Begin with the end in mind: What does this mean? Is there an end to lifelong learning? I understand this as a prosaic concept, as in if you are building a table you either need a schematic to guide the process or at least a good idea of what the finished product should look like? But, what about flexibility? Perhaps I will get inspired and make a chair instead! This is often the way with a research project, for example, where, although one certainly needs a hypothesis to guide the research process, the research findings will often direct the thesis.
Accept responsibility for your own learning: Self-directed learning is great, and after more than a decade of tertiary education I really like doing my own thing in terms of further education. This is one area where I really like new technologies. Never before has so much knowledge been so accessible. I will often watch a documentary or film on television and then get online for supplementary information and often request a book from the library to pursue the area of interest in a fuller fashion. But, there is a great need for self-discipline and self-editing. While the former is not such a big problem, the latter (I believe) is never sufficient. It is important, therefore, to divest some responsibility every now and then.
I was not impressed by the ambiguous 7 ½ habits of life-long learners, which seemed vague and border-line “new age”, with affirmations such as “have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner” and “create your own learning toolbox”. I want more concrete concepts. One piece of advice that I would offer would be to watch a documentary on a subject that you would not otherwise have an interest in, or, in a similar vein, read a book on a subject you know nothing about. The best advice, I think, for life-long learning is to develop listening skills and experience the world outside one’s own ego and/or comfort zone.
No comments:
Post a Comment