How and where do people learn? Stop and think about it. The answer may not be as simple as it seems.
The obvious answer is that we learn in school. That’s where our children learn a lot – we hope. However, I also hope that if you apply this question to yourself, that MSBO and our many conferences came to mind. Between MSBO and MIEM (rhymes with team), we conduct nearly 100 workshops and conferences a year on school business topics. We know a lot of learning goes on there.
But if you go deeper than the obvious, you’ll realize how many opportunities there are for learning in every day life. For whatever reason, I started thinking about this one day and began to track the ways in which I learn. I start my day with the newspaper, I drive to work listening to news reports on National Public Radio, and I try to read a capitol reporter/newsletter every morning to find out what’s up in Lansing. I may scan a magazine or newsletter from another organization as I settle in for the day.
Then, the phone calls start, and I learn what our members are thinking. I make additional calls and learn the answers to people’s questions.
Also during the day I spend anywhere from a few minutes to an hour searching for information on the Internet. That’s where I learn the most recent financial data about Michigan’s economy and the status of School Aid revenues. Literally, you can find pretty much anything and everything on the Internet. It may sound crazy, but some times I just “Google” things that interest me, or that I need. For example, there are websites called, “How Stuff Works” and “How Things Work” where I can wander around for hours. Or, when I want something specific I Google, “How to install a floor” or whatever home job I’m working on at the time. There are jokes, cartoons, education related statistics and so much other content that you can’t fathom it. Once you start playing with your search criteria, you can spend hours and find out about almost anything.
Of course, the MDE and state government both have very useful websites for finding out about school laws and regulations. If you haven’t spent time learning what’s available there, I highly recommend it. Want to know about schools of choice provisions? Go to the MDE website or just Google, “schools of choice and Michigan” and you’ll find a link that takes you to several useful pages.
When I work out or take a walk I wear an iPod. I don’t listen to music; I listen to books and podcasts. Have you seen what’s available? While I couldn’t read the book, “The World is Flat,” I could listen to it - it took nearly 20 hours, most of it while I was driving to and from a meeting in the western end of the Upper Peninsula. It’s a book that changed the way I viewed the world and I never would have read it thoroughly, but it was a great listen. I’ve listened to numerous other books, both fiction and non-fiction over the past few years. Listening to books in the car makes time go by so fast that I have actually regretted arriving at my destination because I was so engrossed in listening to a good book. I’ve probably listened to more than 100 books in the last three years.
But what I’ve really become obsessed with is podcasts. I love National Public Radio but rarely have the opportunity to listen to programs that air during the workday. Then I found I could download many of my favorites…for free. I also found free podcasts for the Harvard Business Review, and many free lectures from some of the top universities in the country at iTunes University. You can see and hear lectures and films from Stanford, Yale, the Wharton School, U of M, IBM and much more. Most of it for free. It is overwhelming but worth the time to explore if you are really interested in expanding your horizons and/or learning as a hobby!
What are the implications? First, if you believe in lifelong learning, think about the possibilities for you, your staff, and your students. Pick a subject, pick a strategy and spend 30 minutes a week on it; surf the Internet, try out some free podcasts, or dive into listening to books. I can assure you that if I can figure this out, nearly anyone can. I am not a computer whiz, more like the person that all those “Nitwits Guides” are written for.
This also causes me to think about education in general. How many classes still have a teacher in a classroom talking to 25 students? While that may always be necessary and appropriate for K-8 students, will it always be right for high school and college students? Are we teaching our students good research skills for the modern age? Can some students learn some subjects without having an adult looking over their shoulder? Can technology be used to improve education and lower our costs?
These questions are yet to be answered. However, one thing is clear: learning happens in many ways, in many places. The opportunities are incredible for you as an individual and for our students. It takes people who are creative and willing to try new things, and perhaps fail a few times, to take full advantage of what is available. The next big information revolution is just beginning.