On Sun, 5 May 1996, Terri Deems wrote:
[...quote from Tobin's earlier msg snipped by your host...]
> Throughout recent dialogue concerning educational systems, higher ed, and
> knowing vs doing, I've noticed how easily we could slip the word "work" in
> for schools or schooling. In our talk of learning organizations, or
> better yet, as Michael T. and others have mentioned, more fully human work
> environments, can't we also see the need to provide opportunities to
> "explore and experiment and collaborate enough to stimulate the interest
> needed to carry [workers] through the difficulties and challenges of
> learning'?
>
> I must disagree with Tobin, then: I think we MUST speak of work
> organizations in a similar vein. The essence of LO and other new work
> environment movements seems to be to challenge the status quo, the old
> archetypes and "rules of adult work," in order to create a more natural,
> more vital, more 'well' site for growth, development, contribution and,
> yes, even community. I also believe evidence suggests that workplaces DO
> INDEED survive when they follow the natural flow of learning and
> involvement of which we are speaking. Seems this is much of what we are
> trying to understand and expand upon on this list--how to cultivate and
> nurture that natural flow and participation.
>
> Perhaps (and I've seen many LO comments along these same lines, under
> different subject lines) rather than simply modeling our education systems
> more on the lines "of a good pre-school setting--rich environment, lots of
> free choice, time for play and interaction, support for imagination and
> creativity, laughter and song, music, dance, room for physical activity as
> part of learning" (also from Tobin--thanks for a nice description!), we
> might also be crafting our workplaces with these same opportunities for
> learning and expression. As Tobin points out with educational systems,
> perhaps we would then see "some of the incredible progress in learning
> continue."
>
> Are these possibilities or only pipe dreams?
>
Thank you, Terri, for an eloquent expansion on my admittedly sneaky quote.
I hope you and others will _continue_ to disagree with the exaggeration
which I appended to my message. I hoped to point out with it how we create
distinctions between learning, learning in school, and learning at work
which "work" to our detriment. And your words made clear precisely what I
would advocate as well!
I will recommend your version to all who were confused by mine...
--Tobin Quereau Austin Community College quereau@austin.cc.tx.us
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>