Thing # 1: Lifelong Learning: An Everlasting Journey
Someone once told me that "Intelligence is acknowledging the extent of your own ignorance." This seemingly paradoxical statement struck me as delightfully obvious and has since become the foundation upon which I have built my education. I wholeheartedly believe that learning and intelligence are not concrete and immobile, but are synonymous to a fluid river, continuously expanding and changing. Learning is a lifelong journey comprised of effort, persistence, and patience.
As most of you can guess, the one habit that I find the easiest to incorporate into my journey of learning is "Accept responsibility for your own learning." Without drive and insufferable motivation, a person is doomed to have a stagnant and idle mind. However, there is an easy remedy: accept responsibility for your own learning. Become active, become creative, become curious, and become inquisitive. There is no better learner than the four year old who perpetually asks, "But why?" and finds such joy in discovering the wonders of the world. I think that sometimes I, and I am sure the majority of other adults, get so caught up in the whirlwind of life that we can no longer find the curious, and slightly obnoxious, four year old within who is screaming to delve into something wholly unknown.
On the other hand, I find Habit 3 the most difficult habit to overcome and incorporate into my life. "View problems as challenges" is a sentiment I wish I embraced, but I often find myself downtrodden and frustrated when I am overcome with a plethora of problems. Plus, problems seem to come in groups of three or four, for me anyways. It seems to me that as I have grown, had children, and embarked on this new chapter of my life (graduate school), problems have sprung up around every corner. However, I have recently realized that I only impart damage upon myself by becoming frustrated, and should tweak my perspective slightly. By seeing problems as challenges, the problematic scenario seems to develop an adventurous aura rather than being bathed in a menacing light.
In regard to my feelings toward learning and exploring the Web 2.0 tools, I am excited to acquire new skills that will allow me to be a more effective teacher. That is not to say that my excitement is not tinged with a hint of apprehension, because it definitely is. Technology has always seemed a bit daunting to me, even though I do consider myself proficient. For example, I was able to set up this blog with relative ease; however, it did take me a minute to figure out that my blog account is separate, yet distinctly intertwined, with my new gmail account. Either way, I found myself successful, as I plan to find myself at the end of this new exploration of technology.
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