With so many online courses nowadays I wonder if the old classroom & chalkboard are not sorely missed.

I remember in university when our blackboard was replaced for a whiteboard written on with marker rather than chalk. The marker stunk up the whole classroom and it was not the same effect visually. Why this unnecessary change, I wondered. Is making change, moving away from the traditional, a change just for the sake of change but not necessarily for the better necessary? Today we see change for economic reasons, change to cut costs, and services. This is called greed. Greed is replacing generosity. Kindness and love is replaced by suspicion and contempt.

With the marker, the teacher did not write as largely, because the point of the marker would not allow for it. It was as if having a pen in handwriting on a very very large board, awkward, we the students could not make out the letters or words written easily. Not the same effect as the smooth, slippery chalk which glided on the blackboard, like a graceful figure skater on ice.

Similarly, reading a book versus reading online, a book creates imaginative thoughts within our minds, as we read we conjure analogies and ideas, we connect our life experiences and understandings to incorporate visions of possibilities and hope in our lives of possibilities. Compared to reading online, or with a Kindle the experience is altogether different for me. The light of the computer and the Kindle wear my eyes out. I often lose my place on the screen, and reading online gives me anxiety as the next click brings more promises of nothing. I want to get the reading over with wherewith the book I relish each word written to grasp for understanding and depth of meaning. As well there are no pages to turn, or I cannot put the computer down as easily as the book, or take the computer or Kindle along as one might, a small book slipped into a coat pocket- the Kindle might break- get stolen or be left behind. These subtle changes in interacting with the medium change our learning experiences as well. I am all for good experiences but with caveats. Does the experience hurt one's overall health and well being and development is a question we can ask ourselves? Or did we give up more than we gained?

Other examples of change are online solo learning, versus the book and teacher in the classroom approach, which we have used for thousands of years. A teacher hopes you'll grasp what s/he says. S/he has gained accredited knowledge and is confirmed into an order of professional standing and authority. They are the authority on a subject and teach it as a standard we trust. S/he shares his experiences and knowledge freely so that you can avoid pitfalls or guides you truthfully on a particular subject matter. 

Each person reasons and understand differently, learning is a personal endeavor. Yet its the relations with the initiator which can make all the difference in a persons ability to grasp the material being taught and to love it with all their heart as passion, its the encouragement and the comradeship and the rapport between learner and teacher which opens the door of possibilities, friendship and life successful careers which inspire the learner to flourish in his and her trade. It's the relationship and presence of the " teacher" who gives authority and value to what is being said. It's the parent-child interaction and relationship which raises a child's development and moral It is the Priest and parishioner interaction which prompts the believer to change and want to strive to be a better Christian, it is the coach and athlete who's relationship makes the athlete perform their best. these interactions spur the learning and the growth of the person in relation to the mentor, teacher, Priest, Boss, Parent. Without the guide, mentor, teacher, or Priest we stand to lose societal bonds of authority forever. We all experienced the disdain or rejection of a mentor, teacher, parent, teacher, Priest, it devastated us and still does- the relations we valued, upheld, and cherished.  We will not feel these rejections with a computer will we, but perhaps just more emptiness and a false sense of authority in the no-man land of internet.

Many throughout life go without adequate help or struggled to learn or grasp effectively enough, in order to come away with a will to continue learning. The parent is absent, the teacher does not notice you,  the coach does not find your abilities adequate enough for a required level of competitiveness. You don't get selected for the job. When these scenarios happen and they will, we feel jaded and cheated because we do want to do our best and we feel we can with the right push, or help or guidance, often this guidance and chance is taken from us harshly. We were not given enough space or time to adjust and learn and adapt. 

It would be so good to have a teacher who is always there for us, to teach us, warn us, protect us, and to help us in any situation or circumstance, someone who loves us unconditionally in relation. Someone in our corner, like a faithful spouse or friend that sticks closer than a brother or sister. 

What If I told you there is this magical no cost lawyer, advocate, and friend. This person is called the Holy Spirit. The Paraclete in Greek is called the  Advocate or helper which is always present when we acknowledge Him.

A Book which comes with a solid and all-knowing Teacher is The Bible, the only Book which comes with an invisible all-knowing, all present all caring and all brilliant Teacher. This Teacher is called the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God works within the pages of the Bible to bring each sentence to life which directly speaks to your situation. Because the Spirit is alive and knows you personally, so that when you are reading the passages of the Bible the Spirit goes to work to show you knowledge and truths specially tailored to your situation and prayer, speaking through your mind and heart to illuminate your situation with the truth. The Bible is our most precious resource. No, we're not perfect but we can try to learn what we don't know or understand by being in a relationship with the Holy Spirit who loves us dearly. Get to know the Holy Spirit today.

Comforter/Helper

1) summoned, called to one' s side, especially called to one' s aid

1a) one who pleads another' s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for the defense, legal assistant, an advocate

1b) one who pleads another' s cause with one, an intercessor

1c) of Christ in his exaltation at God' s right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins

1d) in the widest sense, a helper, assistant

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