Term Paper on "Learning as a Way of Being: Strategies"

Term Paper 5 pages (1800 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Learning as a Way of Being: Strategies for Survival in a World of Permanent White Water

In his book "Learning as a Way of Being: Strategies for Survival in a World of Permanent White Water," Peter Vaill discusses many business issues. Much of what he deals with details leaders and managers, as well as their dealings with skills, situations, and new information (Vaill, 1996). This seems as though surviving in the business world is something that can easily be taught in schools, but the reality of it is that this is not entirely the case anymore. The way that the business world works today requires different skill sets than what can be easily taught in schools, since the Internet has changed things so strongly and made many businesses redefine the way that they operate.

When schools teach future businesspeople in the ways that they have utilized in the past, they promote an environment that shows that learning stops when they get out of school. That is unfortunate, because learning is something that must continue all throughout life, as opposed to ending when schooling is finished. When businesspeople decide that they have nothing left to learn, their businesses suffer because society and technology continue to advance while their businesses do not. This is, naturally, a large concern for many businesses when they see that they are falling behind. However, if they are uncertain of why it is happening or if they have been conditioned to the point that they believe they have nothing else left to learn, even seeing the problem will not work to correct it.

Learning is a habit, and it is something that must be cultivated and continued if it is to grow and prosper (Vaill, 1996). It also must be practiced not just at home but while on the job or it will not help the businessperson when problems arise (Vaill, 1996). While it is important to discuss what is in the book, there is only a need to do this in a general way. Once it has been established what Peter Vaill has to say, it is more valuable to deal with what is in the book in terms of what it means to those that are in business and how the ideas that Vaill presented can be further utilized to learn and understand today's new technology and rapidly changing business environment.

One of the most important thing to note about Vaill's book is that he sees learning as just a way of being, instead of something that is only done in certain place and certain times (such as school). By seeing learning in this way, Vaill shows that there is much creativity and originality in many people, and it only needs the right understanding of the learning environment in order to be unlocked (Vaill, 1996). This is largely the key to the book and the most important insight that is offered as Vaill goes through his seven steps to learning while being. It is very difficult for many people that have grown up with the standard and traditional ways of learning things to adapt to new ideas, but Vaill's book can be one step that they can take to help them understand what they need to do to succeed.

The ideas in the book are very interesting, and when they are looked at in an open-minded fashion it is easy to see that they have a great deal of merit. Vaill's idea of learning as a continuous process is valid and important for most people in business today, and it is also something that is very difficult for most people to do. This does not mean that these people do not understand that learning is important, but only that they have become so conditioned that they are not able to think like they did when they were learning things every day. Traditional education does not allow these people to keep the open mind that they need for continued learning and therefore they remain stoic about the belief that they have been through school and therefore know all that is necessary.

Others in the business world are very open to learning new things but they are not aware of how to do so, and assume that conferences and other scheduled events are the only ways that they can learn things about their businesses, the rest of the business environment, new technology, and other issues. While these kinds of scheduled events are important, there are also many other ways that things can be learned. What Vaill is trying to get across most strongly is that learning is a continual process. This means not just something that should be done every day, but something that should be done every minute of every day. Most people do not think this way, but Vaill's book will teach businesspeople to gear themselves toward learning and keeping their eyes and ears open for new experiences all of the time, so that they do not miss something that might be very valuable.

As a self-directed learner, there are many similarities between that style of learning and what Vaill talks about in his book. Self-directed learners are more interested in learning about everything that they can, in any way that they can, and they take it upon themselves to find things out and seek out places and people that can help them on their quest for knowledge. Because they are self-directed, they are more able to be open-minded about how one learns things and where that learning can take place.

They have different beliefs about learning than do those people who are not self-directed and only choose to learn what they are required to learn through classes in school and other methods. People who only learn in that way are not self-directed, and instead are directed by the goals and plans of others. The simplest way to explain it is that self-directed learners learn because they want to, and non-self-directed learners learn because they have to. This may not seem like a large difference where issues such as schooling are concerns, but it is very important when it comes to other types of learning that occur outside of the classroom. Mostly, this is reflected in how much interest the businessperson has in learning new things about technology, skills, and other issues that relate to their business and society. Some of this learning may also involve information about a business' customers, and this is one area of learning that is vital to the continuation of a business.

The ideas in the book must be put to good use in order for them to work well. There are several ways that this could be done, depending on whether one is looking at these ideas from the perspective of the teacher of adult learning or from the perspective of a human resource professional or other leader. Both roles and the way that the book could be used in them will be discussed here, as both have merit and are important for the future of individuals who are going into the business world.

First, those who teach adult students about the business world should take many of the ideas in this book to heart. Many of them deal with the way that traditional education is stopping these students from learning the proper way, and from seeing learning as something that takes place all of the time. While most traditional ideas and values have a great deal of merit in today's society, this is one that should be changed and replaced with newer ideas that work better where business is concerned. Learning is something that must be integrated into a person's very being (Vaill, 1996) and there are no easy ways to do this, but adult teachers that will look at ways to force their students to pay attention to even the smallest details will help to put them on the proper road to continuous learning success.

These teachers must make their students understand that there is something to be learned from everything that takes place, and that no two people see something the same way. Because of this, what is learned by one person in a particular situation may not be the same thing that is learned by someone else in the same situation. This is one of the most important things that a student can learn, because the willingness to recognize the differences in people is a significant part of being able to work with them on a business level. The continuous learning student does not see others as pawns that must be moved around, but as other equals with thoughts, feelings, and ideas that are worthy and valid.

Instead of trying to change these people, it is more important that the student learns from them. He or she might only learn that a particular person cannot be trusted, is not liked, or does not do things the way that they should be done, but this is… READ MORE

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