Life Long Learning - Transforming Learning
Discovering Learning through Living Life in Unlimitless Possibilities
by Patti Diamond

The following is Part 1 of an excerpt taken from the chapter entitled
”What Life Long Learning is... and What it is Not”

Many people have asked me this puzzling question... “Just what is Life Long Learning?” Many people think that they know Life Long Learning by its more widely recognized name – Unschooling. To me, though, the simple word “unschooling” seems to represent “anti” learning, as if to be an act of defiance to learning. Learning is quite the contrary actually, and so is Life Long Learning.

While unschooling tends to lend itself to providing children with a nontraditional, noncompulsory “schooling” environment or the simple act of not “doing school at home”, I believe this concept that John Holt pioneered, the essence of what is termed Unschooling, is really Life Long Learning. This reference to learning therefore, should be given a name that promotes a sense of freedom, serenity, and contentment. There is nothing “anti” in the words Life Long Learning. In fact, Life Long Learning opens the door to the endless possibilities that life has to offer for learning and much more, which is what we all want for our children, for ourselves, is it not?

Life Long Learning is much more than just a concept pioneered by a man forty or so years ago though. It is a taking of his initial vision and expanding upon it to include much more. Life Long Learning, in its simplest of terms is ~ learning that is individual led, interest driven, natural, and self-directed. It is creative, it is spontaneous, and it is remarkable...very much unlike the structure of institutional learning. So, what does that mean, you might ask? In the context of our children’s learning in life it means allowing your child the time, freedom, and space to learn what, when, how and where they choose to. It is a trusting of and in your child that he/she will learn what they need to learn, when they need to learn it, and how they need to learn it ~ without having their learning dictated to them through curricular mandate to be done at a specific time and place.

Think back to the time when your child was first born… Did he/she have to be "taught" how to cry, how to wet a diaper, or how to breast/formula feed? No, rather than being “taught”, they simply learned on their own how to do these things. They may have needed to be "guided" to the breast/bottle initially, but the rest was done solely on their own. When it came time for your child to crawl, stand, walk, and talk… did they need to be “taught” this? Again, strikingly, the answer to this question is No. They may have needed your guidance ~ an environment rich with opportunity, encouragement, and love, which enabled them to learn and do these things, however, there was no formalized “teaching” involved in it. None of us, as parents, propped our child up on the couch and said “Ok, TALK”. Nor did we forcibly maneuver our child’s legs into a walking motion. All we did was simply provide the environment necessary and then trusted in our children to learn what they needed to learn. The Life Long Learning concept, therefore, works this same way.

As humans, we are created with an innate sense of learning, a natural curiosity about the world around us and all that is within that world. It is instinctive. It is as innate to us as breathing. It need not be cajoled, or bribed, or forced in any way. To do so only stifles that learning and that love of learning. Meaningful knowledge and wisdom can only occur when a child wants to learn. The desire to learn must come from within. We all were born with this innate desire.

It is only when we are “forced” into learning within a “school” environment, that this innate sense of learning ultimately over time, is quelled. This why children struggle so and do so poorly within an institutional learning environment as they are "forced" to learn and to “perform”. They are forced to acquire knowledge of certain number of “facts” that have no meaning to them or to their lives, within a certain period of time. Children are then “required to perform” such facts in a repetitious manner in the way of tests and rote memorizations ~ commonly known as “school work”, “seat work”, “assignments”, or “homework” ~ rather than being given the time, opportunity, and space to accumulate knowledge on their own and in their own way.

One does not need a “test” or “rote memorization schoolwork and homework” to know that they have learned something and that they “know” it. Once you have learned something, whatever it is, you have learned it. If, as you were “taught” in school, you are made to just “memorize” it, spit it out on a test, then forget it, it has not been truly learned, not even once, yet.

Just as when you first learned how to ride a bicycle. After many years of not implementing this action, it may take you a while to remember
how, but you already acquired the knowledge of how at some point in your life, therefore, you do not need to be taught how to ride a bicycle again. You merely need to recall it from your memory to accomplish the task at hand. Therefore, learning stays with you permanently, it does not go away on a whim.

Observations Within the “Institutional Learning Environment” ~ The Cost to Children
Have you ever been on a field trip to a museum with a school? Or have you ever been to a museum or a place where there are "schooled" children on a field trip? Have you ever watched the expressions on the children’s faces and the expressions in their bodies? Even more interesting still, is to observe how children are treated and how they express themselves within the “schooled environment”.

