Learning to Change – Changing to Learn

Last week one of folks I follow in Twitter, John Hovell, shared a link to perhaps one of the most thought-provoking, controversial, enlightening and spot on YouTube video links I can remember since I started getting exposed to social software back in 2002! Yes, that kind of impact is what this video I wanted to reference today in this blog post has had in me over the last few days since John shared it (Oh, if you are interested in Knowledge Management he would be someone you definitely need to follow!). It’s one of his favourite videos and after watching it I can see why. Mine, too, by the way!

The video is titled "Learning to Change – Changing to Learn"; it lasts for a bit over five minutes and it is one of those little precious gems that describes the kinds of challenges we are facing currently within the Learning field and, most importantly, it helps set the stage on the next generation of what Learning should be like. In it, you will find some amazing reflections on the new paradigm general education needs to start not only facing, but fully embracing if we would want to prepare properly the next generation of smart-kids that will rule our world in the not so distant future.

I tell you, watching through the video till the end has been a tremendous experience; one I can certainly recommend everyone to spend those five minutes. It will not only make you think, but take action as well. I am sure. It’s one of those videos that clearly sets the stage on the kind of impact that social software is having within our society and how instead of blocking these new emerging tools, we should instead be fully supporting their wider adoption, not just within our work environment, but also in our lives. Main reason being? Our kids are already doing it! And doing a great job at it for that matter!

If you ever thought that Learning needed to go through a radical facelift, and make-over, and join the 21st century, once and for all, this is the kind of video you will need to watch to help set the pace on what lies ahead. As most of you folks know by now, my background comes from the education field, and I know at some point I will be back to it. Well, this is going to be one of those videos I will proudly show not only to my students, but also to teachers and those who can make a difference, because, after all, (Nimmy puts it much much nicer than what I could possibly do, to be honest, in another wonderful blog post just shared earlier on today)

"Education should be about learning to think for ourselves, discovering our own minds and what is ‘good’ for us"

(Oh, before I let you go, if you change the word Learning for Business, the contents and the message from this video are just as valid, if not even more, on what lies ahead for us all embracing social software within the corporate world: to help change not only how business gets done through our personal business relationships, but also ourselves as part of the process!

Quite an inspiration to kick off another week at work, don’t you think?)

Tags: Learning, Education, Society, Schools, Education System, Students, Learners, Smart Kids, Education 2.0, Learning 2.0, Web 2.0, Knowledge Economy, Change, Challenges, Change Management, YouTube, John Hovell, Informal Learning, Informl, Nimmy, Life, Enterprise 2.0, Social Software, Social Networking, Social Computing, Social Media, Collaboration, Communities, Knowledge Sharing, KM, Knowledge Management, Personal Knowledge Management, PKM, Personal Knowledge Sharing, Innovation, Networking, Social Networks, Conversations, Dialogue, Communication, Connections, Relationships, Productivity