Partnership, Modern Learning

The New Face of Learning

While school is a place we all know and can relate to, learning may look a lot different from when many of us were in school.  The Internet has made information easily available and because of that, learning has moved beyond memorization to include skills like communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.  Wanting to support our children as learners and feeling comfortable doing so when learning looks different can be intimidating.

Sharing Stories

As parents, we all have experience being learners too. How might the story of our own learning be impacting the messages we are sending our children about learning?  Watch this video on the power of story and its influence on modern learning. More information about author Brené Brown, who is referenced in the video can be found on Dr. Brown’s website.

Be a Learner Too

It is possible to take for granted what it feels like to be a learner if we have been out of school for a while.  Luckily for us, modern technology has made it easy and in many cases, free, to be a learner ourselves.  Whether it is trying a new recipe or learning a new language or teaching yourself to play the ukulele, there is a YouTube video to support your learning.  Pick something that is of interest to you and engage as a learner.  What helped you on your learning journey that might also help your child?  What else did you learn?  This article on Unlearning How to Ride Your Bicycle will add to your perspective about the importance of unlearning in learning.

Ideas to Support Your Learner

Your school may have additional ways you can support your specific learner at home.  Here are a few others to get you started.

• Ask open-ended questions about what your child is learning and experiencing at school.  For example, “What is something you learned or did today that you would do all over again because of how much you enjoyed it?” 
• Model sharing positives and challenges & how you navigated them within your own day.  Invite your child to share their own.
• Create a space in your home that helps your child to learn.  The Learning Space Design - Room Audit by Dr. Robert Dillon is a great tool to get you started thinking about how to make great learning spaces from a child’s perspective.

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