For this assignment you will write a 2-3pages (single-spaced; 1500 words) narrative essay about an instance of learning (or teaching) about your particular interest (pet community) that took place somewhere other than a school setting. The goal is to think about how the experience contributed to your learning in ways that we dont see in classroom spaces. This is because we will continue to hone our research skills as we observe at different sites, and on the electronic sites in the internet. You should be clear about how the learning happened in this place by connecting it to our course readings (at least 3 citations related to learning and development should be included). Use APA formatting and include a reference page (not included in the length requirement). If it helps to compare and contrast your learning experience to a more formal learning setting (i.e., the classroom), you can do this, but be careful! The comparative analysis may limit what you are able to say about the uncommon practices of a unique learning environment.

Questions to consider for this essay (You do NOT have to incorporate questions to all the answers, these are guides to be more analytical) :

Where did the learning experience happen?
For whom is the learning experience meant to include? Who benefits from this learning experience? Who is the audience? For whom is it important?
Why does this learning experience happen? Whats its purpose beyond the immediate situation?
Why is this learning experience important for you?
How did learning happen during this experience? What theories of learning (from class) explain the processes of learning that occurred?
Other items to consider for this assignment:
How is the physical space (e.g. room layout, website, order of modules, etc) arranged and how does this support learning? (if applicable)
How do people engage in learning? 
What tools and materials are used during the learning experience?
Who participates in the experience, and what kinds of relationships exist between the individuals?
What kind of rules and norms of communication exist and how were these visible to you?