As I was thinking about preparation, I thought of an experience from this past semester concerning spiritual preparedness. At the close of finals week for Winter Semester, I had my PLSC 200 final which was a bear of an exam. While I was studying the morning of the exam, I felt prompted to take extra time to read from the Book of Mormon. I read a chapter from the book of Mosiah and I felt this peace come over me letting me know that everything was going to be ok on my exam. To me, this experience reinforces the concept of putting the Lord first knowing that He will give us all we need if we do so. Our spiritual preparation is key to our understanding of other lesser truths which are part of our day to day lives. Failing to be spiritually prepared causes us to cut ourselves off from the possessor of all truth, even God who is willing to teach us all things by the power and gift of the Holy Ghost, if we would but seek Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
Along with being spiritually prepared, it is imperative to be prepared as an individual. For example, if you fail to do the reading for a class it will drastically affect the kind of input you can offer during class discussions. The learning process is stimulated by individual effort to to contribute to the whole. Individual preparedness bleeds over into being prepared as a group. If effort is put into pre-class discussion, whether through personal learning or online discussion with others, the learning in a classroom setting will be enhanced because more insights can be elaborated on.
Along with being prepared, it is important to teach and learn from one another in class. I had a great experience with one of my close friends who is very skilled at editing. I had a paper that I was struggling with and I sat down with my friend and he took the time to explain to me certain editing skills which are valuable in constructing a sound paper. The few tips he gave me have really impacted the way that I write my papers. By being able to learn from my friend I have been able to improve the level of my formal writing. There are so many benefits to being able to learn from one another. Because it is impossible to be a master at everything, being able to be instructed by people who are interested in specific fields or are more knowledgeable in certain subjects allows an individual's knowledge to expand. More knowledge is able to be gained. Further, teaching others is very fulfilling because it builds a person's confidence in themselves. As a teaching assistant, I have had many experiences when teaching other students certain concepts my own knowledge is expanded and solidified in my memory. It is important to teach others because those that are teaching are instructed and both the teacher and the learner are taught and edified together.
The last part of the learning model focusses on the need to ponder and prove the work we do. This past semester I had the opportunity to write a paper for my English 293 class which I spent a substantial amount of time on the front end editing and perfecting. Because of that work, my professor said that I should rework the paper to try and publish it in an academic journal. Because of my professor's feedback, I have spent substantial time going over the paper and doing further research to expand my understanding of the paper's topic. Through further meetings with the professor I plan to prepare the paper to be published. This is an example of how our work should be continually examine our work and prove our learning through stretching our efforts beyond the classroom.
Along with being spiritually prepared, it is imperative to be prepared as an individual. For example, if you fail to do the reading for a class it will drastically affect the kind of input you can offer during class discussions. The learning process is stimulated by individual effort to to contribute to the whole. Individual preparedness bleeds over into being prepared as a group. If effort is put into pre-class discussion, whether through personal learning or online discussion with others, the learning in a classroom setting will be enhanced because more insights can be elaborated on.
Along with being prepared, it is important to teach and learn from one another in class. I had a great experience with one of my close friends who is very skilled at editing. I had a paper that I was struggling with and I sat down with my friend and he took the time to explain to me certain editing skills which are valuable in constructing a sound paper. The few tips he gave me have really impacted the way that I write my papers. By being able to learn from my friend I have been able to improve the level of my formal writing. There are so many benefits to being able to learn from one another. Because it is impossible to be a master at everything, being able to be instructed by people who are interested in specific fields or are more knowledgeable in certain subjects allows an individual's knowledge to expand. More knowledge is able to be gained. Further, teaching others is very fulfilling because it builds a person's confidence in themselves. As a teaching assistant, I have had many experiences when teaching other students certain concepts my own knowledge is expanded and solidified in my memory. It is important to teach others because those that are teaching are instructed and both the teacher and the learner are taught and edified together.
The last part of the learning model focusses on the need to ponder and prove the work we do. This past semester I had the opportunity to write a paper for my English 293 class which I spent a substantial amount of time on the front end editing and perfecting. Because of that work, my professor said that I should rework the paper to try and publish it in an academic journal. Because of my professor's feedback, I have spent substantial time going over the paper and doing further research to expand my understanding of the paper's topic. Through further meetings with the professor I plan to prepare the paper to be published. This is an example of how our work should be continually examine our work and prove our learning through stretching our efforts beyond the classroom.
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