Page 17 - Learning to Learn

LEARNING TO LEARN: BECOMING A SELF -GROWER 17
EXPERIENCE 1: PERFORMING L IKE A STAR RESOURCE
successful entity. The roles of the individuals are truly what make the team work. Everyone has
their strengths and their areas for improvement. What playing each individual’s roles does is
keep the process moving in a positive direction. I have learned that without understanding and
following this, the team is doomed to failure and frustration.
Another aspect to a successful team is the effective use of communication, both written and
verbal. Without each individual having the ability to successfully convey their idea or opinion,
the group, again, fails. This is because when working in a group, each individual’s perspective
is crucial to understanding and then solving the problem at hand. Without being able to effective
communicate that perspective the team falls apart. When a team truly collaborates, there is
a transformation from a set of individuals to a single entity that works efficiently to solve a
problem. This became very apparent through the use of the problem solving simulation known
as the “Fish Bowl.” This test of team problem solving allowed us to really examine the concept
of collaboration and teamwork. What we found was that initially we functioned as independent
entities, working through the problem in our heads and trying to come up with a solution to the
problem independently. We found that when the synergy became noticeable, we began to become
more effective workers and transform from this team of individuals into elements of a single
team. We became more efficient and effective, and given more time. would have eventually been
successful at the problem at hand.
The final aspect of self-growth I amgoing to touch on is the role of perspective. Not the perspective
previously spoken about that is gathered from other individuals, but rather, the perspective that
connects what we just learned with the application of that learning in a completely unrelated
context. Having and experiencing this perspective is what makes being a self-grower worth it.
I can now take something that I just learned and apply that same methodology to something
completely unrelated, but get positive results due to knowing how the process generally works.
While this was possibly one of the more difficult concepts to grasp, it is also one of the most
rewarding and valuable tools I achieved through the process of becoming a self-grower. The
realization that you can take any learned process and apply it to many other contexts successfully
is empowering. It gives the sense of self-actualization that I can be successful at anything just by
applying what I know to the problem and learning to grow from the process.
The process of becoming a self-grower is a long, painful process that brings about the most
empowering sensation that one can experience. The liberation achieved by knowing that I can
stand on my own two feet, independent of the rest of the world, and take my destiny into my own
hands is an incredible feeling. I can now go into the world of the Honor’s College and know I
am prepared to take on anything it has to throw at me. And not only can I take it on, but I can use
what I learn to apply that knowledge to every aspect of my everyday life. I can now make the
connections between my school life and the rest of my life and continue pushing myself to be a
better version of me without needing to wait and work for the approval and consent of another
person. This process allows me to now not only improve myself, but to also gain a greater
understanding about what makes me who I am today and where I will be going tomorrow.