I like walking the beach as it is good for the body, mind, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
The vast waters keeps serving as a metaphor for knowledge. If the water represents the sea of knowledge – all that is known – am I standing on the shore of ignorance? Oh yes – the importance of lifelong learner.
My mind keeps thinking about knowledge and learning. Einstein stated, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”
Passing a toy sand bucket reminds me that everyone enters a learning situation caring knowledge in 3 buckets – 3 buckets that involve filling and emptying – 3 buckets of knowledge – what they know, what they think the know (but don’t), and what they don’t know.
A good learning situation reinforces what the learner knows while adding to the didn’t know bucket. But, a just-as-important situation lies in the middle bucket – the information one thinks they know but don’t. This information serves as the foundation of misconceptions and illogical conclusions. This is the information that only the learner can declare as “incorrect”, then replace it with new correct information.
For instance, how accurate is one’s conclusion if the person starts with an incorrect assumption as the first or early domino in their logic? How willing is that person going to listen to a correct explanation? How willing is that person to admit they are wrong?
I think about the ways one can justify blood in our veins is blue. We see the blue beneath our skin. We see the red and blue diagrams of blood circulation in diagrams. If a person believes blood is blue, they will do whatever they can to justify their incorrect position by assuming the instantaneous color change when venous blood from a cut contacts the air.
The refreshing water rekindles a situation I experienced at a conference many years ago. The presenter made a point that I processed as, “Oh, that’s what it means – so I’ve been doing a good job of doing it wrong for 12 years.” Yes, that moment was a professional game changer for me. A moment that set the need for learning something new and changing past behaviors.
The bottom line is that only the learner can replace the incorrect information in their belief system. Only the learner can learn and unlearn. Not the teacher, not the trainer, not the expert – only the learner can do that.
I look across the water and down the beach at the horizons, which causes me to think of other metaphors. Is the horizon a learning boundary? Is the horizon a new level of knowledge? Does the horizon represent the distinction between the known and unknown? I’ll save the horizon for another day – another walk – because I like walking the beach as it is good for the body, mind, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
Excellent extraction from the walk on the beach, Frank. I liked the three buckets of knowledge. The what I know and the what I don’t know are safe havens. What I think I know but don’t, is where most misunderstandings begin. Very well done.
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John,
Glad you appreciated my buckets analogy. That misconception bucket is difficult for teachers ,,, thus the importance of lessons crafted in a way allowing for students to change their own minds.
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Takes real talent to recognized the need to lead rather than shove. Good for you, Frank.
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… and many learning situations are about shoving down the throat … therefore ineffective learning.
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Yup. That was my learning experience for the first seven grades.
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This is just beautiful Frank, such a wonderful analogy. The link was wonderful too.
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Holly,
Thank you. One of the things I like about my beach walks is the thinking that leads to good analogies. I should have another walk next week. 🙂
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We do our best problem solving in inspiring surroundings. Enjoy Frank !😊☀️
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Absolutely! 😀
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I loved too dear Frank, beautiful, Thank you, have a nice new week, Love, nia
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Nia,
I know you enjoy walking on the beach, so I’m not surprised you liked this post. 🙂 … Hope all is well with you.
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I love the buckets analogy.
And how right you are, the culling of knowledge, how we learn after which we formulate our opinions. And what if we misstep in the learning? How many of us do? Hmmm.
The shore is the cusp, I think. The water is immersion.
Love that video. It’s almost folksy kinda.
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Marc,
Happy to know that this one got you thinking. That think-they-know-but-don’t bucket causes a many issues around learning, perspective, communication, and even respect. Think about how often people have misconceptions around a topic like politics!
The idea of group knowledge into the 3 groups is not a new one. Heck, I’ve used it for 25+ years. However, the metaphor of using buckets came to me while walking on the beach.
Meanwhile, George Winston plays relaxing music!
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Politics is what comes to mind, immediately! lol
And I really dig the bucket concept. It’s funny how often buckets are used in speaking of different realms, there’s something to that.
