#self-learner

[babinicz]

me, 24yo self-learner on piano: *practicing Clementi's 1st sonata*

Lang Lang on his Instagram: Check out my Clementi's 1st Sonata recording! I learned it when I was 4!

me: *sobbing*

[kamisai92]

Note to self...

Do not use youtube to play German Disney music while you study... Nothing gets done because you're too wrapped up in memories.

[learningcreatively-blog-blog]

As a teacher, I care about the success of all my students. I try my best to ensure they have frequent encounters with success. Often, I find myself drawn to the students who seem to be those self-starters, the self-learners. Is it because I too am a self-learner? 

I am intrigued by students who sometimes are not enthralled by school but still like to learn. Sadly, there is no correlation between the two. You can dislike school, dislike the institution or the system but still be fascinated by learning new skills, new things. On the plus side, if school has not been a positive experience for a student, it does not mean they need to stop learning. 

More and more frequently, we are finding examples of students who are those self-learners. With YouTube available to all people with Internet access, students can learn about practically any topic under the sun and learn. This means that the barriers between the knowledge holder and the learner are far less pronounced than they were historically. While YouTube did not begin this transformation in learning, it is a big proponent of this change.

Students are able to learn for themselves how to play a piano, how to draw, how to learn a new application or in my own children's case, how to fold different types of paper airplanes. This powerful medium is helping transform education day by day as teachers become guides rather the gatekeepers of knowledge. 

Cherie, a Grade 12 graduating student, is a student that I often see in the halls drawing or creating something. To me, she just seems to ooze creativity. I finally saw her with her own large drawing tablet attached to her laptop and told her, "I'm going to make a documentary about you". Finally, this goal became a reality as we sat down and planned the shoot. 

What you will find is that Cherie is a wise person. She has figured out for herself how she best learns, what motivates her and how she will be able to acquire new skills in the field of creative arts. I don't think anybody told her how to do this. It's too bad that this is the case. It helps point out what I need to change about my "teaching" to help students like Cherie find the true self-learning in themselves.

I hope you enjoy her story. I understand that she is creating her own blog/website. I hope to be able to post the link here someday soon.