Nature offers many different examples of prosperous insects. We have the spider that draws on internal resources to spin its web and draw its food. There is the ant that finds (and drags) all of its food from outside resources. And, then there is the bee, which takes pollen from the flower, produces honey internally, and then stores that honey in honeycombs. The bee therefore combines the external pollen with internal forces to create something new to eat (and to share with other bees and lucky humans). I would suggest that education should mirror the bee whenever possible because students need elements of the spider (the internal resources such as motivation, talent, and background) and also elements of the ant (external sources, such as the teacher's insights) to truly be able to create something new (authentic learning).
We could also take the bee as a metaphor for learning at its most dramatic, as ideas pollinate our environment and allow us to change and grow as a society/culture.
We might also take the goldfish as a type of learning, as they are very hardy and adaptable, sometimes surviving in ice as it melts. We need to be tough and flexible and be able to learn and survive in many different environments, f2f, online, and all points in between.
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