Do-It-Yourself Learning: How to Make the Most of In-School and Out-of-School Learning?

Big Fish, Small Pond

When you were little, did you ever read “Fish is Fish” by Leo Lionni? Yes it’s a picture book, but the theme far surpasses the age group for which it was written. Never have I read a story that so vividly shows us the limitations of our own experience. Lionni colorfully displays a fish, trying to imagine a land-dwelling cow, based solely on stories told by a frog. ”Cows! They have four legs, horns, eat grass, and carry pink bags of milk.” The fish, of course, pictures a fish with legs, horns, grass in its mouth, and a pink udder! That silly, inaccurate depiction is of no fault of the fish. As a water-dweller, how on earth would a fish ever see a cow?

School-As-Pond Analogy

Try imagining yourself as a curious fish in a small pond. For you, that small pond is school. You may have grown to understand school as the place of learning. Your parents may prioritize school. You might even enjoy school! All of that is wonderful and we are all very proud of your accomplishments thus far. But lurking in the background is a challenging quote by legendary scientist Albert Einstein. He says, “The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.” Ouch! Think: What distinction is Einstein making between learning and education?

Learning Beyond The Classroom

When I was in 4th grade, I told my parents I wanted to play guitar. They arranged after school lessons with my music teacher. Being a Catholic school, my lessons focused on learning how to perform church songs for Sunday mass. Independently, I practiced what I was told at home and also started writing my own songs. One of my first songs used a clumsy, incorrect version of a moveable barred chord to make some funky sounds. It was terrible by the official standards of music, but I loved it! My brother did too! He contributed lyrics. Soon, with friends, we had a basement band. Every guitar lesson gave me another new chord or idea to incorporate into another new song. By summer, we had about 5 songs that we performed for our neighbors in the backyard. “Ladies and gentleman, give a warm welcome to Wonderbread and the Venomators!”

As a fish in my small “school” pond, I found an exit strategy! What I learned at school could be expanded into something more! And because I enjoyed writing my own songs, I saw every new experience as an opportunity to fuel my passion.

Let Your Curiosity Lead

Recently, I was intrigued by artwork included on the cover of a math textbook. The artist had clearly incorporated mathematical precision with artistic flair. It was awesome! I was curious who the artist was, so I found out! I looked him up online and read about his life, inspiration, genre, related artists, and more! I discovered in my reading that some of his works were displayed at my local art museum. So I planned an outing to go see them in person. While there, I saw other works by similar artists, read about their stories, and got excited to learn more and more.

You see, unlike Einstein, I’ve never let education interfere with my learning. Instead, I keep an open, curious mind and continue to follow my interests with the same rigor that I might approach my responsibilities. I make my own personal learning a priority. And, because of that, I actively seek opportunities to make connections between what I have to do and what I want to do.

‍DIY Learning

Let’s label this style of open-source learning. Let’s call it do-it-yourself learning or DIY. Because, ultimately, you are responsible for your education. School is a vehicle that we can depend on to provide us with academic knowledge. School is great at introducing you to lots of valuable things. School helps develop a strong work ethic. School helps us determine what we like or dislike. School as a system will move you forward with knowledge and skills that will shape your post-secondary aspirations. But there’s so much more to learning than what school can possibly provide. In my examples of guitar playing and art appreciation, I’ve given you a glimpse into how we can make school so much more. 

Think outside the pond. You may have access to zoos, museums, the internet, hardware stores, summer camps, even the night sky. Everywhere you go, there’s something to be learned; A plan to be made or vision to follow. Just as we see shapes in clouds or patterns in stars, you can connect your learning in and out of the classroom. You can connect between subjects. You can investigate things further and deeper. You can recreate labs, assignments, essays, etc. on your own and do more with them! You have that power!

‍Owning Your Learning

If you’re inspired to try DIY learning, I have one simple step to get started. It’s kind of obvious. You won’t believe how powerful it is until you try it for a few days. But I promise you it's behind every song I’ve ever written. It’s behind every trip I’ve ever taken. It’s even behind this blog you’re reading. Are you ready? 

Buy a smallish, coolish, inspiring little notebook. Title it “my ideas” notebook. And, from now on, every time you get a cool idea from school, life, a friend, or just day-dreaming, write it down! I give you permission to capture, yes capture, your ideas the moment they arise. Don’t wait! Do it immediately. Carry that notebook with you and make it a habit to jot down your ideas. A word. A phrase. A sentence. A sketch. A website’s address. A name. Whatever it is that caused your curiosity to pique, capture it in your notebook.

Overtime, that notebook will be full of exciting opportunities that are custom to you. And each and every experience, both in and out of school, will become your education!

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