyond the imposed limits, and build and achieve goals for personal accomplishment.
The ability to learn and acquire new knowledge is a valuable means of becoming free of burdens and improving one’s life. It is particularly relevant to people who live in oppressive or unjust environments. As African American children who live in poverty and feel diminished in comparison to rich people in Bambara’s short story are portrayed, it is the ability to learn that shows them the alternative to their current life (1-2). Miss Moore tries to encourage children from a poor neighborhoods to explore the world and learn basic things so that they can free themselves from the burden of poverty and financial inequality. It is in Miss Moore’s manner that she sees learning as an opportunity for a person to achieve results beyond his or her initial abilities as imposed by the surroundings. Indeed, learning factual information persuades critical thinking and encourages learners not only to perceive the world but to analyze it and generate new ideas. Therefore, providing people with an opportunity to learn means giving them the tools for building an improved version of themselves and their lives.
Moreover, the lack of learning opportunities obstructs the human ability to perceive the world and limits their outlook on the environment in which people live. Indeed, every person is what he or she knows; the scope of personality is defined by the level of intellectual development. Limited skills and knowledge impose limited access to new ideas and, therefore, do not allow one to grow. This idea is vividly presented by Plato, who stated that ignorance is like a cave where one is exposed to the limited information that forms his or her worldview. However, “if someone were to show him any of the things that were passing by and forced him to answer the question about what it was, … he would … consider that what he previously saw was more unhidden than what was now being shown” (Plato 3) In accord with Plato’s idea about the power of learning, Douglass’ perception of learning as the process that allows a person to become free in mind helps to determine the importance of acquiring knowledge (100-102). Thus, continuous exposure to new knowledge leads to perfection and growth, which are impossible without learning.
In learning, students need to be guided by instructors or mentors who would show them the way of how literacy and knowledge influence the ways people perceive the world. Despite the strong impact of self-education on one’s literacy improvement demonstrated by Douglass, the presence of an instructor might have much more vivid results. As demonstrated by Bambara (3) and Plato (3-4), a teacher is a guide who motivates and shows learners the right way to acquire the necessary knowledge. However, learning opportunities are often inadequately disseminated to learners whose abilities are standardized within the school system. Students are often influenced by instructors to become average by merely complying with the curricula and not pursuing higher goals within the fields where learners have talents or inclinations (Rose 1-2). Indeed, it is not enough to have access to learning or receive teaching services. It is much more important to develop an intelligent personality using guidance and materials as tools capable of helping to accomplish one’s learning goals. Therefore, learning is a complex process, in which critical perception of knowledge and following the instructor contribute to one’s intellectual development.
In summation, the concept of learning entails a system of processes of acquiring knowledge and skills to develop one’s intellectual capabilities for personal growth. Intelligence as the result of the learning process contributes to human opportunities of freedom of life choices, the endlessness of options for growth, and the ability to generate new ideas. As demonstrated by the course readings, learning frees people, while the lack of educational opportunities leads to a limited worldview. However, disparities in access to learning imposed by social issues or the schooling system might diminish the effects of intellectual advancement. Therefore, it is vital to pursue learning throughout the lifespan to ensure personality growth and strive for an accomplished life.
Works Cited
Bambara, Toni Cade. The Lesson. 2020.
Douglass, Frederick. Learning to Read and Write. 2020.
Plato. The Allegory of the Cave. 2020.
Rose, Mike. I Just Wanna Be Average. 2020.