Dear At, dear orglearners:
Very interesting your new version of the dialogue between Alice (Jessica)
and the Cat (Oupa) [ in your version, the Cat asks the questions and Alice
answers; I like more your version - I never liked that presumptuous Cat
with all the answers ;-)
Some comments follow:
At wrote:
>"Jessica, why are you able to talk?"
>"Because I have learnt it, Oupa."
This is very clear; an adult and a child both know that one "learns" to
talk without being specifically thought to talk, But:
>"Jessica, what do you know which you have not learnt?"
>"Nothing, Oupa."
I think this one is more confusing; When Jessica says that "everything she
knows, she has learnt", it is not proved that the "learning" she is
talking now is exactly the same as before. I would think, from my
experience of some years ago with my own children, that she may be
includind what she has learnt by herself AND what hat she has been taught.
>"Jessica, do you require anything to learn?"
>"No, Oupa, it comes by itself."
>
>"Jessica, is playing more important than learning?"
>"No, Oupa, but playing is a nice way of learning."
I would prefer the question to use "interesting" instead of "important".
A six year old girl, perhaps "know" already that, for adults, "learning"
is ( or they say it is) the MOST important thing. Her answer may be
defensive, but is very clever and appropriate.
>"Jessica, will it be nice to stop learning?"
>"No, Oupa, then I will not become Jessica."
>(Her words in Afrikaans were: "Nee Oupa, dan sal ek nie Jessica word
>nie." I found her answering intriguing. At her present age she defines
>herself in terms of her potentialities.)
Do you think this is "being vs becoming", or "being vs being/becoming"; I
would say the meaning of her phrase is " I am Jessica, but if I stop
learning I will not be able to become EVEN MORE Jessica". What do you
think?
>"Jessica, where does this learning happens?"
>"All inside me, Oupa".
Real learning, indeed. It doesn't happen only in her brains.
>"Jessica, are you earnest about learning?"
>"Yes, Oupa, that is how I am becoming an adult."
>
>"But Oupa, why do you ask me these questions? Dont you get the answers
>at the university where you work?"
>
>"My child, we are only a bunch of adults at the university who have to
>answer these questions. Children seems to know some pretty important
>things because they all become adults. I have forgotten much about my
>childhood. Maybe I also have forgotten how to become an adult. That is
>why I have asked you these questions."
I think that the previous sentence can have a more perfect form, let me try:
>"My child, we are only a bunch of adults at the university who have to
>answer these questions. Children seems to know some pretty important
>things because they ARE NOT YET adults. I have forgotten much about my
>childhood. Maybe I also have forgotten ...
...how I HAVE MUCH MORE DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING when I have become an
adult. That is why I have asked you these questions."
>"Oupa, tell the people at the university that they must learn. By
>learning they will become children again."
I think Jessica is talking again about learning with the meaning of the
first phrase. Learning as something one does by oneself without being
taught. I understand that you are a caring grand-father, reason why you
have not told Jessica about the true. Profs can take PHDs, but they can't
any more "learn" in the sense of explointing new ways, new concepts, etc.
So, the great majority of them will never be able to became a child any
more. A pity...
One last prevention for you, At. Jessica is now entering formal school;
During how long will she de able to continue learning ( in the previous
sense)? How long it will take before she is more and more and "educated
adult", able to "learn" only what is taught to her? And what are you
planning to do to avoid that?
Kind regards
Artur
PS: You also wrote:
>If Jessica did not show me that she
>is absolutely earnest about learning, I would not have had the
>necessary shift to metanoia which would enable me to articulate
>(yesterday) "antilearning organisations" -- not organisations which
>have learning disabilities, but organisations with activities which
>oppose learning.
The majority of Schools and Universities, for sure; some types of
companies and some types of churches, I suspect. What more?
--"Artur F. Silva" <artsilva@individual.eunet.pt>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>