Learning vs. Mentorship

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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The truth is that I was taking the time to think about my previous thoughts, where I wrote about Artificial intelligence (AI), educational research, and artists. All these thoughts were integrated to reveal, or help to better understand the value and potential of mentorship. I then wanted to add the value of face to face interactions, either this be online, or through human to human. In addition to these ideas, I am thinking about the difference between learning and mentorship. Learning is when we are learning about the knowledge that is being delivered. Either we choose to act upon this knowledge, or not. We further investigate and use the knowledge to build our own ideas. We are provided with educators that offer expertise within the subject area. Either they inspire and encourage learning to each and every student, that is based through the lens of equity, or see that if they have delivered the knowledge to each and every student, they have satisfied the criteria of being a teacher. However, we should also add that learning may and should begin with the efforts from teachers, but it should also build into a learning relationship, with the educators and students. This happens through time, as we learn about students needs, and the students learn about the teacher through interactions. So we can conclude to say that learning is a framework to have access to knowledge.

     Mentorship and developing the mentor/mentee relationship can happen in the realm of the educational setting, but it extends beyond this realm as well. This relationship acts as a bond of trust, almost as though you are putting your life in the hands of another. The hands are there to guide, and adjusting the hold when it is necessary to do so. We can think of riding a horse, where the rider adjusts the reins to control or adjust the speed/pace of the horse. The mentor/mentee relationship can be found anywhere, or it could even be a friendship that develops over time. The relationship is concerned with the inner development, growth, character, a nurture  that begins from within, and eventually birthing to that of the goals, and desires that are visible to the exterior world. There is a connection between learning and the mentor/mentee relationship because learning, or the acquisition of knowledge is seen as one of the goals that the mentee desires to flourish through. 

    This difference is important to understand because the gaining of knowledge does contribute to intellectual growth and development, but it may not necessarily contribute to personal development, and growth. There has to be a consistency or a mixture of both. Growth and development can also, or should also include what we have learned through life, how we respond to life, and the teachings that are derived through life. We can say that life itself is a mentor.  

Dedication: These words are dedicated to all, my thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on January 15th, 2018.
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