Having a son with a learning disability, I have come to a better understanding that learning for many requires a combination of activity and inactivity - like enjoying a fine meal. Learning requires time to satisfy the present hunger in a very active mode, while conversely requiring a substantial time to digest what it is that has been read, heard, or seen. This digestion period allows for better formulation of the information into tangible and appreciable concepts in which one can relate, hopefully helping to retain this newfound knowledge. This digestion period is crucial to the retention of new knowledge because without proper time to contemplate application, knowledge simply becomes noise in an already overloaded circuit. Knowledge should be a dynamic reality - it should help one to grow and to change.

In applying this activity of learning to daily life, we must be ever mindful that we all possess a defined horizon of understanding based upon our pattern of development and learning held throughout our individual lives. Wouldn't our students be more fulfilled learners if they were taught to approach everything with the notion that they can take something (a concept, a truth, etc.) away from every situation and from every person encountered? Educators should believe that they, too, could give the same in return to others because of the knowledge that they possess. Consider how well served our students would be if teaching moments approached the sharing of knowledge in much the way demonstrated through the manner in which Socrates shared knowledge - through dialogue and discourse. Thoughts, ideas, and problems were presented to the group at hand, broken into digestible portions for individual discussion and development, and then reassembled to complete the process leaving all involved with a terrific sense of inclusion and resolution to the discussion, regardless of the participants' levels of expertise entering into the dialogue. This approach had to have been very empowering to the novice learner as he grew to know and appreciate that entering into any dialogue with this teacher would leave the student with a more meaningful approach to life. What a fulfilling experience, too, it must have been for the teacher.

Educational development does not mean just getting something into and out of the mind; it is the development of experience and it is in engaging in the experience that is really desired by students. Perhaps there should be some consideration of returning to these ancient educational methods to break through to students who need to acquire knowledge through alternative methods.

Today, in our Western society, acquiring reliable and useful knowledge can be overwhelming simply because of the ability most of us possess to obtain our knowledge. It is overwhelming because of the shear volume of what we are exposed to on a daily basis. It would be terrific if we could activate the same type of SPAM filter on our brains as many of us do with our e-mail accounts to filter out the junk information and viruses ready to cripple our information pathways.

Guiding our students on the quest for knowledge and using it appropriately could be looked upon as almost like playing a game of Trivial Pursuit. The object of that game is to acquire pie wedges to visually indicate that you possess the most knowledge, thus winning the game. Each class, each business task, each personal encounter with another provides the active learner (player) with another pie piece as the learning game continues. The trick to the game is to never really desire it to end; it should continue throughout life with new players and a new set of challenges and questions to keep it interesting and even amusing. Pursuing knowledge and crossing that threshold from comfortable capacity is like this game - a pursuit of knowledge, a pursuit of life, a pursuit of happiness, and a pursuit of one day knowing and eventually understanding your true self.