This week I have been working on my Content Catalyst presentation and it is all about Lifelong Learners and taking our learning beyond the classroom. It made me think of the age old saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” This then made me think of my husband who is also a teacher. He teaches at the high school (Industrial Arts and Social and now a Grade 12 Math class). Anyways, he and I are on total different ends of the teaching spectrum. I teach Kindergarten and he teaches high school kids. I laugh as he had to move classrooms over the summer and he was flustered as he wasn’t going to have the same whiteboard space or a screen to put his projector notes onto. I don’t use a lot of technology in my Kindergarten room but if I was doing notes I would not be using a projector. We have had to spend some evenings having his notes re-done so that they can be digitalized. As he still is a better two finger typer I often end up with the task of doing this as I can type without looking at my fingers or what I am typing.

So, what does this have to do with being a lifelong learner well both my husband and I are learning how to adjust to the times and move forward with technology even if it is something that we do not fully understand. I have taken a few different digital classes and even have used technology to teach myself how to embroider, crochet, do alcohol painting, resin work and a few other things. I am the type of person that doesn’t sit still easily I like to be busy and creative. I find that if I am busy my brain has an easier time calming down at the end of the day.

Even though I am not super comfortable with technology I am willing to learn how it works, how it can benefit those around me and how we can use it in a meaningful way. My one son struggles with reading so we have learnt how to use the talk to text and the different apps that will read to you. He is a very visual and auditory learner so we use technology to help him to be successful. This has been a large learning curve for my husband and I but we are all working together and teaching one another what we are learning. These skills are skills that my son will be able to take out into the workforce.

As a family we pride ourselves in always striving to learn new things. During COVID my one son taught himself to goose/duck call. This was hours of listening to videos and trying out his new skill in the house because it was winter. I found it annoying but, my husband bless his heart said it was a skill that could come in handy. Fast forward to the fall and it did come in handy.

Both of my sons use technology to teach themselves new skills whether it is for hunting, fishing, baseball, hockey, etc. They have found that they are able to learn from watching videos and can develop skills that they didn’t have before or can perfect skills that they needed to work on.

We are never too old to learn new things and it is when we are learning new things that we are able to grow and develop as an individual. I look forward to going to school and having my students and the other students at the school teaching me new things. I think that it is very important that we take the time to learn from one another.

What is something that you would like to learn how to do? Is there a reason why you haven’t taken the steps to try and learn it? Is it a skill that you could use technology to help you be able to do?

I think my next skill I am going to teach myself how to do will be either rug hooking or felting. I sometimes think maybe I was born in the wrong era. I love all the old hand skills that people did.