At age 40 something, finding the answers to the WHY is now the most important question in my life. I can say that I have learned some important lessons in life, some I took chances and even experienced challenges, others came naturally through the course of trying to live the best way I know how. When I was a lot younger, I was more focused on the outcome of my actions, what I can get from it, and how I can get it. I guess in life, we all go through different stages of discovery, we evolve as individuals having changing perspectives in life based upon our current situation at the moment. I was result-oriented when all I was obsessed with was to meet target goals notwithstanding the process and motivation behind every effort. Yes, I may have felt fulfilled, and successful then, but the feeling of accomplishment was fleeting. As I face and enjoy this almost midlife period, I want to be more focused on the reason behind every motive, every goal, every step. I am now more of a WHY person, a little of the HOW, and less of the WHAT. It will be interesting to revisit this post to see how this educator/student/mom/wife/dreamer has turned out to be. Did she remain cause-oriented and course-driven or did she relapse to just being keen on the end product. That remains to be seen! So, this post is TO BE CONTINUED….
As for our current learners, I can say that generally, they are mostly results-oriented. With any task, they are always eager to know the "WHATs." What's the prize? What will happen if I do it? What benefits can it do to me? They have this built-in automatic wonder of the end-result, not so much on understanding the purpose behind doing the task. The process or journey of how to acquire and learn the skill is not as relevant. Teachers now are utilizing various strategies including UDL teaching methods and tools like technology to ensure that ALL learners can have access to the instruction demonstrating adequate engagement, representation, and expression. This possibly can help our students refocus and develop a deeper and meaningful outlook on learning, that the “whys” and “hows” of learning can make a significant difference with achieving their best selves.
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