Learnch

Another great day at the GTS, even if I spent most of it in a vehicle travelling back from Halifax. We made it back to Cornwallis in time for supper (the 5-7 pound weight gain learning objective is well under way), and the evening session.

Two great activities tonight. First we were broken up into four smaller groups and asked to discuss the following four questions:

1. Define Teach
2. Define Learn
3. How are they the same (if they are)
4. How are they different (if they are)

Our group decided to take the stream of consciousness route and here is what we came up with:

1. Teach
1. Setting stage for learners to uncover knowledge
2. Modelling
3. Creating the atmosphere
4. Providing tools to allow learning to happen
5. Sharing experiences
6. Supporting possibilities
7. Crafting the learning environment to allow for success
8. Loving those you are teaching (the Person Part)
2. Learn
1. Gaining skills
2. Changing your reality
3. Allowing understanding
4. Experiencing life
5. Uncovering the unknown
6. Thinking outside one's own box
   
7. Processing new information
8. Learning is irreversible
   
3. How are they the same / How are they different? (we looked at them together)
   
1. Not really - cannot do one without the other
2. No teach without learn
3. Learning cannot happen without reflection
4. Learn and tech are inseparable - it is a continuum

Turns out they were trick questions as David guided us to our next AHA! moment. Education is at its best when learning and teaching "confuse" - fuse together and become "LEARNCH" - some languages (Russian, Hawaiian, and Welsh were mentioned) don't even have words for learning and teaching, just education. As educators we need to negate the dichotomy of teaching and learning, fuse them together as one - hence "Learnch".

So simple and such a clear way to look at what they do - learning and teaching cannot be separated, they are in fact parts of the same thing - they are "Learnch". If we as educators can keep that in mind than we will go a long way towards truly being great teachers.

The evening's second activity consisted of folding a piece of paper three times to get 8 boxes or quadrants. The following words (in no particular order) were each placed into one of the quadrants:

1. Course Outline
2. Course Objectives
3. Motivation
4. Methodology
5. Student Goals
6. Faculty Development
7. Course Content
8. The Learning Process

We were then asked to arrange these eight phrases on their eight pieces of paper in a fashion that pleased us. Here is the layout of my brilliant friend and colleague Sharen:


It is so cool that she has linked together "Student Goals" and "Course Objectives" - what an amazing thing - without that synergy of what the learner's goals are and the course objectives, learning cannot occur. A very cool and very deep observation. We need to pay attention to the connections between student goals and course objectives to ensure that our courses continue to be meaningful and relevant

So what else did we discover - if you want creativity - don't give instructions - the eight pieces of paper were laid out in all sorts of different orders and patterns, and each pattern served the same purpose - to get us thinking. Tell what to do, not how (so cool - I do that now!).

So now when i get back to my learning environments, I will take eight pieces of paper, and eight related concepts and get my learners to interrelate them. Let the learnching begin!!remember to learnch from learners, they make connections we cannot. Hmmm...