Learning Nerd’s Diary #101
Welcome back Learning Nerds!
Last week we celebrated the 100th edition of the Diary! Relationships have been the rocket fuel to this journey :)
Through this Diary, I have managed to cultivate so many relationships that have enriched my life in ways I cannot imagine. So it is only fitting that this week’s diary on the same topic. Let’s unravel relationships!
👀 Sneak peak
Here is what I have in store for you this week -
💭 Learning About Learning: Learning is a Team Sport
💥 Coolest Thing I Learnt This Week:
On Relational Infrastructure
Primary function of L&Ds
The Relationship Makers Guide
🔦 Spotlight: Community Building NOCourse
Let's jump right in!
💭 Learning About Learning
Learning is often thought of as an individual pursuit, but it is actually a team sport. In order to learn, we don’t need to lock ourselves up in a room but instead, we need to open it up!
There are four key players in the learning process: ourselves, our peers, our seniors, and experts.
We are at the center, surrounded by our peers, who are in turn surrounded by our seniors, and finally, by experts. Each circle represents a different level of knowledge and experience, and each has something unique to contribute to our learning. Here is how you can make the most of these 4 players:
You
It might sound counter intuitive to have yourself on this list - but you know yourself and your context the most! Which in a way makes you your expert.
You can define why you need to learn better than anyone else can.
You are the end user - so keep questioning whether something is working for you or not. User centricity ftw eh?
Peers
Peers, are at a similar level of knowledge and experience as ourselves. Peers are often going through the same experiences as us and can provide different perspectives and insights.
They can challenge our assumptions, learn from their experiences, and develop new ideas.
They can also provide the necessary support - making us feel less alone in the learning process
They are also great accountability buddies - helping you build that learning habit
Seniors
Seniors are people that are ahead in their learning journey. They know more, understand more and have ‘been there, done that.”
Seniors can be great mentors - they can provide guidance, support, and encouragement
For people who are new to a field or who are looking to develop new skills, the experiences of seniors can give valuable insights
Experts
Experts, on the other hand, bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. These are people who have spent years building and creating knowledge - forming their own opinions of the topic.
They can help us develop a deeper understanding of a subject.
They can also be great facilitators and help learn something in a structured manner
Caveat
It is important to note that the roles of these players are not fixed, and can change over time. As we continue to learn and develop our skills, we may find ourselves taking on the role of a mentor for others, or becoming an expert in our field. Similarly, our peers may become our seniors, and our seniors may become our peers.
By embracing these shifting roles, we can develop a more dynamic and supportive learning environment. We can learn from each other's experiences, share our knowledge and insights, and work together to achieve our goals. This not only benefits us as individuals, but also helps to build stronger and more resilient communities.
In order to facilitate this collaborative learning environment, it is important to create opportunities for interaction and engagement between the different players. This can be done through mentorship programs, collaborative projects, peer-to-peer learning, and other initiatives. By fostering these types of connections, we can build a culture of learning that is both inclusive and effective.
Summary
Learning is not a solitary pursuit, but rather a collaborative effort. By recognising the different roles that each player can fulfil, we can create a learning environment that is both supportive and effective.
Overall, each of the four key players in the learning process - ourselves, our peers, our seniors, and experts - has something unique to contribute. By recognizing the different roles that each can fulfill, we can create a learning environment that is both collaborative and effective.
💥 Coolest Thing I Learnt this Week
On Relational Infrastructure
Trees are connected together by something known as the ‘wood wide web’ - and hey, it came before the other www we know of. I came across this really interesting article that ponders over this fundamental question:
What if we were able to do the same for the web of human relationships and ways of being that enable us to work together, and make change possible?
It also talks about different kinds of relational infrastructure that can exist:
Peer-to-peer journeys and learning crews - topic as focus
Communities of practice - practice as a focus
Participatory ecosystems - place as a focus
Labs - social, living, innovation and more - process as a focus
What if we shift our identity from designers of learning to designers of relationships?
Primary function of L&Ds
Derek has a super interesting thought experiment that made me stop & think:
What if the primary function of L&D was not delivering courses and curated content… but was, instead, connecting people across the business who don’t know each other, but could learn from each other?
The Relationship Makers Guide
Everyone across the world, irrespective of what they do for a living, is a relationship builder. I came across this 5 step guide helps you put in place the conditions for relationships to flourish. I love how simple and relevant the guide is. I’m particularly excited to explore the application of this while designing learning experiences and communities.
🔦 Spotlight
If there is any mention of people, I cannot NOT mention my friend Anamaria and the amazing work she’s doing.
She just launched the third cohort of ‘Building Community From Within’. If you’re currently building or planning to launch a community of learning or practice within a company/ NGO/ program - look no further!
Love & Learning
Until we meet next week, I hope you can channelise your inner Loki!
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