Because of the numerous ideas and opinions, the seminar really helped me understand the ethical issues in stem cell therapy at a deeper level. Though the readings provided sufficient information, it is only affected by my opinions and the writer’s opinions. A deeper level of understanding is not just memorizing and explaining the information, but being able to evaluate the information and understand the relationship between the ideas presented. The seminar really helped me connect the essence of what ethics really is (questions such as what is life or what do we consider a life) to the use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes. Without different opinions and viewpoints from my peers, my own judgment on the issue might not be as thoughtful or rational as presented in this seminar. To conclude, I really hope I will be provided with the opportunity to participate in an activity like this again.
One of the things I really enjoyed during the seminar was the light yet intellectual nature of the discussion. Though we went off topic some of the time (such as talking about replicating dinosaurs, or zebronkeys), new and inspiring ideas were brought to the table to be discussed (new methods for creating artificial stem cells). Having a fun discussion in a serious topic portrays our ability as an IB learner. We are curious about the topic, and is not afraid to provide our own opinions on things we agree or do not agree with. The only thing I wish would be better at the next seminar is the amount of time we have. Ten minutes is a very demanding time to discuss and conclude a certain topic, especially one as controversial and stem cell usage. Perhaps if we had more time, unique and interesting ideas and opinions might emerge out of our discussion, making it even more worthwhile.
