When I think about education during my formative years, my lasting impression was being fed information. In class, that meant the teacher and textbook were the main resources, with occasional trips to the library whenever I had a research assignment. For any given subject, I wasn’t getting to choose what or how I was being taught. I never thought about how limiting my learning experience was until much later, as an adult.
Fast forward to today, where billions of people connect to the internet. I can now learn from a beginner or expert. I can learn through videos, blog posts, and Q&A forums. The variety of perspectives and modalities means I’m less likely to get stuck and more likely to have a deeper understanding of whatever I’m trying to learn, all mostly for free. That’s magical.
Like many people, I sometimes take it all for granted. I’ll watch the latest meme, or dabble on social media, and wonder where the time went. But most days, I remember the internet is the greatest learning tool ever invented and I shouldn’t waste the opportunity to grow. I am so thankful.