Habits of Lifelong Learning: hard, easy, and great fun

The most difficult habit, in this context, really surprised me: “Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner.” I’ve been a lifelong learner, always, and usually leap into new areas with confidence. I’ve taken lots of classes (for fun and other reasons) and met many challenges after library school; my library agency probably began having to learn about computers, upgraded computers, new software and updated versions before most of the rest of the system. We took great pride in making creative typos, because that’s one effective way we’ve learned. I happily took a course in DOS (remember when it was all DOS?); I cheerfully took a course in Windows and embraced the excitement of GUI. The ancient e-mail we got the LVA back in the nineties was SOOO exciting. I was on the training team for the library system when we were about to come up with the Internet. It was great gobs of fun to learn about this amazing new source of information.

But this web 2.0 training is throwing me. I’m apprehensive that I won’t be able to figure out the technical parts.

I realize that part of my problem is—no internet at home for the last several years. I got a Trojan horse and I can’t close the door on it. And I need access at home again for so many reasons – not the least of which is that I really want to be able to download audiobooks.

The easiest habit? It’s a tossup between “Accept responsibility for your own learning” (which goes along with “Have confidence…”) and “Play.” If you have confidence, and know that you’re not going to “break” anything, then play is easy. I also think lifelong learners are frequently self-directed. They either explore ideas on their own, or know when they need to get direction or help. They also take responsibility for “doing the work” (always keep up at least with the reading, I’ve always said…)

But there can be a dangerous misinterpretation of “Accept responsibility for your own learning.” My very bright brother usually gets stuff immediately, or can figure it out. SOMEHOW (?????) he failed to learn that this is not an EXPECTATION in school—the reason you have teachers is so that when you DON”T get it right away, they’re there to help. So he didn’t think he could ask questions if he didn’t get it. This caused him big-time problems in college; even I, his sister, never knew that was how he was operating until he somehow figured it out.

So the corollary to “Accept responsibility for your own learning” means make the effort, do the work, AND “ask for help when you need it!”

I’m also fond of habit 7: “Teach/Mentor others.” Finding out about new things and ideas is so much fun that I often bubble over with wanting to share the information I’ve read or ideas I’ve come across Alas, some folks appreciate this less than others.