Richard CrampHelping children to become life-long learners
September 11th 2009 09:49
"You gotta quit waiting for something to happen and start doing something about it."
A key wishes for our children should be for them to be eager and effective life-long learners. Remembering that the effective life-long learner does not rejoice on the hubris of their success, nor do they assume that by simple iteration of action their success will be repeated. Rather, they tend to wipe the slate clean as they look to new and better ways of learning.
Learning Continuously
It is often said that education is about preparing our young people for the future and that is logical, because that is where we will live. The problem is that we do not know precisely what that future will look like, nor what issues we will face – it is not a precise science. Particularly in light of the exponential growth in the given that our children But whatever the future, our community is depending on our young people to be the bearers of the wisdom to carry humanity and society forward with integrity, compassion and faith.
While our children we enjoy a great deal of success which can measured through a wide variety of curricular and co-curricular activities such as (eisteddfods, academic competitions, Sporting competitions as well as the high-stakes curriculum impositions of major exams such as the HSC, VCE, QCS, SATs, etc...). However, it would be a flaw of character if they, or we as parents, were to bask in the hubris of recent or long-term successes and say that they have got it right, that what they are doing, in and out of the classroom, represents best practice. Because learning is a dynamic and intensely social practice, and in a world in which traditional notions concerning the interchange and interplay of information, communication, and educational dynamics is suddenly developing blurred edges we cannot take anything for granted. Therefore, success in any field of endeavour is about having appropriate habits of mind that allows one to adapt their learning rather than just reiterate it.
Consequently, among the core values that we should endeavour to instil in our children is that of the life-long learner. This particular value is not determined by how knowledgeable a person is, just as wisdom is not a function of intellect. Rather, it evolves through the humility of knowing that we don't know. This is one of the highest forms of thinking that anyone will ever learn although paradoxically, unless we start off with humility we will never get anywhere. So as the first step in encouraging children to become effective Life-long learners is to develop within them the virtue of the humility to know, and admit, that there are things that they don't know and not be afraid to find out.
As children develop and refine this form of humility their confidence as a learner grows, which in combination with their natural inquisitiveness opens up a whole new approach to learning as they begin to seek new ways of enhancing their learning processes, and subsequently the depth and quality of the knowledge, understandings and skills that they begin to acquire. As their mastery of this Habit of Mind continues to develop they move into a mode in which they are always striving for improvement, always growing, always learning, always modifying and improving themselves. They seize problems, situations, tensions, conflicts and circumstances as valuable opportunities to learn.
An opportunity to start with a clean slate!
The end of each school term marks an opportunity for every student to reflect on their learning journey to date; to use the down time of the holiday break to and assess their strengths and weakness, and plot new and hopefully profitable courses of action. Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can renew their efforts. In starting over with a clean slate, our goal is to be better today than we were yesterday. A chance to approach life and learning with a new outlook, fresh ideas and have the humility to acknowledge the limits of their knowing and understanding.
Albert Einstein once said insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Now is the time for students to assess whether they are in the habit of doing the same thing over and over again without demonstrating any significant progress and to develop new strategies for a more productive future. Any change in behaviour will inevitably involve a degree of responsible risk taking; this takes courage but if the learning process is to be effective we must be prepared to move beyond our comfort zone and try something different occasionally.
Therefore, we should encourage our children to take on board the advice provided not only through their reports but also by way of the feedback that has accompanied the return of their various assessment tasks. In so doing, they should ask themselves, at the very least, these three questions: What have I learned? What is it that can I do better? What can I do differently?
~ Anonymous ~
When the world was a much bigger place, the edges of maps were uncertain and Britannia ruled the seas; a slate tablet was kept near the ships helm on which the watch keeper would record the speeds, distances, headings and tacks during the watch. If there were no problems during the watch, the slate would be wiped clean so that the new watch could start over with a clean slate. This is the origin of the expression: starting over with a clean slate.
A key wishes for our children should be for them to be eager and effective life-long learners. Remembering that the effective life-long learner does not rejoice on the hubris of their success, nor do they assume that by simple iteration of action their success will be repeated. Rather, they tend to wipe the slate clean as they look to new and better ways of learning.
Learning Continuously
It is often said that education is about preparing our young people for the future and that is logical, because that is where we will live. The problem is that we do not know precisely what that future will look like, nor what issues we will face – it is not a precise science. Particularly in light of the exponential growth in the given that our children But whatever the future, our community is depending on our young people to be the bearers of the wisdom to carry humanity and society forward with integrity, compassion and faith.
While our children we enjoy a great deal of success which can measured through a wide variety of curricular and co-curricular activities such as (eisteddfods, academic competitions, Sporting competitions as well as the high-stakes curriculum impositions of major exams such as the HSC, VCE, QCS, SATs, etc...). However, it would be a flaw of character if they, or we as parents, were to bask in the hubris of recent or long-term successes and say that they have got it right, that what they are doing, in and out of the classroom, represents best practice. Because learning is a dynamic and intensely social practice, and in a world in which traditional notions concerning the interchange and interplay of information, communication, and educational dynamics is suddenly developing blurred edges we cannot take anything for granted. Therefore, success in any field of endeavour is about having appropriate habits of mind that allows one to adapt their learning rather than just reiterate it.
Consequently, among the core values that we should endeavour to instil in our children is that of the life-long learner. This particular value is not determined by how knowledgeable a person is, just as wisdom is not a function of intellect. Rather, it evolves through the humility of knowing that we don't know. This is one of the highest forms of thinking that anyone will ever learn although paradoxically, unless we start off with humility we will never get anywhere. So as the first step in encouraging children to become effective Life-long learners is to develop within them the virtue of the humility to know, and admit, that there are things that they don't know and not be afraid to find out.
As children develop and refine this form of humility their confidence as a learner grows, which in combination with their natural inquisitiveness opens up a whole new approach to learning as they begin to seek new ways of enhancing their learning processes, and subsequently the depth and quality of the knowledge, understandings and skills that they begin to acquire. As their mastery of this Habit of Mind continues to develop they move into a mode in which they are always striving for improvement, always growing, always learning, always modifying and improving themselves. They seize problems, situations, tensions, conflicts and circumstances as valuable opportunities to learn.
An opportunity to start with a clean slate!
The end of each school term marks an opportunity for every student to reflect on their learning journey to date; to use the down time of the holiday break to and assess their strengths and weakness, and plot new and hopefully profitable courses of action. Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can renew their efforts. In starting over with a clean slate, our goal is to be better today than we were yesterday. A chance to approach life and learning with a new outlook, fresh ideas and have the humility to acknowledge the limits of their knowing and understanding.
Albert Einstein once said insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Now is the time for students to assess whether they are in the habit of doing the same thing over and over again without demonstrating any significant progress and to develop new strategies for a more productive future. Any change in behaviour will inevitably involve a degree of responsible risk taking; this takes courage but if the learning process is to be effective we must be prepared to move beyond our comfort zone and try something different occasionally.
Therefore, we should encourage our children to take on board the advice provided not only through their reports but also by way of the feedback that has accompanied the return of their various assessment tasks. In so doing, they should ask themselves, at the very least, these three questions: What have I learned? What is it that can I do better? What can I do differently?
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