I must confess that I’m like most that get bored rather easily when
it comes to the typical classroom type of learning scenario. Why is it the case
that our educational system continues to use outdated methodology to train up
the kids who will become the leaders of tomorrow? As I begin the grandpa
journey of watching my grandson grow up I want him to love life and love to see
learning as something for a lifetime. Yet, I know that the major responsibility
of training a child isn’t in the typical classroom but out in the real world
with mom, dad and clearly the GRANDPARENTS!
Take a minute and consider who has influenced you the most when it
comes to loving your life and becoming a life long learner regardless of your
age and educational background. I had already finished a science degree before
I was influenced the most about real life learning! Don’t get me wrong the
education I received at Cal-Poly SLO town was exceptional! Yet, it wasn’t until
my religious studies and philosophy degree at San Jose State University that I
was taught how to learn outside the box!
It was one of my religious studies profs, Richard Keading, who
believed that learning was seldom accomplished in the classroom but out in the
real world. I’m so grateful for this former priest turned PhD Theologian who
invited us into his home for wine, cheese and a vibrant discussion about life,
death and before blogging was popular how to journal via Alan Progoff. I had
been accustomed to grueling tests in my Biochem studies that caused you to lose
sleep. Whereas Dr. Keading created an environment where tests were actually a
time of sharing in a group context what you had learned, what challenged you
the most and what was your take away.
I remember laughing with a few fellow philosophy buds how much fun
college had become with this one prof! Yes, we still wrote papers that ranged
from a few pages to I think my longest was over 25! Remember this was the
pre-fossil or dinosaur era before PC’s or the first Apple II was for sale. My
take away from all of this is that the best and most effective way of teaching
is always outside the classroom in the real world where the stars shine at
night, the Grand Canyon or Half Dome take away your breath and inspire you to
do something that before you considered impossible!
I know that writing was never my real passion in undergrad but it
was after my philosophy degree that my Anne’s influence in my life helped me to
learn how to see what others would miss! So I really applaud teachers and
parents who challenge and direct their students and kids to pursue excellence
but to never define what learning looks like for them. So it’s amazing to see
an older adult who couldn’t read learn one page at a time how to decipher words
and then in time express their hearts in a written form. Much like I long for
the day when my grandson will both sit in my lap and read about lions or marine
fish but will also walk with me at the zoo or the big aquarium that’s being
build.
I confess to being a Mac guy that does believe that creativity can
be real for everyone but you have be willing to dive into the arts and not
worry about what others think or say. I applaud the life example of so many of
my mentors and teachers in life who brought to life for me the stark reality
that learning happens best by being involved in a hands on fashion where you
actually do something instead of just talking about it.
This last Saturday I forced a couple of my teens to get up in the
pre-dawn hours to help with doing a large concrete job. We poured a large room
addition that required almost 30 yards of concrete. These two guys were initially
clueless about how to shovel or wheel concrete but by the end of the day they
were starting to figure it out! I had talked about what we were going to do but
it made little sense to these youngsters. It wasn’t until Isaiah dumped his
first wheelbarrow of concrete that he figured out the art of pushing a load and
dumping it into the footing instead of on his foot!
So please quit lecturing and start involving me in what you want me
to learn!
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