>I have found that "life-long learners" are generally those who
>have never stopped wanting to know more, who have always found
>delight in discovering new things (not just theoretic, but
>practical) and who are generally involved in any activities
>outside their work.
>
>In my opinion, if we are to change the culture of organizations
>by making learning a daily option (not just once a year for a
>week) then we must address the desire to learn, for even though
>the best opportunities might be there, if the desire isn't, it
>won't amount to much. In talking to grade school students and
>trying to empower them with self-confidence, I've found that the
>need to learn, to know, to discover, is already present or absent
>even in the earlier stages of life...
Right on! We have to address the desire to learn. Why do some people
find delight in discovery, and others look forward to the end of their
day? Could the WIIFM (What's In It For Me) station never showed any value
or return in learning? Could their early role models (parents?) have
shown more interest in watching hockey and 'The Simpsons' than in
expanding their own horizons?
I'm helping a number of people find the value in learning. It's wonderful
to see a passive person's lights suddenly turn on when he discovers the
joy in continuous learning.
I saw a snippet of an interview (missed the authors name) last night on
TPN who said (paraphrased)
We take our children, who are wide eyed in wonder and learning
constantly about the world around them from when they're born, and we
stick them in a box (classroom) and tell them to listen to a teacher
tell them information. We then expect them to stay excited about
learning.
-- Gary Scherling Helping people help themselves http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/GScherling_GMS_TPN GSCHERL@fed.ism.ca (GSCHERL)