Final Post

The "Talking About Freedom" class conversations offered another powerful layer of personal and intellectual growth. The students were able to discuss and argue about the meaning of freedom in various levels politically, cultural and personal. Such talks promoted integrity and sympathy, making all people value diverse opinions. The class contributed to the dissolution of the goal of liberty and responsibility by considering historical examples and practical situations. It is these free-form but respectful sessions that were most remarkable in that the students had no problem thinking and voicing their opinion, challenging, and learning through disagreement. It focused on the notion that education is not only about facts and definitions but about being in the world by actively engaging in discussions among the most intricate ideas of the world critically and with a mutual understanding.

The most relevant experience I have had during this semester was the mock trials. These trials were demanding in terms of preparations that took a lot of research, critical thinking and teamwork. The students were assigned certain roles, i.e. lawyers, witnesses, and even judges, which imitated the tension in the real courtroom. This is where role-playing aspect allowed the scholastic theories to become alive and the theory became practical. The art of legal arguments required not only knowledge of the facts but also the counterarguments and making convincing arguments. The mock trials also led to a high level of teamwork in addition to enhancing people speaking and analytical skills. Any argument was successful and relied on the communication and trust in the group which provided some excellent lessons concerning cooperation and solving problems as a group which have lasted long beyond the school.

The use of AI videos in the coursework has brought a contemporary, innovative aspect of learning. Combining technology and storytelling and research, students were taught to use AI technologies to create educational or illustrative content. Production of the videos required proper planning in terms of writing triggers, organizing visuals, and leveraging on the technology in a meaningful manner. The display of the final videos to the class did not only demonstrate the level of creativity of each of them, but also showed that AI can be used to improve communication and presentation skills. The experience of seeing each group in its specific approach proved that these tools are potent in case of their reasonable use. More to the point, it made one wonder about what the future of learning and communication would be in the age where the concept of AI keeps influencing the ways we share information and communicate our ideas.