For the Love of Learning

As a teacher, I always emphasized that learning was a life-long process. I believe that the purpose of life is “to love, to learn, to experience”. This was a hard concept for them to understand because learning can be quite painful at their age due to the constraints of public education. It is something that is forced upon them, so there is resistance.

With students learning from home, they have a unique opportunity to explore some of their passions. Knowledge can be applied across many disciplines. The act of being in the kitchen involves researching recipes; reading, interpreting, and following instructions; measurement and conversions; learning how to use different kitchen appliances; understanding the science behind different cooking techniques; using your palette to make adjustments; and, applying artistic skills when it comes to plating and presentation. There is a lot of hidden learning involved with real-world tasks.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn through exploration and practice.

The Internet is the most amazing ‘invention’ in the history of civilization. We have access to more information than we will ever need. With the right resources, you can learn anything you’ve ever wanted. Programs like LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Moodle, edX, and Coursera are excellent resources with courses taught by professors from the leading institutions around the world; as Western employees, we have free access to LinkedIn Learning. For school aged-children, consider programs like Khan Academy, ABCMouse, Scratch, Hour of Code, and Brain Pop. DreamBox is offering a free 90-day license and follows the Ontario curriculum. Learning can’t be confined to paper and pencil for this generation of learners.

Once by choice, now by necessity.

Financial literacy is a critical life skill, but largely ignored by the curriculum. Unfortunately, an overwhelming number of adults struggle with their finances because they don’t understand the underlying math concepts. According to a 2013 study in the journal Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 95% of Canadians living with debt experience anxiety, 94% experience physical health problems, and 48% are sleep deprived. Is that a future you want for yourself or your children? Budgeting, borrowing, investing and filing taxes apply to all of us. It wasn’t until I taught the Mathematics of Personal Finance course that I understood many of these things for myself (I have my own theories as to why this course was removed from the curriculum). Sometimes learning one single thing can save you thousands of dollars in the long-term. Western employees have access to Sun Life Financial Webinars. The Government of Canada website has a section on Financial Literacy, including programs for adults and youth.

Worth it's weight in gold.

Whether it’s for personal interest or career development, there is never a bad time to learn. Rather than be consumed by social media and negative news, take advantage of LinkedIn, Western Continuing Studies, and other on-line resources. Your future self will thank you.

University of Toronto professor, Dr. Steven Joordens, is offering a free online course called “Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19” through Coursera.