L/T: the circle of life

I was asked to give a talk in church. It reminded me of teaching our class. I think that we are so used to speaking in church that we don't know the difference between "giving" a lesson (or a talk) and "teaching." It's hard to break the habit. In my talk, I kept wanting to ask questions and see what they would say...it's tough to do one or the other. I tend to mix them both.

In the Gong book, I really liked the chart on page 80 about Expanding a Capture. I am going to use that in my personal study. It's a 3 column diagram on how to internalize what has just been learned.

The first column gives the scenario of agreeing or approving of something recently learned. That one is pretty easy. I think people generally do that if they are really interested in the subject.

The second column deals with new knowledge that is disagreeable or not approved of. It gave great pointers on how to counter the argument. Using experiences was a really good one, I thought, just because people cannot refute a personal experience because it is what it is.

The third column was the one that was most helpful to me. It addresses the option of boredom or indifference to the topic. Sometimes I learn something that I really don't care about. I've never quite known how to start caring in order to make it stick. Here are some of the suggestions:

• rewrite the capture showing the changes needed to make it interesting and applicable to you.
• see if you have any experiences that you can compare it to.
• apply the central ideas to a subject that does interest you.
• find the most boring idea to you and discuss it with someone who is interested in it; tell why they like the idea.
• if you think the idea is useless or unimportant, tell what it would take to make the idea more meaningful (i.e., worth sharing with others).

I didn't really understand the "roles" section at first. As it went on, I came to realize how important it was. This is a prime example of what I just listed above. Instead of just dismissing it because I thought it was not important, I researched it further and came to understand that it is one of the most vital parts and is what makes the L/T scenario continue perpetually. Your role as a learner will soon become a role as a teacher. You decide when the change takes place.
For me, the change usually takes place as soon as I understand a concept. However, my downfall is that I don't always check my facts.

(Example: Last semester, I found out that there was a plastic island twice the size of Texas in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I made an informative poster about it in 255. I found out later that it's probably all a hoax. There are no pictures, evidence, or credible sources for this assumption. I did more research to find out the truth. I didn't ever find a real answer, but one day I'm going to go there to find out.)

My point is this: never stop learning. There is always something new to learn and implement. And there is always something being researched. Learn as much as possible then tell others about it. It's one of the best ways to retain information (not to mention spread it).