The various encounters and experiences I had in Estonia were a precious time for me to experience free learning in my own way. I had the impression that not only schools, but also museums, leisure facilities, nature school, and any other places I visited in Estonia were open to both adults and children as spaces of free learning. Witnessing such scenes and seeing them with my own eyes and moving my hands naturally sharpened my senses, and I had my first experience of learning on my own.
There is no right way to experience and learn
When I joined this tour, I was trying to see something special or something that I could only see in Estonia. Since I had set lifelong education and ICT education as my personal themes, I was expecting to be surprised by what the local people had to say and do regarding these topics. On the first day, when I saw an elementary school classroom, I was impressed by the promotion of digitalization in education and the space that embodied an aspect of an IT-advanced country. However, after 10 days in Estonia, I realized that each place I visited was not simply a fresh and developing situation different from Japan. I thought that there is always a space where everyone is accepted, no matter who they are, what they are experiencing, and with what attitude. It was impossible to get them to explain the space that exists so naturally to them on a daily basis. It is a space that cannot be described only in terms of what is wonderful and special, as I found out through my own learning experience in Estonia.
Cherish the learning of the moment
Looking back on my past experiences, when I learned, I was always with others of my generation in a space where there was always a correct answer in terms of attitude and opinion. In Estonia, I saw children coloring on the steps of a garden, children running around a museum, and adults playing with children's toys. It was refreshing to see a space in Estonia where there were common rules and an atmosphere where everyone felt comfortable, yet everyone was free to experience as much as they wanted. I am so focused on the right way to learn so I may have forgotten how I felt at that age in that place. There was a sense in Estonia that the experience itself was important at that moment, not just the details of the explanation or meaning. That is why the hurdles to learning and experience are low, and anyone can learn whenever and wherever they want to learn.
Lifelong Learning and ICT
Through this study tour, I realized the appeal of lifelong learning, where one can encounter people's natural expressions and impressions without being bound by space. In addition, before my trip, I had the impression that ICT functions for lifelong learning, but after learning about the learning space in Estonia, I discovered that lifelong learning is one of the fields where we can explore how to make the most of learning tools such as ICT.
All of these experiences and discoveries were unexpected, and my free learning in Estonia taught me what I really wanted to know. And these not only surprised and impressed me, but also made me cherish every moment and recall my unique sensations that are difficult to verbalize. In addition to these feelings after returning to Japan, I am hopeful that through various experiences in the future, I will be able to notice things that I could only see in Estonia. I am very grateful to all of you for your support. Thank you very much.