Learning is...
How would you respond? "I learned in spite of school," to paraphrase Mark Twain. My learning passion and habits started at home. The foundation laid by my mother: counting, printing my name, and tying my shoes. I mastered the basics of shoe tying and then I challenged myself to do it with my eyes closed. I enjoyed any new learning whether I succeeded or not. There was always a satisfaction in the attempt. And for a sure, the joy once I mastered the next skill level.
Reading was my first "official" learning. I learned the alphabet at home through the song "ABCDEFG". In first grade I discovered the magic of letters forming words combined with other words to form sentences. Wow, a whole story!
Learning begins in the home and needs to continue there. Our family and homes have the potential to be the green house environment to nurture life-long learning. Each one teaches while learning - a mutual we-learning system of person to person, and peer to peer. Mom and Dad learn and teach each other. They then teach and learn side by side with their children. The children in return teach and learn. It grows beyond the home and into the community - an ecosystem of learners throughout the planet.
"Who needs a university when we have Google? All the world's knowledge is available at a search. We can connect those who want to know with those who know" writes Jeff Jarvis in his book "What Would Google Do?" Jarvis quotes Will Richardson's open letter to his children Tess and Tucker. Richardson said that education may take them to classrooms and lead to certification but it may also involve learning through games, communities, and networks build around their interests. "Instead of the piece of paper on the wall that says you are an expert, you will have an array of products and experiences, reflections, and conversations that show your expertise, show what you know, make it transparent. It will be comprised of a body of work and a network of learners that you will continually turn to over time, that will evolve as you evolve, and will capture your most important learning."
I love the possibility of a "network of learners" that supports each of us in our interests and learning styles. So, when we greet each other from text to Twitter, let's ask "what did you learn today?" The details could include our learning about ourselves, others, the world. Each little learning contributing as new facts and new skills are practiced, applied and taught.
I propose a manifesto as a challenge and a call to arms to claim our right and responsibility to learn and teach. We take ownership of the direction and content of our learning. We establish a learning tradition of life-long learning and a legacy of learning.
The We-Learning Manifesto
I know how my brain is wired to learn. I know my beliefs, values, interests and learning style. I learn what I want at my pace and I am supported every step of the way. I teach what I learn to others. I help each family member discover their beliefs, values, interests and learning styles. I teach what I learn. I learn what others teach me.
We, as a community of learners integrate the best learning processes and programs to support us to learn personally and together in fun and easy ways.
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I know how my brain is wired to learnI
