There are 4 words that are so deadly, that if you are using them, it almost guarantees you will not be nearly as successful as you want to be. If you use these 4 words it practically prevents you from being successful.What are they? “I already know that.“ - Kevin WilkeLife is a learning experience every moment and every day of our lives – in fact we only stop learning when we die – so anyone who claims not to be learning is already dead.For this to ring true for many we need to be able to take stock and really understand what is meant by learning, both intentionally and what can be called serendipitous or accidental learning.Many set out to learn, for whatever reason, and actually end up by learning a whole lot more than they bargained for – this can be for numerous reasons, either going though numerous branches connected to what we intended to learn or totally accidental learning that came about through the learning process. Take anything that you have learnt throughout your life as an example of this and I’m sure that this will strike a chord for you.Lifelong Learning presupposes that learning is indeed, a lifelong process that usually starts, rather than finishes, where formal education left off and is extremely important today due :
- The rapid changes in technology and the workplace
- The need to adapt and change to new work processes and environments
- The need to be ready to embrace technology change in our present careers
Long gone are the days where workers are guaranteed a “cradle to grave” career, the number of 21st century workers who make it to five years in one job is pretty remarkable and companies are few and far between who invest in gold watches for the 25 year anniversary of their workers.In fact the norm today is not for an extended career in the same job and the same company, but more for “portfolio careers” where people change direction often and rapidly, which in turn, is fueled by their ability to embrace Lifelong Learning.Learning can be represented by community learning, Adult education and training, further education, professional and personal development and self-directed learning – long gone are the days of learning from “sitting by Nelly”, this jut doesn’t happen in all but very rare cases – the norm is more for a lot more autonomous and to some extent, more independent forms of learning.“Since we cannot know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned.”John Holt Learning to learn, is often described as a journey through life where learning is the central lynch-pin, where effective learning and the desire, not just the ability to embrace and adapt to change is highly prized – after all, learning is all about change.Learners, in order to be effective lifelong learners, need to:
- Understand how they learn and to some extent, know what their learning styles and preferences are, in order to fine-tune their learning to themselves.
- Be able to work alone at time, which necessitates a high level of self-discipline, self-confidence and self-motivation.
- Create a supportive and positive environment for learning.
- Learn strategies – memory, learning strategies and knowledge management
- Develop “metacognitive” reflection strategies to actuate the learning process.
Diagram source; http://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/cfl/assets/documents/Research/The campaign for learning UK, sets out the 5 Rs of Lifelong learning as we can see in the diagram.Many are not conscious of that fact that they are indeed already Lifelong Learners, which does not mean that they may have signed up for a distance learning course through a university.Today there are many forms of learning that are carried out on a daily basis which can include searching on Internet and finding solutions to everyday problems such as fixing the car or learning how to hang wallpaper.There is much less of a stigma to “second-chance” learning, where people who left school with few or no qualifications, can, with effort, dedication and the ingredients of Lifelong learning study for a degree or even further – it is just that, a second bite at the cherry.Older generations would have been too preoccupied with their jobs to have had the time, energy or even the opportunities that are available today through distance and online learning – learning is literally everywhere.The long and short of it is that Lifelong Learning is here to stay, some need almost traumatic events in their lives to provide the catalyst to embark upon the learning journey, such as unemployment, divorce or a bereavement – it is exactly this change that provokes and provides the opportunities that would have been otherwise ignored or at least not seized upon.Learning is rich, brings richness much more than wealth ever could and life is far too short not to be a lifelong learner.
© 2011, ©Active Consultants 2011. All rights reserved. Copying in part or in entirety only permitted by written consent
Republished by Blog Post Promoter
