Because of the overwhelming glut of information in the cyber-universe,
it can be a good idea to get a handle on some good habits for lifelong
learning. For instance, Lori Reed has created an interesting list of 7
1/2 Lifelong Learning Habits. I encourage you to go straight to the primary
document to make sure that I’m not messing this up horribly. Even trusted news
sources can be guilty of twisting stories to their own advantage, and I’m not a
trusted news source! Anyway, a good first lifelong learning habit…or 8 ½’th
learning habit…or…anyway, a good habit of all lifelong learners is to get the
facts. Look up the original sources. If something was originally in Greek or
French or Chinese, try to find someone who can help you translate it directly—or,
time permitting, learn the language and translate it yourself. If you want to
actually learn something, go out and learn it, look at many different
perspectives, and weigh them respectively. (But take a good logic course first,
please!)
Anyway. Tangent. Getting back on track! Below, I will list
the 7 ½ good habits of lifelong learners that Lori Reed has come up with and will
compare myself with them. Not that you necessarily care about me, but here
goes!
Habit 1: Begin
with the end in mind.
Back when I was in middle school, I desperately wanted to be
a librarian. That was my goal. I really, really, really wanted to be a
librarian. I even figured out that I wanted to get my Master’s Degree in
Library Science! However, when I worked at the library when I was sixteen, it
was kind of fun, but all of a sudden I wasn’t so sure about becoming a
librarian for the rest of my life. Of course, some of my lost enthusiasm may
have been because I did hours and hours and hours of shelving nasty adult books
and shelf-reading the nonfiction section. I was still reading lots, though,
even keeping a book log from 2008-2011. I also took a Newbery class for a high
school elective.
By the time I entered college, I was sure I knew what I
wanted to do with my life. I was going to be…an editor! Yes! Shiny flashing
signs illuminated my future! I knew what I wanted to do and I knew that I would
do anything to get there. That continued through last year. But today, I’m not
so sure. I’m now working toward an English major with a minor in School Library
Media, but there’s a little [*cough* A LOT *cough*) more hesitation. But the
cool thing is that I think I’m getting closer to knowing where I should be
going. After all, it’s beginning with the end in mind that’s important, not
ending with the beginning in mind.
Habit 2: Accept
responsibility for your own learning.
There are two major ways to take courses: online and in
person. I have been most familiar with the former, because my entire high
school experience and the majority of my college experience so far has been
with online or distance learning. Naturally, I have had many excellent
teachers, the first of whom were my fabulous parents, who homeschooled me all
the way until high school and then helped me through the flaming obstacle
course of death that was Seton. (A good
flaming obstacle course of death as far as education is concerned, but a flaming
obstacle course of death all the same.)
The main thing I learned through those years, though, was
that self-motivated learning is probably the most efficient and most effective
way to learn. Am I perfect? Heck no. I would much rather read a gripping novel
than slog through my textbooks. I would rather write a book review or play Monopoly
than write an essay on the symbolism of windows in Jane Eyre. However, it turns out that it is often immeasurably satisfying
to write the essay, as painful as it may be, and learn something from it about
life and literature, than to do something mindless. Plus, instant gratification
is just that—instant and fleeting. There is nothing lasting about short-term
gratification. Sure, it can be used for motivation and relaxation when things
get slow (refer to step 7 ½), but a steady diet of instant macaroni and cheese
doesn’t really cut it.
In other words, being in charge of your own learning means recognizing the value of things that take a lot of effort. It means that you have to be willing to make an effort for the things that matter. I don’t really practice what I preach very well, but maybe by taking even more distance and online courses that require me to motivate myself to get the grade will force me to grow up someday. Here’s to the long-term gratification that is college!
Habit 3: View
problems as challenges.
Refer to Habit 2. (Why do two steps when you can do one that
combines the two? That’s why compound words exist, after all. We can learn
philosophy from the English language…then again, maybe not. LOL.)
Habit 4: Have
confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner.
Well, I guess I feel pretty confident that I can learn
pretty effectively…except when I have to learn about computers, cars, science,
really new technologies, woodworking, welding, running or anything to do with
physical coordination, sleight of hand, new musical instruments, . . . .
Habit 5: Create a
learning toolbox.
Still working on this one, but I have a few things I always
go to when I am about to learn something. I’m a visual learner; I have to see
things in order to retain them. If you just say something to me, chances are
that I will forget it in 3 seconds. Try calling me at the grocery store and
asking me to get just one more thing. If I don’t write it down—oops! If you show something to me, though—say, a
picture or a word or a page or whatever, I am more likely to remember it. I’m also
only a kinesthetic learner if drawing and writing count as learning
kinesthetically. If my mom asks me to help her design a quilt border, I have to
draw out my ideas or else I am absolutely useless. I have to write out
checklists and calendars for everything. I have separate calendars and
checklists for my month-to-month existence, my weekly class assignments, my
regular weekly teaching schedule, and finals week(s). No, that’s not a good thing.
Yes, it is the way I live and learn. I guess I’ll have to deal with it or
change somehow.
Habit 6: Use
technology to your advantage.
I am usually pretty good at this. I do what I have to with
what I have, and technology works well. The major pitfall is that I can get
distracted easily by technology and often lose sight of what I really
wanted/needed to do with it.
Habit 7: Teach and/or
mentor others.
This is one I am pretty bad at. Why? I don't teach what I learn in class to a lot of people. I do, however, sometimes discuss what I learn in class with my family. It's not teaching or mentoring, exactly, but it is discussing what I'm learning and asking questions about what they know.
Habit 7 ½: Play!
Whee! This is the best part of learning! Take a break after
learning and sleep or play! Science has proven that cramming doesn’t really do
anything because you don’t give your brain a rest to organize everything. If
you sleep after studying, however…
To be honest, I play too much. No fear of “All work and no
play makes Johnny a dull boy” for me! Ideally, I would be playing with the
stuff I learn more. Instead, I do completely unrelated, mind-numbing things
that probably erase everything good I just learned. So I have some work to do.
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