My learning needs to transfer to you and to others. To leverage and optimize our learning and the learning of our family members, we need to advance from our obsession with the tradional educational approach of one size fits all. We need to learn to use whatever achieves the learning for each person, personality and learning style. Let’s convert our one dish serves all to a “smorgasbord learning”. This could include computers, self paced learning, learning on demand, team learning, neighborhood learning,etc. I call it “Learning = Always!” The practice is developed 10 minutes every day.

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We can touch others by sharing our experiences and memories. This sharing becomes our “We-Learning”. Will Richardson, Learner in Chief for the Connective Learning Group wrote an open letter to his children Tess and Tucker. Richardson wrote that education may take them into the classrooms and lead to certification but it may also involve learning through games, communitites, and networks built around their interests. “Instead of the piece of paper on the wall that says you are an expert, you will have an array of products and experiences. reflections and conversations that show your expertise, show what you know, make it transparent. It will be comprised of a body of work and a network of learners that you will continually turn to over time, that will evolve as you evolve, and will capture your most important learning.”

I love the possibility of a “network of learners” that supports each of us in our interests and learning styles. So, when we greet each other from text to Twitter, let’s ask “What did you learn today?” The details could include our learning about ourselves, others, the world. Each little learning contributing as new facts and new skills are practiced, applied and taught.

I propose a manifesto as a challenge and a call to arms to claim our right and responisiblity to learn and to teach. We take ownership of the direction and content of our learning. We establish a learning tradition of life-long learnign and a legacy of learning.

THE WE-LEARNING MANIFESTO

I know how my brain is wired to learn.

I know my beliefs, values, interests, and learning style.

I learn what I want at my pace and

I am supported every step of the way.

I teach what I learn to others.

I learn what others teach me.

I help each family member discover their beliefs, values, interests, and learning styles.

We, as a learning community of learners intergrate the best learning processes and programs to support us to learn personally and together in fun and easy ways.