Life-Long Learning (Exercises Two and Three)

The second exercise for this program involved watching a short online tutorial about Life-Long Learning. Now I'm supposed to write about it for exercise #3. Watching this tutorial was interesting because I'm an Instruction Librarian. We're always stressing how learning information literacy skills contributes to life-long learning. I can see how these habits match up with information literacy, especially habit #5 Create your own learning toolbox and Habit #6 Use technology to your advantage. Being able to find and use information effectively can contribute to anyone's learning toolbox. Knowing where to look is half the battle.

For me probably the hardest of these habits is Habit #3 View Problems as Challenges. When I have a problem or an obstacle in my life, all I want to do is solve it. I tend to stress out very quickly when I have a problem. I'm trying to figure out why it happened (why me?) and what I need to fix it. Plus I might be panicking a bit. I can't see it as a learning opportunity until much later, if even then.

The easiest habit for me is probably Habit #5 Create your own learning toolbox. As a librarian, I'm always thinking of what resources I have at hand for any task. I never thought about it as a "toolbox," but when I start something new, I always think about what I'll need to finish the task, and who I can contact to get help. Plus I always do lots of research. No matter what I'm doing, whether it's planning my wedding or deciding on what plants to grow on the balcony, I always go to the library to get books on the topic.

I like to think that Habit #2 Accept responsibility for your own learning is easy for me. I've always been curious, and I enjoy learning. My school days aren't that far behind me though. I think I might still be in that habit of wanting to get that A, rather than considering how an assignment might benefit me. That's something I'm working on.