Learning like a Master: the "most powerful tool you can ever grasp"

Have you heard of the Pomodoro Technique? Neither had I until I viewed a TEDx talk by Barbara Oakley called "Learning how to learn." Anything that teaches you how to learn in a more productive and time efficient way, I thought, is always welcomed, particularly as I had began to master the art of procrastinating rather than the art that was my passion.

The idea of Mastering something has always been alluring, and no, being a Procrastination Master is not one of my goals, however good I may be at it. :D Oakley, a Professor of Engineering at Coursera, a massive open online course provider, speaks about what causes procrastination. Rather than blame the individual and label them as "lazy" or "unmotivated," she highlights how when we procrastinate, whether it is from doing our homework, chores or yes, even writing a novel, we have created a habit of avoiding the initial discomfort. What we need to learn, she says, is that the "pain" of doing the activity always goes away once we begin.

I have found that to be true every time. Once I get started I go into "The Zone." Oakley calls this the "focus mode." A mode where you deeply immerse yourself in an activity, in contrast to the "diffuse mode," a relaxed mode that enables you to see the issue or problem rather than being "stuck" on the problem. If one was to stay focused all the time we would be less productive because we would not allow creative thoughts to arise, therefore, we need to also go into the diffuse mode.

The Pomodoro Technique entails the learner using a timer for 25 minutes of "focused attention." After the time has elapsed the individual is to do something "fun," something they enjoy. This strategy is a way of conditioning your brain to begin enjoying the process, particularly as you anticipate the rewards that will follow. I can see this strategy working for me and have already tried it this morning. My fun activity was having a chat with my one of my son's whilst overlooking the Gold Coast. 

What I love about researchers like Oakley is the way they see learning as being pivotal to nurturing human potential. She says that to build mastery of the material, we, regardless of who we are, need to "combine practice with repetition in a variety of circumstances." Only when we practice do we gain "true mastery." She concludes that this is why "learning how to learn is the most powerful tool [we] can ever grasp." I think so too.

What strategies for getting through procrastination, or resistance, do you use?

A Writer's research routine

Series 1.1 - Beginning Writing

What I have realised is important for anyone about to write a novel is having a PKM routine. What is a PKM routine you ask? In a previous blog I wrote about how a writer, or anyone who is regularly blogging about something they love, will need to have achieved Personal Knowledge Mastery. In order to achieve this mastery they would need to have a routine, albeit an evolving one, but nevertheless a routine that enables them to research, keep track of their research and organise their ideas.

If you're anything like me you may read about how others go about organising their writing day and establishing some kind of routine but you will always modify and adapt the suggestions to suit what works for you. This is why your PKM routine will be unique, it will be personalised to suit your lifestyle and will be something that will be realistic for you.

In the table below I have used Jarche's framework of: Seek > Sense > Share to illustrate my current PKM blogging and writing routine. I do have my preferred tools but occasionally, and due to irresistible curiosity, I will venture off and use other tools, particularly if I think they are better. However, this is how it looks at the moment.

Annelise's PKM routine

PKM	PROCESS	TOOLS AND STRATEGIES
SEEK	Search for information and for valued members of knowledge networks	·         Feedly ·         Chrome bookmarks ·         Google+ ·         Facebook ·         Reddit
SENSE	Reflect on and put into practice what I am learning	·         Write posts on my blog ·         Use Diigo and Mendeley to make notes and categorise the information ·         Write my novel
SHARE	Exchange resources, ideas and experiences with my networks	·         Blog ·         Google+ ·         Diigo ·         Mendeley

As you can see from the above table I use Feedly as my aggregator for my preferred blogs and newsfeeds. I get most of my news from Facebook, Reddit, and, of course, friends and family. I avoid watching television and occasionally may listen to the radio in the car, but only when I don't have my phone to listen to Audible or Youtube. I, like Jarche, carefully select who I follow, as I am only interested in following those who share the insights, observations and commentary that will help me grow, or at least, keep me entertained. I also bookmark websites into particular categories using Chrome. Only within the last month have I shifted most of my focus on this blog. 

It is through the blogging medium that I intend to share with my fellow bloggers or anyone who stops by. I see this blog as my online journal that records my ideas and something that will continually evolve. It will also hold me accountable, something that my paper journal never did. :)

What is your PKM routine? Do you have a writing routine?

Who should write a novel?

