I am now learning in a “new way”. What I found fascinating is that what I have learnt in my previous University courses or even now at work on say leadership doesn’t sound “right” or “appropriate”, though I believe those concepts were incorrect long time ago under the concept of emergent knowledge as found in networking (see network logic paper on leadership, p94 & 101) http://www.demos.co.uk/files/networklogic.pdf.
“Leading with questions not answers
In Leadership Without Easy Answers, Ronald Heifetz argues that conventional models of leadership confuse it with authority. In so doing, they perpetuate the seductive but dangerous myth that leadership is about influence and persuading people to follow a particular vision. So ‘followers’ look to a leader to solve their problems for them, ignoring their own capacity (and responsibility) to solve it for themselves. People in authority believe that their vision of change is legitimate simply because they are ‘leaders’. And when things go wrong, it is the ‘leaders’ who are blamed and replaced, with little or no reflection on the underlying causes of the problem.” Network logic page 94
‘As Sun Tzu put it long ago: ‘The good leader is the one the people adore; the wicked leader is the one the people despise; the great leader is the one the people say “we did it ourselves”.’ Network logic page 101
I would still go through the typical learning ways, but I added a way of unlearning all previous ways first, so I could allow for any innovative approach or change to emerge. And I would use all connective, constructive, cognitive, behavioural, situated and experimental approaches in rebuilding my learning. So unlearning is just like demolishing or refurbishing my existing house and new or re-learning is like building a new house with new furniture for new learning to emerge. Of course, I would not discard all furnitures (concepts) that I have, but I would retain those which are still valuable or applicable to me. In this manner, I am putting the emphasis on the learning process, but the process sometimes may start with the connections (the neural, i.e. my brain or my network, and then I will reflect on the concept why it doesn’t explain or why there is a conflict of concepts between my previous learning and what is presented in the connections (e.g. artefacts, readings). I would then reach externally through further connections to validate or re-create my concepts. And I will go through the whole process in a similar cycle. See my previous post on how I learn – I mean deep learning, when I mentioned that the problem and solution lies with my brain, my network, and also through connection with your brain and all other external networks (not just through social constructivism, but a much more complicated cycle of de-construction, reflection, connection (neural, conceptual, external -social and experimental), and further reflection, re-construction and re-cognition, observation of behaviour and emotions of myself and others for validation, and then application, and further feedback and experimentation. Again, this cycle of learning may sometimes start at a different stage for me at different times and entry points, as it depends on the concept or subject (a new one or an existing one) that I would like to learn or re-learn.
Why I would like to learn it that way? Because I am unique in that learning mode and process, and it works for me, but may not work for others. Is it similar to yours?
My biggest motivation for such new way is the “change” itself. Changing concepts, changing ways of doing things requires a change in the way of learning. Again the learning theories are all undergoing changes, and although my statement that “all learning theories need to be changed from time to time” may not be agreed by others, I would suggest that without changes to the principles and concepts of all these theories, they seem so difficult to apply under a changing world of learning (or emergent learning).
So, it seems that these are the differences between us.
Don’t you see it that way?
Please also see the discussion in the forum http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/moodle/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=1048
Learner Weblog 