If you know me at all you know I am all about learning. Learning in diverse, inclusive, engaging, powerful ways. Learning to unlearn, relearn, and learn for the first time.
We’re facing so many incredibly challenging social problems that we need new thinking to overcome. And new thinking and ways of being, come from learning.
Even though learning is so critical in these trying times, we tend to fall back on the same ol’ same ol’ tried but not necessarily true ways of learning.
Figuring out what you want to learn is one thing. Figuring out how you can best learn it is another. And there’s never been so many ways to learn.
Pick a topic, something that you want to learn. Then check out the list below for how you can learn it. Consider it a learning buffet. Pick as many ways as fit your appetite for learning.
As you go through the list, consider what works best for you. The best learning is learning that fits you.
While you’re reviewing your options consider things like:
- What’s your learning preference? Do you prefer to listen/talk, to view/watch or to get active and do? (Check the resources below for a link to a learning preference survey.)
- Do you like to learn alone, in pairs, in a small group or large group?
- Do you like live, in real time learning or do you prefer pre-recorded/evergreen?
Feel free to get creative. Don’t rely on your same ‘ol same ‘ol learning methods.
For example I have a tough time learning when it’s only something I can hear. I need to see and do to get learning into my brain. So audiobooks and podcasts are normally a challenge for me. If you were to tell me to simply sit and listen, I’d be doing eye rolls and inward moans and groans.
However, when I drove to the coast of Kenya recently (a 8+ hour drive) I queued up a bunch of audiobooks. Because I was doing something (driving) it was wayyyy easier for me to learn and I could take advantage of the long drive to learn something.
Similarly I listen to podcasts when I’m doing my new Covid-inspired hobby of cross stitching. Keeping my hands busy lets the audio information into my brain much easier. Plus I’m making a quirky gift for my hubs for Christmas.
So take a look at the list below and pick the ones you’re automatically drawn to and look for ways to combine techniques that fit you.
Oh the places you can learn
- Virtual field trip – in honour of the recent World Cities Day, take a virtual field trip through Google Maps
- Podcasts
- Videos
- BookS
- Magazine
- Online synchronous (in real time) courses
- Online asynchronous (available anytime, prerecorded) courses like ones offered by TechChange, EdEx, Coursera, Lynda/LinkedIn learning
- Face to face in real time courses (which temporarily needs to be put on hold for many of us given Covid)
- Conferences
- Networking groups
- Games – Google to find a game related to your topic. Here’s an example of mine, related to cooperative storytelling.
- Asking questions online in places like LinkedIn, etc.
- Mentor
- Reverse mentor (getting the services of someone who is younger than you)
- Tutor
- Study group
- Apps – this is one of my favourites, I think we don’t naturally turn to apps to teach us and yet the options are endless
- Microlearning examples such as memes – search for a meme based on a topic you’re interested in
- Gifs – this is an example of another type of microlearning. Google gifs related to your topic and behold.
- Flashcards – see if you can find flashcards (online/digital or in real life) and learn away
- Google map – look for maps that people have created on Google and learn from them. Or curate your own. Here’s an example of how to do the latter
- Linkedin group – find a group that relates to your topic and join
- Facebook group – ditto
- Fiverr – check out how Drew from Lonefox used the popular platform for an unusual way of learning
So you’ve got your topic and you’ve got some new ideas for how you can learn it, in ways that fit you.
All that’s left now is to get going. Crank up the learning. And don’t forget to have fun.
Now go on and learn, laugh and lead.
Learn
- Figure out your learning preference here.
- Download the editable checklist and keep it close so you can be inspired to learn in ways that fit you.
Laugh
- You are worthy. You are beautiful. And you’re always learning. Like this little girl after an unfortunate encounter with her finger and a door.
Lead
- Want to take a deeper dive into learning and take a workshop on how to create a learning plan for you and/or your team. Let me know. I’d be happy to chat with you about that. laragan@rpsinc.ca
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