LIFELONG LEARNING

The "23 Things" program talked about 7 and 1/2 lifelong learning habits used by effective life long learners. They are:

1- Begin with the end in mind
2-Accept responsibility for your own learning
3-View problems as challenges
4-Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner
5-Create your own learning toolbox
6-Use technology to your advantage
7-Teach/Mentor others
1/2-Play

I just watched the pod cast on 7 & ½ Habits. I enjoyed the tutorial. It was presented in an easy to understand format, not progressing too quickly or too slowly. The pictures were also enjoyable.

Easiest habits of the 7 & ½ Habits for me is Teach/mentor others. I enjoy teaching my Sunday school 1st graders. One of my favorite’s aspects of my job at the library is teaching patrons how to use the our on line card catalog.

The next easiest habit is view problems as challenges. My philosophy about life is every obstacle placed in front of me is an opportunity to learn and grow. Life would be very boring if you already knew everything and had no interesting little bumps along the way. After all life is the journey not the destination.

Accept responsibility for your own learning. I always hated the kids in school who understood math problems right away. I would have to work on them for hours before the light bulb above my head would light up. I understood at an early age that some things are understood quickly while others take longer.

Begin with the end in mind. I am pretty good about this habit. When I start a project I have the end envisioned. The problem is a lot of time once into the process, my goal changes. I took a course at my community college in home electrical, the end in mind to be able to know when I was being charged for unnecessary things. I thought it would be a course that explained electrical terms. The course did that and so much more, I am now able to wire a house or fix small electrical lamps or extension cords.

Hardest habits for me are
Confidence in myself as a competent effective learner. I am not a confident person. My whole world changed drastically two years ago and my confidence seems to have disappeared. Many times I hear myself saying out loud YOU CAN DO THIS. I have to admit I am usually amazed when I do accomplish the task. An example would be I did not know anything about PC’s. I have a friend that helped talk me through tearing a computer apart to see the mother board and explain everything to me so when someone talked about a part of the computer I would understand. The friend talked me through putting the computer back together and downloading the different programs. Yes the computer does work. My fear of breaking a computer disappeared.

Play. I don’t seem to have enough hours in a day to play. I schedule one afternoon a month to go out with friends for lunch and a movie. The time it takes for that causes enough of a backload that it takes a week to catch up