I spent many years as both a teacher working in both public/private schooling sector and as a parent volunteer observing this phenomenon. From all of those years of observation several things became all to clear to me. Children begin their “schooling” endeavor with their minds free and full of a love of learning. They are like sponges with a willingness and readiness to absorb anything about life that they can. At first, when forced to learn what the teacher or school says they must learn, the child attempts to accomplish just that. They do so because, at this point, they love to learn and are eager to please their teachers and parents. The forced learning is in the disguise of fun, games, and activities that the children enjoy.

However, what seems to happen with this forced learning over time is that the learning takes on a more demanding form. The children become increasingly aware that the “fun and games” turns into drill and practice, and drill and practice some more. This drill and practice then becomes the child’s way of life. Therefore, children are not only being told what to learn, but how, where, and when to learn. They are in essence being instructed, subtly, without ever being told that this is indeed what is transpiring, that they are incapable of learning unless a teacher teaches them.

Children are also “taught” within the institutional setting that life, just as in school, must be divided into subjects ~ Math, Reading, Science, History, etc. And that learning must be “done” within a certain time frame. Children are made to feel that unless they continue the drill and practice; that unless they “perform” at a certain level, that they are not competent to move onto the next level of learning. Children are also led to believe that there is only one way to learn ~ the way the teacher says you should learn and you should never question that way of learning or the teacher. To do deviate from that learning that has been taught or to question the teacher’s authority in any way, will only serve to place you under punishment in the form of a reprimand or “poor grade”.

Children are also “taught” segregation by age in the schooling environment. As an example, children are told that they may only play with “2nd graders” if they are a second grader on the playground, and anyone who comes into the “2nd grade” play area is immediately reprimanded. Thus, segregation by other means tends to ensue within the “age groups”. This happens in the form of “cliques” or groups of children who are only liked if they are or act a “certain way”. These children must have the right hairstyle or the right clothes or have money or be popular in order to be liked. If this is not the case, then they are ostracized, teased, and ridiculed for being the unique individual that they are. The children whom do not fit in are also given labels for being who they are, such as “geek” or “ugly” or “fat”.

Socializing is something that is taught to children as prohibited while in the schooling endeavor. Evidence of this is seen in the following statements that are uttered over and over again by teachers and school staff ~ “Be quiet in class and do your work” and “You may not talk to your friends during class time, this is not a social hour”. The oxymoron of this is that we are made to believe that one of the reasons we are to send our children to school are so that they may be properly “socialized”.

What tends to happen then is by the time a child reaches about the age of 9 to 10 is that children will either attempt to rebel against this form of degradation or they will be quieted into submission. This is about the time that we start seeing the “bad report cards”, the “notes home from the teacher” or the punitive punishments such as, detention, or having to stay in at recess and lunch.

Or we may see what is termed as the “quiet good child”, a child who has become quiet and withdrawn but for the most part to outward appearances “seems” to be doing fine in school. For some children, they will continue to spend the rest of their “schooling” career trying to break out of this mold, as if in a cry for help. For some, they will in essence continue to be “quieted” into submission with constant disciplinary penalties if they should deviate from what is considered to be “improper behavior”. Both avenues leave children feeling helpless and powerless in their world. Both avenues only serve to make life outside of institutional learning an unbearable one.

Thus, over time child soon grows to hate learning. The love of learning and the bright learning in their eyes, that once was there, turns into a child who is cold, distant and dislikes anything that even resembles learning. Worse still, is the loss of self worth and confidence by being made to feel “less than” for not “performing” to expectation.

Back to the Beginning Then…
Let us go back now, to the questions that I asked at the beginning of observations section, which was this... Have you ever been on a field trip to a museum with a school? Or have you ever been to a museum or a place where there are "schooled" children on a field trip? Have you ever watched the expressions on the children's faces and the expressions in their bodies?

If you ever have been in the presence of a group of children on a field trip, you will notice that their love of learning, their awe of the world is drained right out of their faces. You have the majority of the class just walking around aimlessly with the teacher and the tour guide. You can observe tell from the expressions on their faces and in their body language that they do not want to be there. One could almost read their minds to hear the children say statements like ~ "This is so boring", "I wish my mom/dad were here", "I wish could go play and explore the museum place myself", or "Why do we have to look at this exhibit now, I would find this other one over here more interesting now, “I wish I could go see this interesting thing over there, instead of having to just "follow" the group".

Most children therefore, are in a place they do not choose to be in, with individuals they do not necessarily wish to be with, and not able to explore and learn in a manner in which they want to or to take the time longer at one place to explore than another. An example of this could be that maybe they are not interested in dinosaurs, but they do like rocks and crystals. However, in a schooling environment, "the group is moving right along”; therefore, that child cannot stay to absorb the enjoyment of the rocks and crystals.

We continue this excerpt with Part 2 next month.

For Part 2 to continue, click here

© Copyright 2004, Patti Diamond