Series 1 - Beginning Writing

To begin my adventure into writing my first novel I will explore why beginning to write your own novel poses such a challenge and how I navigated my way through the abyss of "everybody wants to be a writer" and "only very few (almost microscopic) will ever achieve any success." This is a question that has been one of my most fundamental challenges throughout my life. In the end I realised that regardless of what happens I will write because that is what I love to do. 

I have always thought that writing a novel was something that only the privileged or the really talented could do, and only because they had began writing stories throughout their childhood or teenage years. Writers that I particularly admire seem to fulfil this stereotype, such as George Orwell, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Roald Dahl, George R. R. Martin, Mario Puzo and J. K. Rowling, to name just a few. They all wrote for many years, usually beginning in their adolescent years and only becoming successful after at least a decade or two.

I'm sure you have heard of these stories as there is definitely no shortage of the narrative. However, that is just it. It is a narrative that had been popularised in our schooling, where we would learn about great authors, almost like child prodigies, who would go on to become successful writers only after many, many years of writing. What these narratives failed to illustrate was how many authors achieved success later on in their lives and that the key to writing successfully for all authors is the fact that they loved or love what they do. I learnt that it is only when you love the craft of writing that you will persevere with the art.

It was a relief to begin reading and listening to Steven Pressfield, author of the War of Art, who said, "[u]nlike many writers that [we] hear about, [he] did not know he was going to be a writer until well into his later years." He had always loved literature but he did not recognise it as his calling. I fall into this latter camp. After finishing schooling I entered the working world and became a young mother. My world would be my sons for many years, where I would, however, read prolifically, a combination of fiction and non-fiction. What I did notice throughout this time was how much I was drawn to the ideas in novels, and how much I wanted to express the ideas, similar and different, in my own writing.

And now when someone, and there will be many, tells me that "everybody wants to be a writer" and that it is 'incredibly difficult" to publish a novel my response will be, "I write because I have something to say and maybe their are others who want to hear it. If not, at least I am enjoying what I do." 

In this blog my attempt will be to illustrate this journey, and share with you how I learn to write my first novel. This will entail providing you with my ideas on plot, characterisation, and mostly importantly, themes. My learning journey will be structured in a "series" format for the purpose of following me on this journey and for organising the steps of the novel writing process (i.e. Series 1.0, 1.1 ... ). This technique will also separate entries that refer to other areas or ideas that I write about.

What have I learned in NGL?

What has been most illuminating on my journey in NGL, and in my learning journey at this stage of my life, is the importance of learning something that one feels most drawn towards, almost like a "calling" or something that the learner feels puts them in the "zone."

I feel this way when I am writing or creating something that expresses who I am. Whether it is a resource for my learners to help them write in a particular way, or constructing a piece of writing, whether fiction or non-fiction, I feel completely absorbed in the activity, losing track of time and space, almost like someone in love, losing all sight of my worldly existence.

What I have learnt, particularly over the last few years as I have been on a search to find out who I am and what I value the most, is that I seem to be "gifted" in writing across the spectrum, from essay writing to painting entire landscapes through the use of imagery. Indeed, I align with Chekhov's expression, albeit slightly modified, that "non-fiction" is my wife and "fiction" is my lover. I love this expression for it illustrates the nature of learning. We may learn for necessity, as in learning some aspects of a profession or craft that we may not really love but it is necessary to know, or we may learn because we want to know, such as learning about a craft in order to pursue an area that truly provides fulfilment.

One of the most profound insights I have also had is the concept of Personal Knowledge Mastery (PKM). Harold Jarche outlines it as a "set of processes" that helps individuals stay connected in the network era, regardless of their employment status. What I found particularly appealing was the emphasis on individual autonomy and becoming a "master" of one's craft, a craft that is "not directed by external forces," or requiring "management." It is a craft that is developed by the individual because it is in accordance with his or her "abilities, interests and motivation." It is this deeply personal aspect that then enables the individual to acquire the knowledge needed to understand the information and act upon it." Only then can the individual become a "sense-maker" and a "sharer of knowledge." This, as espoused by Jarche, is my aspiration and is what drew me to education in the first place. I wanted, and still do, to be a sharer of knowledge.

