I love to explore, to play, and to have fun. For me, even the scariest or most intimidating task becomes easier when it is infused with an element of fun. For instance, I hate public speaking. I will do everything possible to avoid standing in front of a crowd of people, but sometimes this cannot be helped. I had countless University professors who made me face my fears by making me stand before my peers and give presentations on topics that noone really cared about. Since failure was not an option, I did what I was expected to do, and always managed to receive a passing grade.
While I have tried hard to forget some of these experiences, there are a few that I recall fondly. When I look back on the presentations that I actually enjoyed doing, I realize that they all contained some element of play. Perhaps it was a skit, or a clip from a children’s movie that got the point across. Whatever it was, it helped me to relax and enjoy what I was doing, and it usually got a laugh from the audience. So, it’s no wonder that I find “play” to be the easiest lifelong learning habit to put into practice. I’m always looking for creative and fun ways to do things, even things that might not normally be seen as fun. I’ve even been known to cite children’s books in academic papers because they explained things in a away that was understandable and/or entertaining. It’s no wonder that I’ve chosen a career that revolves around children, and which will allow me opportunities to play for years to come.
As for the habit that I find most difficult to put into practice, I must say that I often neglect to use technology to my advantage. I am, and always have been, a book addict. While I am becoming more comfortable with technology, it is something that I tend to use because I have to, not because I want to, and I often use it as a last resort. I was reminded recently of how much I still rely on books while spending time with some friends. One of my friends was working on a knitting project, and she mentioned that she couldn’t remember how to cast off. My first thought was that she needed to get a book to show her how to do this, but she quickly solved her problem by going to the Internet. Within minutes she had the solution to her problem. Clearly I still have a lot to learn.
I was more than a little skeptical when it came to the topic of this Thing. I just didn’t see the point of online image generators. However, I had a lot of fun creating my own lego action figure (I was sold when I found out that I could add a cape). Above is the Book Addict superhero that I created.
