For the Love of Learning – Tatwamasi Dani

“Learning to Love to Learn” is my school’s motto. I have often wondered what it means to be a learner forever. What does love of learning mean? When I reflected on it, I understood that love for life-long learning is all about people who enjoy learning, who are passionate about enquiry, question laws, rules and dogmas. Learners are curious and motivated to develop new skills and become more knowledgeable. 

I love learning. One thing I love more than learning is the process of learning. I like spending time trying to observe and understand things and people. The activities, workshops; there is so much more to learn than in a textbook. Technology today allows us to do so many different things. We have access to diverse mediums and platforms. We have social media and mediums for entertainment. We can listen to and appreciate varied forms of music, books, articles anytime we want from anywhere. So much can be done just with one device.  

We seek knowledge because it gives us a better understanding of the world around us. Everything we learn has applications in the future, whether it is buying a product from a store or making critical decisions in our lives. Learning is important. To becomes wiser, to grow and to blossom. It makes us confident, prepares us for challenges and problems, makes us creative, but most importantly it opens our minds and helps us understand others’ perspectives. 

Research suggests that all forms of learning make us not only smarter, but it develops our thinking, self-management, communication, social skills, research and leadership skills. Learning helps us grow into a better person. Traditionally, we have banked more on face-to-face learning. The current pandemic has forced us to overhaul our learning paradigm. Just like demonetization paved the way for digital money and online payments, COVID 19 is reshaping online learning. With technology, lot can be done just from home. 

Like I said earlier, online mediums exist. Enroll oneself for online courses. Spend time on other projects that we have wanted to work on for so long but we couldn’t because of time paucity. Well, now is the time! Now is the time to appreciate nature, appreciate the birds sing, see that bud blossom in your garden, nourish yourself with what is important and what we really want to learn. The world of learning is big. Dive deep into it, to appreciate it, to grow and become alive!  ~ Tatwamasi Dani (MYP II A)