One of the goals of NGL, and of my Masters in Learning and Development with USQ, is to "develop an appropriate PKM process" so that I can "continue using it after the course has long completed." This was my major concern before pursuing the Masters. I did not want to engage in a degree that would provide me with endless theory only to have me writing at a more sophisticated level, stuck as a lone voice in an "ivory tower," but not preparing me to be an active contributor to the future of learning and development, particularly in a rapidly changing landscape. Based on my experiences so far I believe I have chosen a degree that will nurture my aspirations, whichever direction I may go.

References:

Downes, S. (2011). “Connectivism” and Connective Knowledge. Retrieved April 09, 2011, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-downes/connectivism-and-connecti_b_804653.html

Me as teacher

One of the blessings I have had as a teacher is being able to experience what is the most effective way to learn, and what factors need to be considered in order to learn effectively. After teaching for many years in the high school environment in a range of subjects, predominantly English, and owning and operating a tutoring centre where I designed, created and implemented an entire junior and senior curriculum, I learnt about the importance of explicitly scaffolding the learning process.

The curriculum required in tutoring, in contrast to the curriculum in high schools, required the deconstruction (i.e. breaking down) of every single task that students may engage with at school. This meant that I needed to create activities that developed the "bare essential" skills, such as the grammar and punctuation required in writing an effective paragraph, to the elements required to write a well-argued essay. Each activity would scaffold the knowledge and skills required of students to be able to write in the genre themselves. I still use this curriculum today and continually improve and refine it, as well as my craft.

One of the advantages, among many, of being a tutor is learning how to deconstruct a piece of writing, regardless of its genre, to its bare essentials. Unlike many teachers in a classroom, who will often be focused more on the basic structure of a task and the content (I know this is a generalisation and I believe this is mostly due to time constraints and the dynamics of the classroom environment), a tutor will need, and has the time, to illustrate to his or her student all of the elements, from the structure of the task to the specific words in each sentence and the grammar and punctuation that is required throughout. The more a tutor does this the more they become effective in scaffolding the knowledge and skills required in their students.

Bigum and Rowan (2013) outlined a study where a tutor, in contrast to a teacher in a formal education system, has the time to allow his or her students to make "[m]istakes," and provide them with the opportunity to learn how to write a particular way, rather than glossing over what is required and guessing. Like Bigum and Rowan assert, "[t]aking the time to work with each student to track down mistakes, errors or accidents is simply not feasible" in formal education, if only because of the large class sizes and the sheer magnitude of what is required to be learnt in each subject area.

What I do want to emphasise is that there are many very effective teachers in formal education environments but, to no fault of their own, cannot ensure that they scaffold the learning of every single student. It is unrealistic as every student has vary levels of knowledge and experience with each genre, and needs varying levels of intervention.

What my experiences as a tutor has illustrated is the importance of intrinsic motivation. Although a student may come to me to help them write an assignment or improve their writing skills, what I have found is that in order to teach them how to acquire the knowledge and tools to become effective writers, I need to base the learning on their needs and interests. If I were merely to approach the task as a series of steps that the student needs to be trained in, I am most likely going to have a student who will learn some skills but will not really be engaged in the learning, and will be quite passive, often not developing the skills themselves, and certainly not becoming life-long learners.

It is the harnessing of a student's intrinsic drive to learn that is what enables them to be pursue learning in the future. I have also noticed that my shear enjoyment of writing and sharing what I ave learnt is infectious, and many of my students begin to want to know about a style of writing or subject that they previously believed was not interesting or worth knowing about.

The subject NGL, a subject that I am currently studying as part of my Masters, illustrates the importance of students learning about things that they themselves want to know. I, like my students, will be taught by a network of teachers on the web on how to write a novel. I will then teach a network of on-line learners, as well as any budding writers who may come to me, on how to write a novel, from the very beginning of constructing a dynamic plot to the very end, editing and polishing a complete novel. This process will teach me more about the elements of effective teaching, elements that I, and anyone wanting to be effective in their craft, can only learn through the practice of being a learner.

References:

Bigum, C., & Rowan, L. (2013). Ladders, Learning and Lessons from Charlie: exploring the potential of public click pedagogy (No. 2).

Me as learner

The subject NGL has inspired me to write my first novel. Although I already have some ideas on what I would like to write about, and have created a rough outline of a possible plot, and began writing the introduction, as all budding writers do, I believed that over the next few months I would need to leave the creative writing dream on the proverbial "backburner" and begin again during the Christmas holidays. Luckily, this was not so and I am able to pursue my passion for writing whilst also completing my Masters. I couldn't ask for anything more; feels almost providential.

