Saturday, September 11, 2010

Developing Life Long Learners

**Developing Life Long Learners**
By Karen Boyes




Developing life long learners is a goal for modern day education. With the twenty-first century changing so fast it is essential that your students and teachers remain open to continuous learning.


Current statistics show students in you classroom, on average, will have 10-14 different careers in their lifetime – not jobs, careers. Ian Jukes states it takes four years to train at University to become an Engineer. He continues to say by the time this person has been in the workforce for 2 years up to 60% of what was taught at University is obsolete. In the field of biotechnology it takes only one year for half of what you know to be outdated. And recent statistics show every 10 months in the medical field 50% of information has changed.


Learning doesn’t stop at three o’clock or when students leave school – it is lifelong. The ability to learn is a sustainable skill, which students take into the future and is paramount for success.


One of Einstein’s famous quotes is his definition of insanity, “Do the same thing, expect a different result.” Do your students make the same mistakes over and over again without learning the lesson? Are they blasé about learning and improvement? Do they look at their test papers and think ‘I passed’ and put it in a drawer?


Here are some of the ways you can encourage students to remain open to new learning, self-development and personal growth.



  • Encourage students to seize problems and opportunities to learn. Give them real life problems and make sure the opportunities you provide are relevant and contain realistic learnings your students can apply to real life.
  • Develop a classroom culture where it is acceptable for students to make mistakes and learn from them. Rename ‘mistakes’ as ‘learning experiences’ so the focus is on learning.
  • Allow time to reflect on what they have learned and to conduct an analysis of their experiences.
  • Give students opportunities to apply and transfer learning to new situations.
  • Develop a classroom and school culture where students are excited about learning and improvement and do more that ‘enough to pass the test.’
  • Ask students “what did you learn today?” and “what would you change to make it better?”
  • Encourage students to journal or write a daily diary with their own personal reflections and learning. This is a great way to follow progress.
  • Read books about and study successful people to see how they have been continiuous learners.


One of the best ways to help students become life long learners is to model it yourself. Ralph Waldo Emerson said “What you are speaks so loudly, they can’t hear what you say.” Students take your lead. If they see you hesistate when confronted with a learning opportunity they will often do the same. Approach new learning with wonderment and excitement. Research by Sprinthall and Theis-Sprinthall “Educators are the only professionals who remain at the same levels of cognitive, moral, ego, and social development throughout their professional careers.” Here are some of the ways you can be a continuous learner...

  • Demonstrate your own humility. Let children and parents know that you do not have all the answers. Show them you are willing to ask for help and find the answers.
  • Be proud to admit you don’t know an answer or solution.
  • Model or demonstrate that you are a life long learner. Let students see your joy in learning new information and your fascination at new learning.
  • Share with students that you are still learning the content. (I once met a teacher who was literally one page ahead of her students in Spanish!)
  • Share your goals for each lesson and invite feedback about what worked and didn’t work.
  • Consistently search for new and better ways to do tasks, activities and teaching.
  • Strive for improvement, growing, learning, modifying and improving yourself.
  • Use a self appraisal system to monitor the effectiveness of your teaching
  • Develop a supportive peer appraisal system between teachers to support and continue to develop new skills.
  • Be the teacher that you imagined you would be.
  • Resist complacency – it’s sometimes easier to continue doing the same thing you have done, however you will get the same results you have always got.
  • Seek out new resources and modify your knowledge according to your learning experiences.
  • Learn at least 3 new skills each year - anything from backing a trailer, learning a new language or learning to fly an aeroplane. It doesn’t have to be big. Put yourself in the place of the student and experience what it is like for your students every day.
  • Read autobiographies and watch documentaries about successful people.
  • Remember there is more to your life than your career and intellectual development.
  • Continue to learn and grow in your social, physical, family and spiritual aspects as well. Jim Rohn, a top motivator, says “Don’t ask that your job or life is easier, ask that you were better.”







The study of successful people from all cultures and backgrounds reveals the ability to learn and grow from experiences as a top, essential skill. Ethyl Barrymore once said “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”






**Recommended Reading:**
Art Costa and Bena Kallick: Discovering & Exploring the Habits Of Mind


Art Costa and Bena Kallick: Assessing & Reporting On the Habits Of Mind


Art Costa and Bena Kallick: Integrating and Sustaining the Habits Of Mind


Karen Boyes: Creating An Effective Learning Environment


Ian Jukes: Digital Kids. Learning in a Digital Landscape




**Check out our website at [http://www.spectrumeducation.com www.spectrumeducation.com] and shop online for books and educational resources. **

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