“Desperation is a necessary ingredient to learn anything, or creating anything. Period. If you aren’t desperate at some point, you aren’t interested".
— Jim Carry
The world has changed. Education has become democratized. Anyone can learn anything, anytime any day. But only a few numbers of people are making the most or taking advantage of the numerous opportunities available for learning. In the word of Seth Godin in one of his book on Education (Stop stealing dreams; what are schools for?) he said;
“Access to information has radically changed in just 10 years. Khan academy, Wikipedia, a hundred million blogs, and a billion websites mean that if you’re interested enough, you can find the answer, wherever you are. School, then, needs to deliver information so much as to sell kids on wanting to find it. Dumb used to be a byproduct of lack of access, bad teachers, or poor parenting. Today, dumb is a choice, one that’s made by individuals who choose not to learn. If you don’t know what you need to know, that’s fixable. But first you have to want to fix it”.
Fostering a Growth Mindset
“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds unlike our bodies, can continue to growing as long as we live”. — Mortimer Adler.
World renowned Stanford university psychologist Carol Dweck in her outstanding book “Mindset” which she wrote after decades of research posits that there are two mindsets that shapes the view every human adopts for himself or herself which profoundly affects the way we lead our lives: these mindsets could determine whether you will become the person you want to be and whether you will accomplish the things you value. They are;
1) Fixed Mindset; which entails believing that your qualities are carved in stone — which creates urgency for you to prove yourself over and over.
2) Growth Mindset; which entails a believe that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts; that cherished abilities and talents can be developed creating a passion for learning and stretching and challenging yourself again and again until you become better. Opportunities around us has become enormous thanks to the fourth industrial revolution which had made learning democratized such that you can keep improving yourself at any given time can only be maximized if you foster a growth mindset.
Becoming a Lifelong Learner
“In order to create an engaging learning experience, the role instructor is optional, but the role of learner is essential”. — Bernard Bull
Lifelong learning is about creating and sustaining a positive attitude to learning for personal development. This development could also be career-wise or professional. A lifelong learner is intrinsically motivated to learn and become better; it is a deliberate and intentional act which is practiced consistently with the hope of enhancing the quality of our life and better the world around us. Lifelong learning is a habit that we all must cultivate in this 21st century if we are to remain relevant and a force to reckon with in our chosen paths, careers and professions.
P. S: Leave a message for me if there is a topic you would love that I write about the future of school, learning and Education.