Real learning is a part of the work, not apart from it.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

MLearning & the time to learn

Today I was inspired to share my thoughts about mlearning due to a post from TrDev and http://bit.ly/bUb9jK. (Link through Twitter) the comments of Robert Bacal. Here's my thoughts about mlearning and the time to learn.

I believe mlearning is very much "pull" learning. And like any learner, one only absorbs when motivated, and those times of motivation to learn are episodic. Thus a mobile device can be a tool that turns an unproductive time waiting in the doctors office into an aha moment where for example one finds a great nugget of info and can plan to put it into action later. I agree that sometimes just being present is important / taking in the world - but that choice is left to the individual and where they want to place their attention at that moment.

BTW - its 5:56am. I'm checking in on my Twitter PLN via my blackberry as I await my children to wake up. Once they do, my professional learning ends and my informal, unstructured personal learning about & through my children begins as I watch & help them explore their world.

Hmm, that being said ...aren't we all kind of wired for the want of knowledge? And even in "down time" are we not observing, talking and ultimately learning?

Thanks for getting my brain going this morning Robert!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

2 comments:

Robert Bacal said...

You are perfectly welcome. I wonder though, along with people like Eckhart Tolle, whether we have become addicted to "thinking" and that just like any other addict we can't stop even if we tried. And like other addicts, perhaps we are not always able to decide what is "best for us".

I suspect that we will find, over the next decade or two, that the information/stimulation junkie is as "sick" as any other junkie, and that the toll is paid physically and mentally.

Paul said...

Thanks for a post that resonated so strongly that my keyboard began vibrating. I've been reading, listening and researching exactly what Robert is suggesting here. There are many who shrug it off and say Blah! Rubbish! But no, I think there is a very serious concern developing that requires some serious thinking.

I've really got to sleep now - but I'll be back - in the meantime follow this link on Amplify http://bit.ly/9LzUyG - in short...

Orwell v Huxley - 1984: what we hate will ruin us. Brave New World: what we love will ruin us

Cheer Mark & Robert.