Face to Face Learning and Play

Back in the olden days, teachers taught their students face-to-face.  Instruction like this is as old as time and part of God's plan.  Missionaries teach in homes face-to-face.  It's natural and is what we as human beings are used to.  Though wether or not sitting down is a good idea is debatable (I tend to think standing is a healthier environment for both work and learning), face-to-face instruction is definitely indespensible.

Face to face interaction is not just lacking in schools but lacking in other social circles, activities, and even in geek culture.  How can a community really be a community without the energy of being in the same presence?  Learning, in of itself, is meant to be a community experience.  Dungeons and Dragons or Magic the Gathering may still be fun online but cannot measure up to the experience on the table.  The bonds we create with our classmates or playmates is much stronger by being in their presence.
The same is for education.  There is an experience in learning in a classroom that cannot be recreated online on a computer.  That experience is what makes traditional schooling (or even gaming) so valuable.  It has an impact on something that cannot be shown in a report card or statistics but can be seen in lasting friendships or even networking.  So the next time you head to class to learn or go to a table to play, appreciate the specialness of bonding with an actual human being.

-Stephen

(Submitted to UsBundles.com scholarship)