1st Rule of Learning
Do Something, Anything-
Do anything and everything. Make something, read something, type something, create something or do anything that gets you out of your routine. Improve what you are doing both at school and at home. Use some tools, learn a new app, play a game or start a new hobby. Just do something so that you don't become the person who has to ask for help on everything.
Remember it doesn't have to be impressive, earth shattering, or world changing. Whatever you do it is new to you. Something you can get excited about and share with friends. Don't be afraid to be a Nerd or a Geek about something. You are the Naked Dancing Man seeking your first follower. (See previous blog post)
Do anything and everything. Make something, read something, type something, create something or do anything that gets you out of your routine. Improve what you are doing both at school and at home. Use some tools, learn a new app, play a game or start a new hobby. Just do something so that you don't become the person who has to ask for help on everything.
Remember it doesn't have to be impressive, earth shattering, or world changing. Whatever you do it is new to you. Something you can get excited about and share with friends. Don't be afraid to be a Nerd or a Geek about something. You are the Naked Dancing Man seeking your first follower. (See previous blog post)
2nd Rule of Learning
Learn something that will improve your life.-
Choose to learn a skill, learn to create something you can use or learn something that helps you be a better person. Don't let lack of skill prevent you from do something. Learn how to use an app to help you during the day. Learn to how to saute so you can improve your cooking skills. Better yet teach yourself to hammer a nail so that you can begin building the project you always wanted.
What is important? You have learned something that may help you do something else. We are always hearing about waiting to do something until we can get someone to do it for us. Stop! Google it. YouTube it. Grow a little while learning a new skill.
Choose to learn a skill, learn to create something you can use or learn something that helps you be a better person. Don't let lack of skill prevent you from do something. Learn how to use an app to help you during the day. Learn to how to saute so you can improve your cooking skills. Better yet teach yourself to hammer a nail so that you can begin building the project you always wanted.
What is important? You have learned something that may help you do something else. We are always hearing about waiting to do something until we can get someone to do it for us. Stop! Google it. YouTube it. Grow a little while learning a new skill.
3rd Rule of Learning
Don't wait to get started.-
We are constantly hearing ideas and projects that aren't even attempted because of the "don't haves". Shut up! Use the resources you do have. If you don't have field trip money? Use a virtual field trip. Don't have the right software? Search for free or promo software. Build a house out of cardboard. Sew a jacket out of old jeans. Be creative and learn something to achieve your goal.
In the end more great ideas are lost because of Negative Nellies not having the perfect skill or tool. Being a lifelong learner means you figure out the work-around. How many successful people have become successful by doing something and others taking notice. If you aren't afraid to dance naked once in a while you will never be noticed.
We are constantly hearing ideas and projects that aren't even attempted because of the "don't haves". Shut up! Use the resources you do have. If you don't have field trip money? Use a virtual field trip. Don't have the right software? Search for free or promo software. Build a house out of cardboard. Sew a jacket out of old jeans. Be creative and learn something to achieve your goal.
In the end more great ideas are lost because of Negative Nellies not having the perfect skill or tool. Being a lifelong learner means you figure out the work-around. How many successful people have become successful by doing something and others taking notice. If you aren't afraid to dance naked once in a while you will never be noticed.
4th Rule of Learning
Set a goal or project.-
Learning something. If you don't have a reason or purpose to learn then you aren't engaged. (Students think about this every day) Set a goal. Communicate that goal. Envision a project. Write down where you want to go, what you want to build, or what you want to improve. Once you have a reason for doing something it becomes easier to learn the things you need to accomplish the goal.
I haven't a single reason to learn a new LMS software. I won't ever work with it beyond showing someone how to log in. Yet, I want to learn how it works because I see how powerful it could be in a classroom. I set a goal. Build a summer training that will include this LMS program so that I can learn how it works. Once I am done I will be able to use this software however I want. I can forget it even exists. The point is I learned how to do something that may help me when it is important to achieve a goal later on in life.
Learning something. If you don't have a reason or purpose to learn then you aren't engaged. (Students think about this every day) Set a goal. Communicate that goal. Envision a project. Write down where you want to go, what you want to build, or what you want to improve. Once you have a reason for doing something it becomes easier to learn the things you need to accomplish the goal.
I haven't a single reason to learn a new LMS software. I won't ever work with it beyond showing someone how to log in. Yet, I want to learn how it works because I see how powerful it could be in a classroom. I set a goal. Build a summer training that will include this LMS program so that I can learn how it works. Once I am done I will be able to use this software however I want. I can forget it even exists. The point is I learned how to do something that may help me when it is important to achieve a goal later on in life.
5th Rule of Learning
Ask!
If you can't find the answer to your questions or figure them out, ask someone. Give it an honest try and then ask. Questions are how we grow. Research only goes so far. We often won't ask because we are afraid. Feed back and criticism can be extremely helpful but often we won't ask for fear of negativity or feeling stupid because everyone else already knows the answer. Put yourself out there more and more. Practice asking for help so that you recognize how to find answers or feedback that helps you with improvements. Learning is about the questions. If a student can recite words off of a page that doesn't translate into meaningful learning. The same goes for you. When you are doing, you should be asking.
