Who wants to "learn"? LO6594

Virginia I. Shafer (vshafer@AZStarNet.com)
Wed, 10 Apr 1996 23:36:31 -0700 (MST)

Replying to LO6363, Kent Glenzer writes:--

>The entire thread [Who Wants to Learn?], which I've
>been following for awhile now, is leaving me with vague misgivings. To
>wit: if a lack of connection with the joys and values of learning is such
>a big problem, why are we all on this list? why is it that the folks i
>meet in my organization and peer organizations are nearly 100% actively
>engaged in learning, and know they are? are we really quashing a love of
>and motivation for learning early on in schools, as seems to be the
>assumption, or is something else going on? I think we might be finding a
>devil to point a finger at here (the school system), i.e., blaming, rather
>than uncovering new ground.

Point well taken. However, I think somewhere between first and second
grade, for me at least, school began to be less and less about learning
and more and more about fitting into a mold. The comment I was responding
to was:

>It has long been noted that we tend to kill the creative side of a child
>by the time s/he reaches fifth grade or so. That includes setting the
>stage for a loathing of school and anything that resembles or reminds us
>of that experience.
>
>Working to fix this in the adult world of work is difficult. Has anyone
>given thought to how we can fix the next generation before they get
>broken?

I believe Clyde Howell's original comment was referring to the
"unlearning" many of us feel we've had to go through to learn how to learn
in new ways--ways not reminiscent of school days. The learning on this
list, the learning that occurs in LOs, is not of the school house
variety--talking chalk board at the front of the room, keep your hands to
yourself, stay in your seat. Rather, I find this adult learning to be
dynamic and emergent, two terms I feel comfortable using thanks to members
of this list. Why should there be a gap--from age 6 to 26, let's say--a
time when we suspend learning until it's valued again? I believe Clyde's
point was, what's being done to close the gap, to let learning begin at
birth (or before) and continue on for life?

Learning and Loving It!

-- 
 
Ginger Shafer
The Leadership Dimension
"Bringing Leadership to Life"
vshafer@azstarnet.com
 

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>