Learning Architect

I find great meaning in being in the service of others, and in particular of their learning, especially when that learning is collective. These situations often also offer me a Learning Gift – I guess this all makes sense as I did become a teacher! But it’s the work of designing shared experiences in which others learn that brings me the greatest joy. This process is being a learning architect, and my new role provided great opportunity to do this.

The international study tours, but also assisting leaders become published so their voice might be heard in the educational leadership arena, helping some to progress their doctorates, innovating in the design of an annual conference, and recently helping others become Leaders as Learners through a Creative Leadership for Principals program, are examples.

A challenge inherent in this work is the Uncharted Impact these learning experiences have. Like the ripples that emanate from a pebble tossed into a pond, the impact is undetermined and sometimes undetectable. Professional learning is similar because it’s unknown when a particular skill learned in a leadership program, or connections made with another leader or new idea, may be important to a decision, or in a career? The evaluation of impact, the need for a return on professional learning investment, can be obstacles that get in the way of learning.

I am encouraged that there can be an important legacy from my work. Just a building outlasts its architect, it’s the work done within its walls that should be expected to make a greater future contribution to humanity than the building itself. In the same way, the experiences built into study tours were to bring greater future contributions than the time spent in day-long professional development workshops.

I do enjoy the design process of developing programs for others, and seeing how the experiences built into a program contributes to learning. Increasingly, I have been interested in how programs can surprise and delight, bring joy and so I have been looking at ways to further link feelings and experiences with the opportunity to learn new skills and acquire new knowledge.

Next: Designing Experiences