Unlearning 101

Unlearning Farming

It sounds almost impossible, growing agricultural products with only one-fifth the water and no soil. According to this article, however, it is already a reality. What is so fascinating about the piece is that many farmers are resistant to the approach not because the technology isn't good but because it is new.

With billions of people on this planet starving, I'd argue that it is time for these farmers to unlearn and, at least, experiment with this new approach.

John Seely Brown Offers Some Thoughts on Unlearning

Below is a short 10-minute session with John Seely Brown on the need to rethink -- and, perhaps, unlearn -- our educational system. I especially like his ideas on: peer-based learning, tinkering, and "being open to criticism." Enjoy. Related Posts Learning to Unlearn

Learn to Unlearn

"Learn to unlearn." -- Benjamin Disraeli 

Unlearning Fishing Regulations

According to a recent Science report all of the world's fisheries could collapse by 2048. Without wanting to sound alarmist, this isn't good. Obviously, if the report is true ,it'll be important to implement strategies that protect and maintain the world's fish supplies. According to this insightful article entitled "Chaos and the Catch of the Day" current fishing regulations which protect smaller fish may be "exactly wrong." Instead of protecting younger fish, one leading scientist suggests that larger, older fish should be protected because they provide "more and better quality offspring."

Unlearning 101

I recently stumbled across this article entitled "Unlearning 101." Since that is the name of this blog, it obviously caught my attention. It is a good read, but I want to share two quotes from the article. The first is from Durelle Price, the author of the article: "Pursuing a course in higher learning without having properly unlearned is akin to rolling naked in a mud puddle before dressing in a tuxedo. No matter how great the suit looks, you still need a bath."

The second is from Dr. Steven Covey: "The way we see the problem is the problem."

Both are worth keeping in mind as we continue your life-long journey in unlearning!

(Photo credit: Durelle Price & FranklinCovey)

Unlearn Your Position

This past weekend I had the opportunity to watch an American film classic "12 Angry Men" with Henry Fonda. For anyone interested in unlearning, it is a great and entertaining tutorial.

My favorite scene, however, occurred when one juror (Juror #11) decided to switch his vote from guilty to not guilty.

Here's his reponse to Juror #3 when he was angrily asked this question: "Look, you voted guilty. What side are you on?"

"I don't believe I have to be loyal to one side or the other. I'm simply asking questions."

The moral of the story? Don't let loyalities get in the way of asking new -- and sometimes difficult and uncomfortable -- questions.

Unlearning the Dow 30

There is now a rumor that Google and Apple will replace General Motors and CitiGroup on the Dow 30. The pace of change is accelerating. Who's next?

Unlearning Wisdom

"When you come to see you are not as wise today as thought you were yesterday, you are wiser today." -- Anthony de Mello

Unlearning Religion

Richard Dawkins shows us a map of the world's many religions and then asks us to imagine a similar world map of a specific scientific theory. It is a wonderful thought exercise and should leave all of us questioning the idea that any religion is the "one" true religion.

Unlearning Education

I highly recommend this thought-provoking interview with Alvin Toffler on the future of education entitled "Future School: Reshaping Learning from the Ground Up." It makes a powerful argument for why society must unlearn its reliance on the current educational system. In a nutshell, Toffler argues that we are stealing our kids future.

I particularly like his use of the word: obsoledge -- or obsolete knowledge. Here's the operative paragraph:

"So, that's another thing: Much of what we're transmitting is doomed to obsolescence at a far more rapid rate than ever before. And that knowledge becomes what we call obsoledge: obsolete knowledge. We have this enormous bank of obsolete knowledge in our heads, in our books, and in our culture. When change was slower, obsoledge didn't pile up as quickly. Now, because everything is in rapid change, the amount of obsolete knowledge that we have -- and that we teach -- is greater and greater and greater. We're drowning in obsolete information. We make big decisions -- personal decisions -- based on it, and public and political decisions based on it."