Learning About My Learning
There is nothing that excites me more than learning more about my learning. This sounds absolutely CRAZY… but, I love it when I experience those opportunities where I can determine my strengths/my weaknesses, my likes/my dislikes, and what steps, if any, I would like to take next. I cannot express how liberating it feels to learn more to understand this about myself. In education, this is called METACOGNITION.
Recently in my pedagogical journey, I have experienced a few edu-aha’s that I did not understand about myself before. We set boundaries or restrictions on ourselves based on the belief of what we can or cannot do. Those mental barriers limit us to realize our potential or possibly our passions. What a huge disservice to self.
My first edu-aha was with my doctoral work at SFU. I resisted the process for quite some time… from qualitative to mixed methodology… and now it’s quantitative analysis. I could not even settle on a research question, forget about the methodology. Was it fear? Yes. One thing I know for sure, I would not know how much I would like research and data analysis until I tried. It’s like a HUGE puzzle to solve and put together in a cohesive way. At first, I did not believe that I had what it takes to become a “researcher,” whatever that means. Boy, was I wrong.
Second, I did not know that I would enjoy blogging as much as I do. Blogging equated to writing… and I never thought that I was a great writer… in fact, I thought I was horrible at it. What made me think that I could write a dissertation and BLOG for everyone to know? Ironically, blogging gives me an opportunity to reflect, share, and analyze my lived experience… a form of sense making… and I love the process.
Third, I learned when I went to the iOS Summit that there is different types of learning. I am defining it as ‘big picture’ and ‘small picture’ learning. This year, I’ve committed to shift my attention to professional learning. Although I am learning all of the time, I wanted to focus on my professional development as an educator. At the iOS Summit, I was interested in using iPads in the classroom and how certain apps could be integrated into my teaching practice to enhance student learning. I loved imagining how I would use iPads with Math 8-12. The big picture stuff did not excite me as much at the Summit, but I do a lot of ‘big picture’ thinking in my work.
Sometimes, you’ve got to do what you need to do to fill-your-cup. Do what you love and love what you do… as I recall this little girl at TedxLangleyEd reminding all of us in the audience to do. Wouldn’t it be great for all students to be metacognitive, to self-direct their learning, and find their passion during their K-12 school experience? Personally, I’m in my 40’s and I just love the learning process. Take risks. Step out of your box. Learn something new. You just never know unless you try.