Oh Teacher, My Teacher Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Virtually all mammals, and many species of other animal orders, exhibit parental teaching of skills to their offspring. Most birds, for example, fly around their young demonstrating flying techniques, and will often urge them out to give it a go when they are ready (even being ready to catch them if they don't get it right). Teaching in the animal world is not confined to parent-child interactions. When a new puppy joins a family that already has an older dog, it is clear that the older dog takes on the role of teacher, showing the puppy how things are done around here. (Anecdotally, this is not just intra-species: we had a young terrier who immediately assumed that the new kitten was for her, and taught it both the dog game of wrestling, and the importance of running down the yard to greet your people when they come home.)

The acquisition of one's first language is generally an example of informal learning - it occurs spontaneously in situ, not as part of a planned process. A parent will usually transmit cultural values in a similarly informal manner, but some specific facts and skills may be seen as necessary to instil more formally. For example, playing games may be used as a conscious opportunity to teach, whether it be counting squares as a piece is moved around a board, or spelling the words in a game of Scrabble.

The example of playing football, which may be for entertainment or with a career-specific intent, can also demonstrate some aspects of informal and formal learning. The chances are that a child's exposure to playing football will start informally, with either a family member or a peer group just kicking it around, sharing their knowledge of the physical skills and the rules of the game (either the proper game, or a local set of rules). To develop more skill, they may join a football club which will offer training sessions and competitive games, with instruction more formal but still largely involving a whole group of learners together. If there is interest in playing at a professional level, this will develop into more individual formal training.

You will notice I haven't paid much attention to the official schooling that occurs in many societies for children between roughly the ages of 5 and 18 (older if they choose to continue to university education). This is intentional, as the point that learning occurs throughout life and in many circumstances is central to the quiz! Hence the concluding point about the internet, which gives adults (as well as children, of course) access to continual learning as they choose. You can find facts, you can watch videos to teach a skill, you can play games to improve your tactics, you are in charge of what teachers you locate out there and how you use them.