To write a novel one needs to have acquired not only effective writing skills but also a deep understanding of all the elements that combine to make a novel worthwhile reading. There are all the things from having real-world characters that the reader wants to learn more about to creating a world that is immersive, tantalising to the senses and illustrates some fundamental truths about life. To do all these things a writer needs to learn the tools of the trade, and the only way I can learn these tools is by becoming actively engaged with the novel writing community, which is massive.

I heard a writer the other day, and I'm not sure where, say that 80% of people want to write their own novel. I'm not so convinced about this percentage but what I do know is that it takes time and effort to master any skill, and I have the love of literature, particularly of writing, to see me through, even the darkest times... I've realised that regardless of where this venture leads me, it will improve my writing skills and will illustrate to me how to become actively engaged into a community of practice.

Due to the large community of writers on the web I know I will have no difficulties in meeting with like-minded writers, or obtaining the knowledge to write an engaging novel. My concern is the sheer magnitude of information that is available and how to navigate my way through. I need to be discerning in what I read and how I use that information to guide the creation of my craft. I also want to ensure that I credit particular writers and sources accurately and not be a, and dare I say it, an "Internet parasite!" Although there are challenges my passion for learning and sharing my love of ideas is what will enable me to overcome any potential hurdles.

What I'm grateful is the opportunity to engage in what I love. I really believe that the subject NGL has provided me with an avenue to do this. Initially I thought it was giving me the "permission" to learn a craft that I want to take beyond my engagement with the course. However, I now realise that rather than providing permission, NGL is illuminating the importance of learners learning what they most want or need to learn. This realisation has been the most powerful.

Me as student

The Masters degree that I am completing includes a subject called "Networked and Global Learning" (NGL). This subject is designed to encourage students to become autonomous learners who are actively engaged within a global community. Through immersing themselves in an on-line environment, and acquiring the skills to use a variety of tools that encourage interconnection, students become networked in an on-line community, where they not only share their ideas but also learn from others and continue to grow their craft.

Through my perception so far, networked and global learning creates the conditions that lead to productive learning, such as enabling learners to join networks that can provide them with the information they may use to further develop, regardless of their field or purpose. This is referred to as joining "communities of practice." In these communities individuals learn from each other, they are both teachers and learners. For example, I am wanting to write my first novel. In order to acquire the knowledge and skills to write the novel, I will network with other individuals who are also writing novels and become a part of their community of practice. Through this community I will eventually acquire the knowledge and skills to become a novelist. Very exciting!

Prior to creating this blog, I had created two other blogs, one on instructional design and another on psychology. Both were an area that I could record my ideas but I had not become actively engaged with others in the same community, I was more of a dabbler, reading other blogs but not actively connecting, and I certainly was not networked. I also found it a rather lonely experience, and no wonder, as I was not moving towards developing the interconnections that I can now see many bloggers achieve. I'm glad that I did have some prior experience before beginning NGL as I was already in that mindset - I wanted to become a member of a community, or more accurately, a member of a "tribe," or several tribes.

What has amazed me most about NGL is how it encourages students to become active learners who are creating things for themselves rather than being passive and merely working towards an assessment task. As a high school teacher I noticed how the consistent focus on assessment would prevent any discussion of other ideas that may or may not be directly related to the exam or assignment. I believed, and still do, that the focus on assessment caused my learners to operate on fear rather than on their own intrinsic desire to learn. This is particularly so in the later years of high school, where there is a primary focus on grades. NGL, appears to me, to be aware of the importance of encouraging learners to guide their own learning based on their interests and what they love.

What is happening in NGL is what I envision as the purpose of learning. Learning, regardless of the environment, should foster the ability of individuals to actively participate in creating something that they, themselves, find as valuable. It took me many years to realise this, and I realise that I needed to go through learning in environments that provide the opposite to understand that in order to learn anything effectively, I needed to be intrinsically motivated to learn it. If I wasn't, or my students were not, then we were both unlikely to continue with the learning after the subject or course was over. And what was worse, we were both unlikely to feel fulfilled.

For this reason I see learning in NGL as Stephen Downes describes in his article "'Connectivism' and Connective Knowledge," written in the Huffington Post. He writes that in a community of practice: "a learner is immersed ... in ways of doing the sorts of things practitioners do, and through practice, becomes more similar in act, thought and values to members of that community." Now this is what real learning is about.