Learning and Education
Essay Question:
How have people in your family learned the things that matter
the most to them -- in the classroom, on the job, from
loved ones or mentors, or by making their own mistakes?
To support your argument, get some family stories about learning
and education. The following questions should elicit family
stories that will be useful to you. Composing your own questions
might be even more successful, especially if you base those
questions on your knowledge of your family chronology and history.
- Who was the best teacher your informant ever had? why? what
did your informant learn?
- What difference has education made in your informant's life?
What would be different if he or she had made different choices
about education?
- What has been the most financially valuable thing your
informant learned? (a job skill? an investment tip? a way of
saving money at home?)
- Has your informant ever learned something valuable by making a
mistake and then figuring out how to make sure it never happens
again?
- Which has your informant valued more, learning how to do
something (like knitting or plowing or applying solvents) or
learning how to think/act (like writing well or being punctual
or paying attention to detail)? Who taught your informant those
things?
- What did your informant learn from his or her mother? what
from his or her father?
- What has your informant taught his or her children and other
younger family members?
More general questions for further conversation:
- Does your informant follow college sports? professional
sports? When and how did your informant decide what teams
to support? Just how loyal is your informant?
- Did your informant play sports when he or she was younger? why
or why not?
- What advice would your informant give you about participating
in sports and athleticism?