I think I must be one of those… education for education sake. I love learning new things. Life long learning is definitely a high priority, and daily is a goal. And I think that it explains my particular toys: computers, iPods, and similar ilk. Actually I think one of the reasons fall is my favorite season is because that always meant I could go back to school…. and I really loved school. Also a large chunk of my life-time was spent in school and/or college environments.
Learning, in my definitional world, means opening up new possibilities, new options. Learning opens new doors, sparking the discovery process. It means the excitement of discovery and where discovery may take you. And one discovery typically leads to another which leads to a new way of thinking. To me, critical thinking is one of the highest goals one can aspire to. It was always my intention when I taught.
Undoubtedly this approach comes from parents (both) who were college graduates and were readers. I remember, in grade school, my Mom telling me that Dad’s job was as an attorney and her job was taking care of the home but my job was to be a good student. (I suspect this was foundational in my continuing my studies through the doctoral level.)
But, for me, learning was fun. It was rarely drudgery. I think, giving myself far more credit now than probably existed then, that I typically played a ‘game’ of finding something new in each class. Over glamorizing? No, I really don’t think so. Learning really is exciting and opens new adventures. But…. like everything else in life – it depends on your attitude.
