Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know. Daniel J. Boorstin
It’s amazing how we can walk through our educational paths acquiring certificates, degrees, training and still have our minds blown by new learning or find ourselves frustrated because we have all this learning, experience and were never told “insert new learning here”.
Lifelong learning is that–striving to learn “what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.”
Here are two major learning’s for me sadly post earning my Master’s degree:
- saying it’s “researched-based” is not enough
- telling me it’s a “best-practice” is not enough
The real question is how do you know? What (empirical) evidence is there that I should spend time learning and cultivating this strategy, skill, or resource?
One way I have pushed my learning is to question, to not take what’s being delivered in a class or training as gospel. I learned to go into settings prepared. Who’s teaching me? Are the materials being shared credible? What is the research behind the “research based”, “best practice” learning I will be partaking in. I learned to question.
The important thing is to not stop questioning. Albert Einstein
Here’s an example of an educational practice that duped me for a long time, learning styles. I spent many years using this language, taking the surveys etc. My day-to-day work is in public schools and my professional learning and conversations with colleagues continues to utilize learning styles. Schools advertise themselves “we address all learning styles” as though that’s a selling point even though learning styles have not been proven to exist –so we are basically publicly declaring on websites, as presenters, educators we don’t know what is “research based” but come learn from us. Sadly, it’s not common knowledge in the education world. Addressing all learning styles very likely appeals to many out there. It sounds good.
Being led to believe something was good for kids and learning it wasn’t or it had little impact on them drove me to wanting to learn more. I began my journey of truly embracing lifelong learning– a desire to dig deeper for further understanding. I needed to know what I was doing was making a difference. I get led astray at times, but I surround myself with folks who nudge me to question or rethink when I am unaware of what I don’t know. I am able to listen, read, search, reflect, and change.
In education we are bombarded with so many ideas and what’s best. We don’t have time to waste on practices that aren’t effective. We only have so much energy and our business is kids, not a bottom dollar– Kids.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mendela
I encourage you to dig deeper. To learn what research really says about how kids learn to x, y, and z. We need to be smart consumers as educators and stop believing that everything we are learning in all education settings is in fact “research based” or a “best practice”.
Lifelong learning is more than reading, more than going to classes, it’s the love of continuing to learn, question, and share with those around you. It’s taking your acquired knowledge and advocating for change when needed. This field has a lot of theory, passions, gut feelings, and politics that all take us in different directions. I don’t want to be duped. I choose to dig deep and question so I can stay focused on what matters. I am in this business for kids and I want to know what I am learning will impact their success.
I’m open to dialogue in the future. It’s likely as I share my learning I will run into some resistance or have light shed on what I thought I knew. I encourage it.
Roots to Leaves 