Comments on: Learning to Drive

By: Kelly Daw

Kelly Daw — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:15:08 +0000

I feel that people are more afraid of learning something new and/or changing that sometimes people forget to just relax and enjoy learning. As mentioned in Richardson’s blog, after he let go of the fear he truly enjoyed the view.

By: Robin Heyden

Robin Heyden — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:49:43 +0000

Very apt analogy. And your kids, screaming from the back seat, were the ultimate formative assessment instrument! Great to hear reports from your travels. WIll be eager to learn more about why you think New Zealanders are further along the curve.

By: TFT

TFT — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:12:43 +0000

Now for the real test Will, when next in Melbourne you’ll need to do a right hand turn in the City…..

I’ll just leave that one out there.

Cheers,

Andrew.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:19:55 +0000

Hey Will,

It is not so much what happens when you are out on the open road and all is comfortable. It’s how you respond when things get tough at the intersections & you want to revert to what you know.

Adrian Bruce

By: mrsdurff

mrsdurff — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:53:03 +0000

Yet if we ever get comfortable then we are not prodding ourselves enough. Heard a professor from Mount Holyoke today (streamed alum panel) that said if students are not put in a place beyond their comfort zone then immersive learning is not taking place. She was addressing foreign language needs – but this is so true for all of us. We have to constantly seek to be in that place beyond our comfort zone, to be immersed in something different, and as you said to unlearn, learn, relearn (allusion to Toffler thinly veiled). Too many k12 educators I meet are finished learning, happy to shut the classroom, to hide from innovation. Meet me the disruption.

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:09:27 +0000

Kia ora
It was great to have you over here at ULearn08 and I laughed at your analogy. We went over to the USA to NECC this year and seemd to spend a lot of time doing just what you described – except the intersection thing you guys have going on adds to the complications. You are right about the unlearning. Especially sad that our kids are having to do this too – unlearn some of their 21st C way of doing things to keep in tune with Old Skul teachers!

By: TFT

TFT — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:24:19 +0000

Will, I loved the analogy you’ve used here. Yes we do need to unlearn, and sometimes it is so difficult to do that.

In similarity to your story, I picked my Son up from the airport recently as he had returned from Germany, this time it was him telling me I was on the wrong side of the road, even though I wasn’t. Mind you, he’d been driving on an Autobahn, and I was extremely jealous…

Glad all has gone well in NZ for you. We look forward to your next visit to Aus too.

Cheers,

Andrew (Teacher friendly tech).

By: Paul C

Paul C — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:57:36 +0000

“Unlearning and relearning through the dissonance of change” expresses so well what adolescent learners face when they try to master learning skills. It is the pivotal role of teachers to encourage this “reflective assessment.”

Interesting that New Zealanders seem to focus more on metacognition.

By: Lucinda

Lucinda — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:58:09 +0000

First, you are in one of the places I intend to visit before I die! What a treat!

Your point is well made about unlearning. I see this at a very basic level with teaching handwriting. When a student has developed a habit of making a letter in a certain way, it is very difficult to change. They have to be really motivated.

I’m going to have to unlearn some “givens” about teaching to prepare my students for their lives. I hope I’m motivated to make the changes for myself and for them.

By: Julie Squires

Julie Squires — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:11:29 +0000

I think many underestimate the importance of ‘unlearning’ during any new learning path. Letting go of the old ways and taking a risk with something new is very scary! Not unlike learning to drive on the right, or wrong, side of the road!!