Thing #2

I guess it is true that "attitude is everything". You have to believe that you are capable of doing something before you ever take a risk and try. My daughter emphatically insisted on going fishing with my husband almost every day for the last month despite the dismal lack of bites on both their lines but then surprised us all by catching a two-foot longnosed gar (thank goodness it wasn't bigger).

Online learners are the same -- some more experienced than others, but all trying to take a risk and "catch" some knowledge that they can use for personal or professional reasons. The difference here would be that online learners have to turn around and create something good out of what they have caught.

Online learning can also be a chance for adults to play under the guise of education. Playing is a positive and vital piece in a child's development because it gives him or her opportunities to practice real-life scenarios through play. In my learning environment, I am being given the chance to create blogs and avatars, something both useful and fun. While I know that adults are usually motivated to learn out of a need or a product that they want to be able to produce, I will admit to being more motivated to try this out because of the interest it has sparked. I guess adult learning is not that much different from children's learning after all. I like to play, too.

Of the habits mentioned, the easiest for me is the first: "Begin with the end in mind". I am such a goal-oriented person that this comes naturally to me before I begin any serious endeavor. The hardest habit for me, though, is that of using technology to your advantage. I admittedly am not very "intuitive" when it comes to technology and struggle with the basic use of the products sometimes, never mind the creative use of them. I know that I have to work harder than others in this area to know anything at all about what to use, how to use it, and how to use it creatively. However, I am intrigued by what I see others do and am willing to work hard and continuously in this area to grow in my knowledge base.