Lifelong Learning Tree
......an aid to planning your personal development.
Take the 4 easy steps to fill in your own personal Lifelong Learning Tree.
It's a fun way to look at learning!
Hobbies - Writing a CV - Retirement Planning - Education - Personal Development.
Simply pin your completed 'Lifelong Learning Tree' up so it will catch your eye at least once a week - a good place would be next to the kettle so you can review what you have done for two minuets while you make the tea!
Learning is a lifelong process, what would you like to do next?
(c) Copyright David Hunt 1996
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Age
60
45
30
24
16
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Education School - College |
Fun Leisure |
Work Training |
How to create your tree!
1 - Draw a line across the page at about your age, this is your 'Birthday Line'.
2 - Starting from the bottom of the tree list in each of the Work, Fun and Education columns things you have learned in your life. Put them at about the age you learned them.
3 - Put a circle around them if you gained any qualification.
4 - Take a deep breath! Think of what you would like to do next. Write any ideas down in the correct column above your 'Birthday Line'.
(c) Copyright David Hunt 1996
Lifelong Learning Tree
Methodology
The chart has been designed to aid the widest spectrum of people to think about the learning aspect of themselves. Information can be quickly placed on the chart, during a few minuets break, to form a simple Map of the individuals learning,
Exact dates are not required which delete's the need to spend time looking through old paperwork or for past certificates.
The three columns act to stimulate recollection of past learning while at the same time allowing people without any formal education or training to place achievements in the 'fun' column.
The 'Lifelong Learning Tree' then asks the person to relax in order to project forward into the future what they feel they would like to learn next. The intention would be to make this an intuitive process based on the few minuets that have previously been spent mentally focusing on past learning.
This simple start will then act as a stimulus for the individual to follow the thought process by using the 'Lifelong Learning Tree' as a reminder to put into action the desired learning experience or continue stimulating the thought process.
Interpretation
When completed the 'Lifelong Learning Tree' acts as a visual map of the individuals learning process.
From bottom to top it is possible to get a history of learning that will show any breaks in the process.
From left to right using the columns it is possible to identify how the learning has developed.
The centre column may indicate what the person likes doing, what they see as 'fun'. Balancing on each side of this centre column we have learning to fulfil a function, possibly to earn an income, in the 'work' column. On the left would go learning that is primarily bases on mental processes to aquire knowledge. Of course depending on the individual the same learning experience could fall in any of the different columns, this however enables any interpretation to develop a future learning program to be based on what the individual believes is best. The focus is then to develop the centre column, learning to develop the mind or earn a living to be seen as 'fun' or more aptly, enjoyable.
It may also be possible to see a path or paths up the 'Lifelong Learning Tree' by linking learning experiences through the persons life. These may jump from column to column as they rise up the tree. As you follow the path as it rises above the line that indicates the persons age it may help as a pointer for future learning.
Conclusion
The 'Lifelong Learning Tree' is aimed at filling the gap between more complex learning plans and no plan at all. It however should be flexible in being used as a template for a learning plan or writing a CV.
The 'Lifelong Learning Tree' can be a simple bit of fun in a paper, magazine or leaflet that would be targeted to simply act as an uncontrolled stimulation for people. It would be possible however to create a link to a more formal counciling process that enabled the individual to get professional help in using the 'Lifelong Learning Tree' to plan future learning.