If you can't find the answer to your questions or figure them out, ask someone. Give it an honest try and then ask. Questions are how we grow. Research only goes so far. We often won't ask because we are afraid. Feed back and criticism can be extremely helpful but often we won't ask for fear of negativity or feeling stupid because everyone else already knows the answer. Put yourself out there more and more. Practice asking for help so that you recognize how to find answers or feedback that helps you with improvements. Learning is about the questions. If a student can recite words off of a page that doesn't translate into meaningful learning. The same goes for you. When you are doing, you should be asking.
6th Rule of Learning
Collaborate!
This probably should come higher up in the list. As educators we struggle with the idea of sharing. We are taught how in Kindergarten, yet we become scared that someone will take something from us if we share. More than one mind on a problem has proven that learning is always better when you share and learn from each other.
We have all had ideas and credit stolen from us. In the end a thief never profits. What made the learning unique is you. Your decisions, creativity, and personality are what made the idea or project successful in the first place. If someone else says they can do it and do it better. Let them! You keep doing what you are doing as this is about you learning and growing. In the end you will be the winner because you will have the knowledge that the thieves are to lazy to learn for themselves.
This probably should come higher up in the list. As educators we struggle with the idea of sharing. We are taught how in Kindergarten, yet we become scared that someone will take something from us if we share. More than one mind on a problem has proven that learning is always better when you share and learn from each other.
We have all had ideas and credit stolen from us. In the end a thief never profits. What made the learning unique is you. Your decisions, creativity, and personality are what made the idea or project successful in the first place. If someone else says they can do it and do it better. Let them! You keep doing what you are doing as this is about you learning and growing. In the end you will be the winner because you will have the knowledge that the thieves are to lazy to learn for themselves.
7th Rule of Learning
Know that you are going to FAIL.-
In any process of learning there is failure. We fail 99% of the time. Those who always seem to be successful will just fail more spectacularly when their time comes. Don't worry about failure. Don't get discouraged. If you know you are going to fail or make mistakes then you will be prepared for it and understand the process it will take to recover and learn from your failure.
I always feel like I am the last to the party when it comes to learning new things. So I take a lot of time to explore the new tech stuff that is coming out. I learn it, get excited and then try to share it. Technology always fails when you are going to brag about it. So what! If you know it could fail on you then you have a plan B, C, and D. If you have learned about what you are trying to do then you will be able to recover from that failure quickly to show off your knowledge.
In any process of learning there is failure. We fail 99% of the time. Those who always seem to be successful will just fail more spectacularly when their time comes. Don't worry about failure. Don't get discouraged. If you know you are going to fail or make mistakes then you will be prepared for it and understand the process it will take to recover and learn from your failure.
I always feel like I am the last to the party when it comes to learning new things. So I take a lot of time to explore the new tech stuff that is coming out. I learn it, get excited and then try to share it. Technology always fails when you are going to brag about it. So what! If you know it could fail on you then you have a plan B, C, and D. If you have learned about what you are trying to do then you will be able to recover from that failure quickly to show off your knowledge.
8th Rule of Learning
Take your time.-
When you are learning something, take the time to learn it. Don't push so hard and fast because you will leave a hole in your knowledge. Remember, the goal here is to learn. The more you rush the more you will make mistakes. This creates discouragement. I know I get excited to do something and rush into it. Then I find that I have to stop and start over because I didn't take my time.
You also don't want to get yourself into a situation where you must demonstrate or share your learning before you are ready. We all know cramming for a test doesn't work. The reality is if you are learning something new then don't set an unrealistic timeline.
When you are learning something, take the time to learn it. Don't push so hard and fast because you will leave a hole in your knowledge. Remember, the goal here is to learn. The more you rush the more you will make mistakes. This creates discouragement. I know I get excited to do something and rush into it. Then I find that I have to stop and start over because I didn't take my time.
You also don't want to get yourself into a situation where you must demonstrate or share your learning before you are ready. We all know cramming for a test doesn't work. The reality is if you are learning something new then don't set an unrealistic timeline.
9th Rule of Learning
Learn something for someone else.-
Learning for yourself is fun. Learning something so you can share the result with someone else is spectacular. As a learner and a leader you are trying to become the expert but no one recognizes the expert without the first follower. Cherish those followers, share with them, give back to them and you will derive satisfaction over what you have learned. The learning has been passed on and will live on.
Learning for yourself is fun. Learning something so you can share the result with someone else is spectacular. As a learner and a leader you are trying to become the expert but no one recognizes the expert without the first follower. Cherish those followers, share with them, give back to them and you will derive satisfaction over what you have learned. The learning has been passed on and will live on.
10th Rule of Learning
Know when to rest.-
As a learner we can often get to the point of saturation with the skill we are building or the project we are working on. There will come a point when you are trying over and over to do something or learn something and it just won't happen. Learn to take a step back. Give your mind and body a rest. You might be surprised at what you can accomplish from refreshing yourself.
I will often go to sleep thinking about a problem. The next morning I will arrive at the solution in the shower or by dreaming about my issue. Giving yourself time to step out of your head and rest the problem will result in new thoughts, new angles, and solutions that were right at the front of your brain suddenly becoming reality.
As a learner we can often get to the point of saturation with the skill we are building or the project we are working on. There will come a point when you are trying over and over to do something or learn something and it just won't happen. Learn to take a step back. Give your mind and body a rest. You might be surprised at what you can accomplish from refreshing yourself.
I will often go to sleep thinking about a problem. The next morning I will arrive at the solution in the shower or by dreaming about my issue. Giving yourself time to step out of your head and rest the problem will result in new thoughts, new angles, and solutions that were right at the front of your brain suddenly becoming reality.