Learn to Teach Learning

I recently read an article by Mark Cuban referring to the Education Bubble. He seems to think (and I agree) that it is not much different than the Real Estate bubble a few years ago.

He later stated in his post that the reason for going to college was to learn how to learn.

I found that statement as an indictment on secondary education. If we have been teaching students for 12 -14 years before they go off to college...and they still have not learned to learn we may be doing something incorrectly.

In my personal experience I did not go to college to get an education, or learn how to learn, or broaden my horizons. I went to get a degree. Everyone knows you can't teach (in a public school) without a bachelors degree.

I only know of one place to get one of those...college.

So I went to get a degree but during my four year sentencing (that turned into 6) I discovered that I learned how to learn. It is not why I went but it is what happened as a result.

It really is a shame that I nor Mr. Cuban, nor millions of other students do not learn how to learn before college.

In fact it would be much easier if I had learned to learn before I got there.

So how can we teach students to learn before college?

Is there something about spreading the subjects up into different buildings? Why do we learn to learn in college but not in High School?

I think the best way to approach this is to stop putting so much emphasis on teaching.

It is a fact that you do not know everything that you need to teach...and that's okay. Discover what the students are interested in and allow them to figure it out for themselves as you guide them.

Be the dispenser of tools...not knowledge. 

Information is plentiful and readily available for all. Rather than trying to share information...share tools that help others find the information that is useful.

I think the big thing about learning in college is that your on your on.

Sink or swim your in the deep end of the pool. Students are forced to use the tools around them to survive (library, internet databases, professors etc.). The ones who don't drown.

Push students in the pool. Force them to be independent.

Teachers need to learn to teach learning. Knowing information is not as important as knowing how to find information.




What do you do to teach students to learn?