R U Learning?

If we are going to truly improve learning in schools, I really think we need to start by defining what learning really is. I have had the opportunity this year to work with several different groups of teachers and administrators to do just that. We defined learning together.

As a provocation I played the introduction of episode 1159 of the @joerogan Podcast. In this episode, Joe is interviewing Neil Degrasse Tyson and they begin a brief conversation about the limitations of schooling and Neil begins to explain what learning is to him.

In the groups I have worked with I then got them to write their personal definitions of learning on an index card. After they had time to reflect on their own thoughts I asked them to underline the words in their definition that were critical to another person understanding their perspective. That is, without these words their definition would fall apart. Then we started a group discussion using these words as our focus.

The definition I helped each group cocreate was one that any school would do well to model. Educators spoke passionately about curiosity, self direction, engagement, making mistakes, experimenting, and individual preferences. In each group we had very interesting discussions about the word knowledge – what role does it play in learning? And, in every group, it was agreed unanimously, that memorization is not learning.

Then I asked them to consider the classrooms that most students experience everyday. The consensus we arrived at, quite quickly I might add, is that what we believe learning truly is does not manifest itself systematically in many of our classrooms and schools.

And then I ask the question…… What about your learning?

Silence.