As a learner I am going to share with you my learning journey as I attempt to write my first novel. I have written many short stories and monologues, mostly during my time as a high school teacher, but have never written an entire novel. This section of my blog aims to teach you what I am learning, and as I teach you I will also learn.
Although I have a degree in English Literature, I did not learn in-depth about the structure of a novel, or how to write any aspect of it. The degree mostly involved critically analysing the literature. This was certainly worthwhile but did not reveal the inside world of writing an engaging novel, such as how to create characters that the reader falls in love with or how to keep the reader engaged until the very end.
One of my favourite quotes is, "You teach best what you most need to learn" by Richard Bach, an American author. I have learnt this to be one of life's truisms. In all the writings by teachers and authors that I have known or read about, a universal theme always emerges: that the writer, who ever they were, had needed most to learn what they taught or wrote about. For this reason, I am writing a novel to express the ideas that I most need to learn.
I see literature as being one of the essential ways that provide insight into how to live. When I use the word literature I am encapsulating all forms of storytelling, from films to novels. Therefore, I see story as fundamental to how we make meaning, and the story I want to write, I believe, needs to be shared.
The novel that I have decided to write will illustrate an idea that I am most in love with, the idea that through life's challenges, and sometimes tragedies, we can learn to become who we are meant to be. It may sound simplistic but to me it is a fundamental truth.
So, please join me on my journey. I look forward to hearing about what you think of my ideas and your experiences with writing and literature.
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Learning in an interconnected world
As an educator who has had experience teaching people of all ages, not only teenagers but also adults, the most significant change that I have noticed is the increasingly rapid change in communication.
If I compare how my students and I are communicating compared to only five years ago, I have noticed that we now spend most of our time in front of our computers, emailing, blogging, messaging, researching and viewing, all on a platform that is connected with individuals around the world.
Although there are many things that have stayed the same, such as the structure of schooling at all levels, what is obvious is the knowledge and skills we need in the future will be very different to what we need right now. I have particularly noticed this in regards to social media and how much this platform is being utilised by government and non-government institutions, and businesses of all types, to interact with their audience. Gone are the days where we would need to get out there and find like-minded individuals or have to pay for expensive advertising to spread our message. This still exists but it is not the most influential way, and certainly not the most effective.
It is now a matter of becoming an active online voice, cultivating a social presence that connects with a "tribe," as espoused by Seth Godin, a leading marketer in his e-book Tribes (2011). He writes about how in order to be effective communicators in the 21st Century, particularly if we want to "lead, connect with or create a movement," whether it is for profit or non-profit, we need to be actively engaged online with our tribe - those who want or need to hear our message. Since writing Tribes he has been prolific in talking about the importance of lifelong learning as being pivotal to not only "surviving" in the future but to "excelling."
I think it is also too easy to say that the "millennial" generation or "Y" generation are already interconnected because all they have known is the Internet since they were born. I thought this when I first began teaching teenagers ten years ago but what I found over the years was that many did not have the experience of using the new technologies that I expected them to just "naturally" have. They would often protest in having to engage in online learning because of a lack of skills, most often compounded by inadequate access to technology within the school.
I think what is essential is having the awareness of the "new rules of the game." This was predicted over a quarter of a century ago by Kolb (1984). He highlighted how the "emerging "global village"" required educators to provide their students with "state of the art" skills in order to "stay abreast of events" - meaning that if students, regardless of who they are, do not acquire the skills they won't be preparing for the future, particularly a future that requires them to "re-learn" rather than stay in one field or perform to the "old rules of the game."
What I think needs to change, if we, as individuals, are going to be able to contribute in an increasingly interconnected world is how we view learning. I like the idea of seeing learning as continual and ever-changing. I agree with Kolb when he writes that learning should no longer be seen as just for "kids" but a "central lifelong task for personal development and career success (1984)." This includes learning to communicate in ways we can even not foresee.
How do you feel about the future of communication? Are you actively engaged online or are you interested in cultivating an online presence? I would love to hear your ideas on this.
References:
Godin. S. (2011). Tribes [E-reader version]. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/books?id=vD4q8qj1dtkC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
If I compare how my students and I are communicating compared to only five years ago, I have noticed that we now spend most of our time in front of our computers, emailing, blogging, messaging, researching and viewing, all on a platform that is connected with individuals around the world.
Although there are many things that have stayed the same, such as the structure of schooling at all levels, what is obvious is the knowledge and skills we need in the future will be very different to what we need right now. I have particularly noticed this in regards to social media and how much this platform is being utilised by government and non-government institutions, and businesses of all types, to interact with their audience. Gone are the days where we would need to get out there and find like-minded individuals or have to pay for expensive advertising to spread our message. This still exists but it is not the most influential way, and certainly not the most effective.
