WHAT IF all your learning inputs were digital?

How would the composition and character of your learning change?

In April, let’s find out!

One way we could look at A Love Affair with Books over the last month is this: The books we had reviewed were love affairs we largely, and lovingly, held in our hands. Whether hard-cover or soft, hefty or thin, our March learning was a tactile pleasure in many ways; we could thrill to the touch of them.

And we’re pushing the envelope on this: I’m quite certain that the article Tim Milburn had written in late February, How To Read An Unfinished Book, had many of us experimenting with our book annotation in uncharacteristic abandon; the new choices we made for our reading are not likely to be described as “in pristine condition” once we’re done with them… will you be trying some full contact reading too? As Tim said, 

“What is a book but the beginning of a conversation? A conversation that is unfinished until you, the reader, become engaged in it. Sometimes I am overwhelmed when I walk into a bookstore and see all of the conversations that I could enter into — too many books, not enough time. But that doesn't stop me from diving in and messing up as many books as I can.” —Tim Milburn, How To Read An Unfinished Book

Learning when you sit in front of your computer screen is a bit different, isn’t it.

For instance, what if you didn’t print anything —ever?

Up until three weeks ago, I was one of those people who had to print every e-book someone would send me. Reading a book or any lengthy document on a computer screen would annoy me. As the managing editor of JJL, I get requests frequently from authors, their agents and publicists, and my response to their inquiries of “can we send you a manuscript or galley for possible review?” is always, “I’d love to see it; mail it to me.” Thankfully, they do, for right now, I couldn’t print their stuff even if I wanted to.

Three weeks ago my printer decided to call it quits.

At the very moment it refused to deliver, I dropped everything to make a special trip to the nearest computer repair place; not having my printer was absolutely incomprehensible to me. I’d discover the fuser had to be repaired, and at more than half of what a new one would cost me— a new printer, not a new fuser! Even if I agreed to fork up the cash I’d have to wait at least a month for them to order the part. So, since then, not having any other choice in the matter, I’ve done without printing at all.

At first it I couldn’t find a new printer that satisfied me. I love living on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, but electronic choices are as few and far between as they can get here.

Then guess what? After a week of doing without it, I discovered that not only was I surviving just fine, I was actually having fun with my printer-less experiment. I already send most of my coaching work to my customers electronically, and so for the errant form or document I MUST get printed I make a stop at a local business-center/Kinko’s type place… amazingly, only twice now in these three weeks, and I’m in the midst of doing my income tax work to boot! I’ve been pushing myself to reinvent some of the ways I work with laptop alone, and yes some paper, but paper that I have to hand-write on.

As the month proceeds I’ll let you know how it goes. Will the fun and adventure of my experiment wear off? We shall see…

Are you a true Digital Learner?

Meanwhile, my co-authors here at Joyful Jubilant Learning have risen to my electronic challenge as well.

How far can they push the edges of the e-Learning envelope? How far can you?

April, fellow JJLers, is all about DIGITAL LEARNING.

In March you collected some books…now, in April get ready to collect some links!

Our JJL Hui of Authors will be sharing some of their favorite online learning places with you, for in cyber space, no classroom is ever too small.

This is going to be great! And you might not need to print a single page either… since when do you really need a printer for learning, hm?

Remember: If we inspire you to share your own learning in sync with our month’s theme, please DO! See our guest author’s guidelines within our FAQ, and get published with us!

~ Rosa Say for Joyful Jubilant Learning

[Flickr Photo Credits: "In a moment" by shaycam, "face printer" by zen, and "Working late" by Delgoff.]

Comments

[Leah Maclean]

Well done on your creativity in working without a printer Rosa!

Even though I am the techie queen I must put my hand up here against an all out focus on digital learning. One thing that I have learned about people and human development (yes I'm not completely geeky) is that we all have particular learning styles, and one of those styles is kinesthetic. This style of learning means that the learner works best when they are actively engaged by doing, often by using their hands to engage with the learning. Unfortunately many creators of digital learning seem to focus on the visual or auditory learners and forget to create digital learning environments that work for the kinesthetic learner.

Now let me put my geeky hat back on .... ah that's better. The rapid spread of information across a global web of technology has meant wonderful things for learners - particularly lifelong learners. We can choose who we listen to, what information we are open to and what opinions we choose not to pay attention to. It is a veritable feast of learning. But never forget that just like books aren't the best option to teach everyone, neither is the digital world the best option of learning for all.

I'll be interested to see what some of the wise souls here at JJL point us towards this month.

[Rosa Say]

What a great thought to get us started with Leah – and on the right track! That is an intriguing question: How DOES a digital learning environment get created in a kinesthetic way?

What we are hoping to be over the next month, are catalysts who can point others to some choices and possibilities. The learning process is a multi-faceted one, and I see April as a series of possible starts; idea generation and learning enticement which can then spill into some kinesthetic experiences both online and off as the learning process continues, and gets further expanded and enhanced.

Oddly my going printer-less has made my retention process much more kinesthetic… I can no longer highlight, ctrl-c to select, ctrl-v to copy and then print! We could also call my short-hand mind-mapping right now a case of how “necessity is the mother of invention.” I keep telling myself I am being more eco-friendly... way less is going into my trusty shredder right now!

[Dwayne Melancon]

I just got an email from a guy at Oracle and part of his signature line said:
"Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to - Help preserve trees!"
Pretty cool.
Looking forward to April's theme!

[Bridget Aboussafy]

Even Kinesthetic learners can use digital means. You can use the computer to give you the instructions to create something by hand, for example origami or a woodworking or cooking project. If you are an artist, you can get all sorts of tutorials/instructions on techniques of your skill. Learn how to make something out of (clay for example) by watching a youtube video!

As an artist, you could also get a digital pen/tablet combination or a tablet pc so if you need to take handwritten notes, that they are already digital and you still get the same feel of writing. for myself, I take many notes in classes I may never look at again, purely because the action of the handwriting helps cement the information in my head be feel rather than by visually reviewing later. (I'll sometime use a later visual review to help with retention over time.)

In some cases digital learning is a godsend, like cases where the teacher is extremely far away and the only contact you have is via the internet. The computer is your portal to data, not necessarily excluding any particular learning type (Auditory, Visual, or Kinesthetic). It's all in how you are utilisig the technology.

As for being printerless, it is bliss! In our house, we have a flatbed scanner for any paper that shows up that needs to have the information on it saved. It all gets digitised and the paper recycled. We still occasionally buy books, but more and more it's the electronic copy of said books that we buy, simply because we can cram so many more of them into the same space occupied by a physical, paper book. Our old printers lie awaiting a trip to the eco-centre for recycling and we use a local printing shop for any laser jobs we really need done. We've definitely grown away from needing (or even wanting) to produce paper to an avid perspective of wanting to get rid of it all unless it's art on the wall!

It has certainly done wonders to get rid of clutter in our house as paper creates clutter. If you have paper you need somewhere to store it neatly, and eventually paper collects and overflows its storage and becomes a paper monster taking over your house. No paper tigers in my house anymore! Digital is where it's at!

[Rosa Say]

Aloha Bridget, good to hear from you again! Your enthusiasm for digital learning jumps off the page - yeah!

I'm still without the printer, and gotta say, this doing without has been good for me. Like you say it is a real eye opener to realize how much paper I was using (and then shredding afterwards) without needing to.