Lifelong Learning
Simple Ways to Promote Lifelong Learning
Lifelong learning is one of my specialties as a human being and as a teacher. I was taught in grad school to look at learning in a new and interesting way. One that focuses on long term instead of short term results. I feel very comfortable with that philosophy.
Take some time right now to think about how you learn.
What is it that you learned to do a long time ago that you still enjoy doing today? Swimming? Dance? Woodworking? Gardening? Knitting? Reading? Or Maybe your passion is something more unique and individual.
Whatever it is, think now about how you learned it. Who was involved? Where did the learning take place? How did you practice and solidify what you learned? How did you feel while you were learning? What smells or tastes do you remember?
Chances are, your learning experience was a multi-sensory one. That means you learned through experiences that involved sight, sound and touch as well as other senses such as smell, taste and balance. It’s also probable that you have some positive feelings associated with that learning.
So when you or the people that you care for need or want to learn something new, thinking in terms of the senses is the best approach for the most meaningful and long term results.
important considerations for learning or teaching
Involve as many of the senses as possible when deciding on how to approach the task of learning. Use talking (both explaining and listening), observing, reading, trying and practicing as well as any combination of the above. The more senses involved, the better results you’ll have.
Let the learner decide the plan for learning. People use any or all of the above in different combinations to achieve their learning goals as long as those choices are available and the learning is considered useful by the learner.
Let the learner decide the pace for learning. Nobody knows how much time is needed to master something but the learner. Your job is to support the learner in their goal and to help them move forward past obstacles that might hinder their success.
Remember to focus on the process of learning, not just the end result. "I see how much effort you're putting into this project and I appreciate it"
Using the tips above can really help people enjoy learning new things. When they enjoy learning, it sets them up for long term success and further learning. As human beings, we’re programmed at birth to learn and it’s supposed to be fun and challenging for us.
Are there things that you’ve learned later in life that have stuck with you? My short list includes, making sushi, pole dancing, yoga, meditation and dealing well with the emotions of very young children.
And after 38 years of trying, I finally learned to lose weight (100 lbs) and keep it off (12 years+). I think we all deserve to enjoy our lives, our food and our energy. But sometimes we're so busy we don't know where to start.
If you or someone you know could use a simple quickstart to an enjoyable low-carb lifestyle, check out this 7-day step-by-step tutorial called Carb Out With Joy! It’s free and it's fun. Learning something new doesn't have to be painful.
Have any interesting stories about learning? Share them in the comments below.