Between the Lines

Learner Unblocked

Kathy here: Yes, three weeks have flown by since I recognized my Learner's Block. Three weeks in which I dug into drawers, binders and boxes filled with ideas, theories and creative offerings. Why? I couldn't concentrate on my reading!  The revelation? It's all about the organizers. Per dictionary.com, a means which encourages one to: put together in an orderly, functional, structured whole, arrange in a coherent form, arrange in a desired pattern or structure.  And, my favorite, to develop into or assume an organic structure. It's practically poetry.

It turns out that I was not suffering from Learner's Block. I was suffering from Disorganized Thought Syndrome. As I pulled materials together, began to group like-with-like, to winnow out the irrelevant, the juices started to flow once more. Ideas actually came into my mind unbidden. I wasn't sure that was still possible. So, whether the word organization brings you a vision of aisle after aisle of office supplies just waiting for your touch or sends cold shivers down your spine, accept that organizers move us forward. They help make our paths obvious. They make our brains happy and rested. Unfortunately, they also make them bored which is how we get into these messes.

Last, I used the phrase Disorganized Thought Syndrome because I know this issue will arise for me again in other forms. Remember, a syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality. Would you care to share your disorganized thought problem?

Learning Organizers

Annie here: We are pleased to announce our fourth learning organizer, The Curious Life of Me:  A journal of my child’s questions…and answers, for parents of preschoolers through 4th grade or so.  The question journal contains prompts for parents/caregivers to capture children’s questions and nurture curiosity.  Learning organizers help individuals to reflect and build on their learning, and also demonstrate the benefits that library use provides over time.

The bad news is, due to the economy we’re not going to be able to publish it with a fancy binding like our first tool, the learning journal.  The good news is, we designed it in pdf so that it can be made available to the world! Download DDL QuestionJrnlPgsRev8 6-10-09

The four organizers, so far, are:

·         Growth Chart for preschoolers – designed, not yet printed
·         Reading Rocks – reading portfolio for summer reading participants to collect reading logs and certificates throughout their summer reading years
·         Question Journal – contains prompts for parents to capture children’s questions and nurture curiosity
·         Learning Journal – our original tool – all participants who attend the Learning Journeys program receive a free journal, but are encouraged to use the style of organizer that works best for them.  The Learning Journal contains suggested prompts and includes space for reading maps, etc.

It will be interesting to see if the IMLS 21st Century Skills tool, to be released in July, is in alignment with Learning Journeys discoveries – Delawareans got a head start on this one!  (Delaware loves being First ;-) 

Still lots more work to do and opportunities to explore on our “self-directed learning path about self-directed learning;” please share if you’re exploring a similar path. 

Learner's Block?

Kathy here: System shutdown; project offline;no data entered...I could go on...but what it comes down to is that my brain is full. Picture the file cabinet that practically spews paper when you open it, almost daring you to try and stuff one more sheet of paper inside. That's where I stand. Does this surprise you? Let me try to explain.

Some picture their lifelong learning as a hike, some as a climb. From my childhood, mine has always felt like a river. There are times when it is so wide I can barely see the other side; and others when even I - at 4'11" - can hop across it. There are times when it rages ahead, whitewater all round; and others when it babbles along peacefully. Then, there are those times when a tree falls across the flow; debris builds up behind; the water is gradually choked off from true forward movement.  Again, that's where I stand. My brain is full; my river is blocked.

The answer? I just need to pull out the heavy equipment I keep in reserve for tree removal. First, I acknowledge where I am and take a step back. I spend time in nature, pull out favorite quote collections, visit amazing photograph sites such as  Webshots or sit for a hour or so in the picture book section of my public library. Second, I recognize that 99.9% of the time when that tree has fallen, it relates to a disorganized approach to information overload. So, I'm spending the next few days with my figurative backhoe moving that learning I must do away from that I wish to do, removing rocks along the way and smoothing the surface of both.

Remember, that river wants to flow.

Frederick the Poet

Honoré here: Frederick by Leo Lionni is one of my all-time favorite children's picture books.  In one of my first Twitter posts , I tweeted: " A pleasant break : Frederick by Leo Lionni on YouTube http://bit.ly/weIw6 ."   You can see - the You Tube video, that is. Since I don't have copy of the book (note to self: correct that!) in my personal library, I was delighted to find the 6:25 minutes video: an animated rendering of the picture book, true to the book, with music. And the narrator/storyteller was excellent. Everything I liked about Frederick was right there/here ; thus, I could refresh my memory and enjoy, again for the "first time", this delightful story.

As I basked in my memories, I started thinking about how great it is that there is an Internet and practically anything/everything that is the sum total of human -kind's experience and knowledge was pretty much available and globally accessible. And then, I started thinking about sharing Frederick with a young child and I shuddered. I just couldn't imagine a young child, sitting on an adult's lap, hearing  and sharing the story via a computer screen. There's something about that personal, tactile interaction of holding the book, turning pages, discussing the pictures,  that's just lost in the digital format [and you know, I'm a big supporter of most things digital]. I first read Frederick as an adult and have shared it many times with young children. Somehow, I just can't bring myself to making that first intro to this absolutely wonderful story via YouTube...loses the poetry.

What are your thoughts? I'll be interested in reading your comments.
Cheers~