It is now a matter of becoming an active online voice, cultivating a social presence that connects with a "tribe," as espoused by Seth Godin, a leading marketer in his e-book Tribes (2011). He writes about how in order to be effective communicators in the 21st Century, particularly if we want to "lead, connect with or create a movement," whether it is for profit or non-profit, we need to be actively engaged online with our tribe - those who want or need to hear our message. Since writing Tribes he has been prolific in talking about the importance of lifelong learning as being pivotal to not only "surviving" in the future but to "excelling."
I think it is also too easy to say that the "millennial" generation or "Y" generation are already interconnected because all they have known is the Internet since they were born. I thought this when I first began teaching teenagers ten years ago but what I found over the years was that many did not have the experience of using the new technologies that I expected them to just "naturally" have. They would often protest in having to engage in online learning because of a lack of skills, most often compounded by inadequate access to technology within the school.
I think what is essential is having the awareness of the "new rules of the game." This was predicted over a quarter of a century ago by Kolb (1984). He highlighted how the "emerging "global village"" required educators to provide their students with "state of the art" skills in order to "stay abreast of events" - meaning that if students, regardless of who they are, do not acquire the skills they won't be preparing for the future, particularly a future that requires them to "re-learn" rather than stay in one field or perform to the "old rules of the game."
What I think needs to change, if we, as individuals, are going to be able to contribute in an increasingly interconnected world is how we view learning. I like the idea of seeing learning as continual and ever-changing. I agree with Kolb when he writes that learning should no longer be seen as just for "kids" but a "central lifelong task for personal development and career success (1984)." This includes learning to communicate in ways we can even not foresee.
How do you feel about the future of communication? Are you actively engaged online or are you interested in cultivating an online presence? I would love to hear your ideas on this.
References:
Godin. S. (2011). Tribes [E-reader version]. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/books?id=vD4q8qj1dtkC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Monday, 28 July 2014
Welcome to Life-changing Learning
Hi there,
Welcome to my blog on changing your life through learning.
I want to take you along on my journey enquiring into everything and anything that is about learning how to live a fulfilled life doing what you love. I will be sharing with you my ideas on how to live a life of purpose and how lifelong learning is an essential part of being able to achieve this. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that it is only through learning that we can achieve any change, and I will be providing you with my personal experiences as anecdotes to illustrate this.
It is my goal to become a learning and career coach (I will think of a better title soon as I think this role will evolve and a new title is just around the corner, or maybe I'll invent it!). I am currently tutoring and coaching students who are in high school and university, and at all stages of the learning and development process, so in a way I am already achieving my goal. However, I would like to play a much greater role in helping my students achieve their life purpose, providing courses, group sessions and programs, writing guides and books (both fiction and non-fiction) and making videos, and maybe even one day retreats where I can provide my students with the strategies and knowhow on how to make their dreams come true.
When I initially started tutoring privately I did not envisage how immensely satisfying I would find the work and how much the role would require coaching/counselling skills and also the creative ability to cater for a variety of needs and wants. It is fantastic and something that I feel is my "calling." I love my students and can see their amazing potential to be who they want to be.
I am currently completing a Masters in Learning and Development with the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). I have chosen this degree because I love learning and helping others learn, particularly helping others achieve their goals in order to change their life. The degree is the most innovative that I have come across, and with my experience within the university setting, I am very impressed. I will share with you everything that I learn, and how I think it contributes to the field of learning and human development.
Please join me on my journey, and I look forward to sharing with you what I learn along the way and how that can contribute to the field of living the life you were meant to live.
Welcome to my blog on changing your life through learning.
I want to take you along on my journey enquiring into everything and anything that is about learning how to live a fulfilled life doing what you love. I will be sharing with you my ideas on how to live a life of purpose and how lifelong learning is an essential part of being able to achieve this. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that it is only through learning that we can achieve any change, and I will be providing you with my personal experiences as anecdotes to illustrate this.
It is my goal to become a learning and career coach (I will think of a better title soon as I think this role will evolve and a new title is just around the corner, or maybe I'll invent it!). I am currently tutoring and coaching students who are in high school and university, and at all stages of the learning and development process, so in a way I am already achieving my goal. However, I would like to play a much greater role in helping my students achieve their life purpose, providing courses, group sessions and programs, writing guides and books (both fiction and non-fiction) and making videos, and maybe even one day retreats where I can provide my students with the strategies and knowhow on how to make their dreams come true.
When I initially started tutoring privately I did not envisage how immensely satisfying I would find the work and how much the role would require coaching/counselling skills and also the creative ability to cater for a variety of needs and wants. It is fantastic and something that I feel is my "calling." I love my students and can see their amazing potential to be who they want to be.
I am currently completing a Masters in Learning and Development with the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). I have chosen this degree because I love learning and helping others learn, particularly helping others achieve their goals in order to change their life. The degree is the most innovative that I have come across, and with my experience within the university setting, I am very impressed. I will share with you everything that I learn, and how I think it contributes to the field of learning and human development.
Please join me on my journey, and I look forward to sharing with you what I learn along the way and how that can contribute to the field of living the life you were meant to live.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)