How space unexpectedly affected your learning
This past weekend I found myself in the role of teacher, in a very unlikely learning space. On Saturday I was invited to a mutual friend’s apartment for a barbeque. The unexpected learning that took place was when I was out on the patio. Both of the hosts of the party had just bought a barbeque grill, but neither one had any experience using a charcoal grill (they were only familiar with gas grills). Amused that I was the only one who knew how to light a charcoal barbeque, I was able to demonstrate to them how to set up the briquettes.
Figure 1: Ed working on wiring a light and Ben checking the BBQ
Although I was playing teacher, I also found myself in the role of learner. When I first arrived, I went out to the patio with the ground beef and hamburger buns that I had brought for the party. I came upon Ed, one of the residents, who was working on wiring his outside patio with lights. Upon striking up a conversation, I found out that Ed was an electrical engineering major in college and as also a certified electrician. I learned several things about electrical wiring, such as the green wire being the ground wire, not the black wire as it is in electronic handheld devices. We continued to talk in his living room.
Figure 2: Hal and Ben enjoying the delicious corn that was cooked on the BBQ
The setting itself facilitated these two instances of learning. First, the patio was large and open, allowing me to demonstrate to both of the residents how to initially set up the charcoal. This allowed both of them to see how I configured the charcoal briquettes and ask questions, such as why I was doing things they way I was. When I was learning about electrical wiring, nice couches in the living room between the kitchen and the patio allowed for us to easily talk to each other throughout the house without having to yell or move. This allowed us easy communication while simultaneously coordinating the preparation of food for the barbeque.
Figure 3: Do not touch the back wire
Overall I think that an apartment or house is a good place for many types of learning to go on. Socially, I learned a lot about the residents of the apartment, their backgrounds, and their hobbies. I also learned about their food preferences and what they're planning to do for the rest of the weekend. Learning really can take place anywhere!