CogTools - My Name is Mudd: Reflections of a Learner

The study and research I have done on learning theories has been instrumental in my understanding of all three strands that we are studying as part of the MALT program.  The introduction of having to read a guy named John Dewey’s learning theories and perspective really opened the door for an understanding into how educators (or trainers,) can evolve their learning and teaching style.  By evolve, I am referring to a hopeful swing of teaching and instructional dynamic to incorporate different methods and instructional techniques to facilitate learning.

Teachers, instructors, and trainers (or by any other title,) are positions of great power.  Power that I fear is often not wielded prudently.  I feel too often this power of instruction is used for learning as well as the inculcation of a political agenda or perspective that the instructor desires to create a following perspective in the student.  This last point obviously steps away from learning and into indoctrination.  

Fortunately, my studies target learning, learning theory, learning techniques, and instructional methods.  I feel like I am now becoming aware of an untouched treasure trove of ways to aid learning and create more interest to those I train.  The benefits of what I have learned have already provided a wealth of curriculum development as well as positive insight into what my students would like to see and learn (through survey answers,) for changes to the way I/we teach courses.

Oh, and the title IS a reference to Primus. :)

CogTools - J.S. Brown: Chief of Confusion

J.S. Brown – Probably one really cool dude to know

While doing research for our class “Learning Theory Taxonomy” assignment over the last ten days I have found that my initial disappointment into my pick (John Seely Brown,) has also turned into appreciation for reading into his perspectives on learning.  My initial disappointment was only present because I had a hard time trying to find what his "Learning Theory" was and internet searches and university library articles did not spell out anything explicitly.

From what I could find on J.S. Brown (or JSB,) he doesn’t really have a theory per se, as much as he has a vast amount of perspective on how he believes learning occurs as well as reflections of how technology mediums can be used to further learning.  It may be hard for one to ascertain a specific theory representation on his perspectives.  After reading some of his book (co-authored with Paul Duguid,) “The Social Life of Information” it is clear that he believes that learning is social in nature and CoP’s can be a great environment for learning.

In the book there is an interesting distinction made between knowledge and information.  

“People treat information as a self-contained substance.  It is something that people pick up, possess, pass around, put in a database, lose, find, write down, accumulate, count, compare, and so forth.” (p.120)

Later, knowledge is noted as;

“… something we digest rather than merely hold.  It entails the knower’s understanding and some degree of commitment.  Thus while one person often has conflicting information, he or she will not usually have conflicting knowledge.” (p.120)

These are interesting distinctions, as I instruct personnel I do not want to deliver information to the learner, I would like to teach information (ideally; impart knowledge,) that they can apply to gain personal knowledge and meaning from.

In addition to reading about learning, the concept of knowledge management and the implications of CoP’s in learning I also have the benefit of consulting his website for information.  JSB is a HUGE proponent of the benefits of using technology to collaborate and further nearly any learning endeavor.  The internet requires a different learning style to be used by anyone who uses it to learn.  Information can be quickly assembled, learned, applied, and shared and JSB is a true believer that this is revolutionizing learning.  Brown is alive and well and has a very enjoyable website to use to learn about him.  You can view it here.

“If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.” – Thomas Watson, founder IBM

CogTools - Learning From Afar Is Not Far From Learning

Learning from afar is not far from learning:

Happy eighteenth birthday, Hotel-November.  I love you.  Trust in the Lord, you are smart and you press yourself and I know you will go far.

My journey as an adult learner has been particularly enriched by the blessing of having two daughters.  I have both a sophomore and senior in high school.  In addition to all the parental learning (and learning of myself and who I am,) over the last eighteen years I have had the wonderful experience of learning from and through my children as they explore and thrive in their learning experiences. 

From the time until my older daughter was eight and the younger was 5, they grew up as military brats.  While I detest that term, I use it only to denote that their experiences in their younger years were a mix of moves and up-rootings from schools along with the social and family stresses that come along with their sacrifices for military service.  We were able to send them to private school until they got older.  Regardless of how one may feel about private schools, we were able to appreciate two distinct benefits.  

First, their schools were private Christian schools which we feel provided a positive atmosphere of faith and caring in addition to learning. (Both their Mom and I were blessed to have attended private schools growing up and we wanted to provide the same for our kids, Mom = Lutheran, Dad = Catholic, but it’s all good. ;) ).  Secondly, private schools offer a more concentrated student to teacher ratio which can be very beneficial to depth of learning.  

Now they attend a large public high school and they both are both in primarily honors and A.P. classes with classes of limited size and (largely) limited to students of a similar level of intelligence.  Specifically, I mention this because they both are learning many concepts I have never learned.  The expectations of their projects and writing level rival the organization and depth required of my work at a junior college (and some undergrad work,) from twenty years ago.  The requirement of them to utilize technology and grow with their teachers in challenges to learn more is astounding.  The most significant point of all of my mentioning of this is that they are up to the task.  

Today’s children and youth are up to such a high level (through technological prowess and manipulation,) that in many ways they are begging to learn even more.  In the past, I had believed that one had to be soft when teaching youth, to take your foot off the accelerator from teaching them and let them relax from learning all the time.  While it is certainly important “for a kid to just be a kid sometimes,” I am finding that I reject my former perspective more and more each time I learn from my girls.