ATE

Adapt to Experience


Your parents, the school and society as a whole, had a very strong interest in controlling the schooling you were offered.  They called it "education" but it was a process of indoctrination.  They knew exactly what the "right answers" were, and before long you would know the "right answers" too.

 As an adult you become responsible for; everything you know, and for what you failed to learn. 

Deschooling Yourself.

I was introduced to the principle of deschooling in the 1970's, by Ivan Ilich, an Austrian philosopher, social critic, and rebellious Roman Catholic priest.  Ilich offered us positive suggestions for a reinvention of learning throughout society and throughout every individual lifetime.  He might be called an advocate of "lifetime learning".  

Ilich's view is reinforced by Prof. Thomas Kuhn, in his book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions".  Even scientists with the benefits of education and professional associations, and the standards of science, found it very difficult to "unlearn" concepts they had previously been taught.  Progress in science is impeded by the slow death rate of people with outdated ideas who find it "impossible to change".  Depressing news.  

The reality is not quite so bleak.  Adults do continue to learn, and it is possible to put aside old, outdated ideas and to accept new ideas.  Hard to do yes, but not at all impossible.  If today's world is changing faster than ever, one of the key tasks of EVERY adult, is to engage in the process of continuous self education.  

Take time to read widely and to write notes about your reading.  Your mind will never remember what you thought was important to day.  Record todays' learning.  Over many years, I used a hard covered exercise book.  Today I'm more likely to write to Ryze, or write someone an email, or put someing in my blog.  Electronic records are not 100% retrievable, but mostly that are, and I can't always find what's in my journal either.  You do need to be able to return to this work.  That's one of the main values.  Your mind plays tricks on you.  That written record doesn't lie.  

Here's the problem: Schools have taught us that we need "teachers" and that we must have a certificate to validate our "knowledge".  None of that is true.  For the real lessons you need to learn, there is no class, and there is no teacher anywhere in the world qualified to teach YOU.  If your own education is to BE, it's entirely up to you.  Are you ready yet?  

The tools for your ongoing education are all around you.  All you need to do, is DO something with them.  

Learning Process

What interests you?  Locate resources and people who know about that.  Read, listen and talk to people.  Tell other people about it.  Name what you've learned.  What questions now concern you?  Start again. 


Gather what you know.
Try to do something with it.
Talk to other people.
Reflect on what happened.Learning Grid

© 2009 John Stephen Veitch. All rights reserved.         Privacy Policy

backBack to Source Page