The following exercise is borrowed from Guerrilla Learning: How to Give Your Kids a Real Education With or Without School by Grace Llewellyn.
List everything about which you know enough to contribute significantly to a conversation on the subject or to write a pithy booklet called "The Beginner's Guide to_____."
Now write down everything you're good at - all your skills, anything from designing Web pages, to changing a diaper, to writing a newspaper story, to building a fence.
Now take a moment to consider whether your lists are longer or shorter than you would have expected. (Or ask several people who have very different school backgrounds from you to make their own lists, and compare the length and quality of your lists to theirs.)
Next, put an asterisk by each of the items that you learned mainly in school and college.
Finally, consider what percentage of your skills and expertise you've picked up in school and what outside of school.
My "reply" to follow will be my list, and I will head it with my educational background. I invite all my readers to do the same so that we can compare not only the wide variety of skills and knowledge we all must use during our days, but what proportion of those skills and knowledge were acquired through formal schooling.
Friday, August 7, 2009
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Educational background: I have a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work as well as being certified by a national organization as a childbirth educator.
ReplyDeleteSubjects of knowledge:
Pregnancy
Childbirth
Midwifery
Breastfeeding
Human Development (physical and psychological) *
Feminism
Harry Potter
Basic human anatomy/physiology *
Modern American television
Gardening with Herbs and other Useful Plants
Aromatherapy
Homeopathic Remedies
Catering/Foodie Topics (but not wine)
Skills:
Baking/cooking
Gardening/landscaping
Teaching
Assess/manage group dynamics *
Conflict resolution
Creative writing *
Childcare (inc. hygiene, discipline, etc.)
Swimming
Typing * (I actually flunked Typing, but I should give credit for getting me started)
Moving house
Child car seat installation
Emotional manipulation
Drink mixing (an argument could be made that I learned this in college...)
Insect assassination
Je parle un peu de Francais *
Shoulder/neck massage
Singing * (again, giving credit to my choir directors for the technical knowledge)
I'm sure there's more, but this will do for now. Please participate if you have the time!
I'll respond completely when I have more time but why am I just a wee bit scared that one of your skills is "emotional manipulation"?
ReplyDeleteLOL! I think most of us have that skill, it's just a matter of whether we use it consciously or not. I recognize my skill and generally try NOT to use it except on my close family. :-D
ReplyDeleteOk, here goes.
ReplyDeleteEducational Background: BA in English/Creative Writing, WA state insurance licenses/certifications
Subjects of Knowledge:
The Bible
Tenets of Christianity
Political Science
U.S. History
Church history
Pregnancy
Pre-eclampsia
Childbirth
Breastfeeding
Reality TV
Twilight (the book series, not the time of day)
Country Music
Car Insurance
Home Insurance
Personal Insurance
Health Insurance
Personal Finance
Skills:
Cooking
Creative Writing*
Childcare (wouldn't conflict resolution be lumped into here also?)
Driving
Making laundry soap/dishwasher soap/household cleansers
Diaper changing
Subrogation
Biblical eschatology
Bathroom cleaning
Bed making (hospital corners, y'all)
Joke-telling