Page 150 - Learning to Learn

READING EXPERIENCE 6: M ETHODOLOGIES: UNLOCKING PROCESS KNOWLEDGE
150 L EARNING TO LEARN: BECOMING A SELF-GROWER
Where Does Your Route 6 Go?
I’d been pouring over maps of the United States
in Paterson for months, even reading books about
the pioneers and savoring names like Platte and
Cimarron and so on, and on the roadmap was one
long red line called Route 6 that led from the tip of
Cape Cod clear to Ely, Nevada, and there dipped
down to Los Angeles. I’ll just stay on 6 all the way to
Ely, I said to myself and confidently started.
Sal Paradise, On the Road by Jack Kerouac
In Jack Kerouac’s classic novel of the Beat Generation, Sal Paradise learns there is a vast difference
between planning for his journey on “the road of life” and actually living it. Sal encounters many joys and
heartbreaks, meets many characters, and learns to solve many problems before sadly “growing up” and
departing from the traveling life he is so in love with. He doesn’t ever use the word “methodology,” but
the truth is that Sal actually does develop a method for solving his life’s problems.
So far in this book, you have applied the Performance Model. You’ve reviewed your identity as a learner.
You also know the Learning Process Methodology. Now, you’re ready for the next step: learning and
applying a Problem Solving Methodology. You will be able to use this methodology to solve all different
kinds of problems both inside and outside of school.
Evelyn is anOjibwe student fromOntario, Canada. She
and her family are very proud of their First Nation’s
heritage. Whenever she has time, Evelyn practices
the Ojibwe language with her grandparents,
who still live on their home reserve. Evelyn is
married and has two young children; she and
her husband want them to know their Ojibwe
culture and language, too. She has begun
to call her little boy Mukwa because he looks
like such a little bear. To help strengthen the
family’s financial prospects, Evelyn decided
to attend college part-time. She is now in
her first term as a freshman and excited
about the future.
Problems and Problem Solving
How would you define the word “problem?” If you were asked to list the problems you have faced and
perhaps solved this week, what would be on your list? How do you feel when you have solved a problem?
Aproblem is a question, matter, situation, issue, or person that is perplexing, thought provoking, or difficult
to deal with. While we all face and deal with problems of varying scope, magnitude, and complexity on a
daily basis, some of us are better problem solvers than others. Why is this so?