Winston offers up a very chill and enjoyable mood with his music.
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If you didn’t know Winston, look into his music … very relaxing!
Teachers deal with those three buckets every day … and overcoming that bucket of misconceptions is a difficult task. Then again, social media has amplified the issue for all ages!
Generalizations also compound the issue. Generalizing a generalization takes us further and further away from the truth. Think about generalizing an abstract. … or writing 3 sentences to describe a novel.
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Social media has indeed prevailed upon this. More information is at our fingertips than ever before, but it’s in the parsing where things can go awfully haywire.
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Oh yes …. think about how a 140-character statement can distort and mislead.
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Yes . . . it can transform us into real . . twits. lol
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… and without the twit knowing their twitdom
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Of course, this particular twit gets off on hit and runs . .
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Yep
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Not that I . . umm . . have anyone specific in mind . . .
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Of course not!
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Bwahahahaha!
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I will look up this Winston fella . .
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I like the buckets analogy–and also your willingness to accept that you could be wrong. I’m upset and scared by all the people who seem to embrace ignorance and things that are not true.
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It’s no exaggeration to say that every time I visit your blog site I start thinking about something new. Today you got me thinking about emptying my middle bucket to carefully examine everything in it before deciding what to put back. By the way, I also liked your footprint photo, which I thought reflected the bucket-knowledge idea.
Also thanks for George Winston’s interesting rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon in D (which I liked very much). It led me to listen to a bunch of other Youtube modern-influenced arrangements of that piece (none of which I liked), which finally sent me scurrying back to the safety of the following original manuscript version performed on period instruments using period string performance techniques (fast tempo, and the bow held closer to the middle of the bow with no use of vibrato). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachelbel%27s_Canon
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Tim,
That middle bucket is a tricky one because one has to recognize that the stuff is in the middle bucket. After all, learners think they only have two buckets .. the middle bucket is missing (empty) because they think the stuff is in the Know bucket. That making sifting difficult.
Glad you enjoyed Winston’s version of Pachelbel … especially because you couldn’t find others you enjoyed.
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Thanks for the music and wisdom from your beach walk!
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I really needed to read this today. So true. The depiction of walking on the beach to feel refresh, mind, body, and soul. I relate to this a lot and thank you frank for you being you and bless your heart my friend.
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Frank, at this point of my life, I am seeking new horizons with the expectation of fulfilling new thoughts and experiences. Whether on the beach, or in an alley, I’ll walk toward tomorrow, refreshed.
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That a way … FYI … there will be a beach walk about horizons!
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My “what I know bucket” must have several holes in it as things keep escaping my memory. 🙂
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Karen,
Now that’s funny!!!! 😀 …. Many thanks!
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Your beach walks are apparently both calming and stimulating. Rather than be in contradiction, they provide the framework for physical and mental refreshment. What a wonderful combination! I certainly agree with you that it remains the role of an individual to steward their knowledge with personal responsibility. Your words reinforce the value I place on lifelong learning and being open not just to absorbing more input, but creating space to shift, change and grow with a willingness to discard information that no longer seems to fit or be useful. I hope for more beach walks!
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Debra,
Beach walks seem to be a place where I can gather metaphoric thoughts around a topic. Last year I wrote (I think) 15 … and this is the second of the 2018 edition – of which I’ve drafted over 20 …. so yes – more to come as I aim for one a week.
Lifelong learning is more paramount than ever … besides, it’s a way to keep the mind sharper – which is one of the reasons I keep blogging.
The knowledge buckets is something that I’ve believed for many years – and this walk was the appropriate time to pull those thoughts from the mothballs.
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Save the horizon for another day…
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Velvet,
Yes … and the horizon post as a future walk is still in draft mode – but it should appear here in time.
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Following the footsteps of your thoughts there’s one more wise quote… “I know that I know nothing”, the Socrates paradox… if you think about it, not so paradox! 😉 Beautifully written, my friend! 🙂
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Marina,
I didn’t know that one … but I like it! Thanks for share and for coming along on this walk.
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