Tuesday, September 2

To-Learn Lists

This month's question comes out of something that Catherine Lombardozzi wrote pointed me to:

Jim Collins, in an essay in Learning Journeys, wrote, “A true learning person also has a “to-learn” list, and the items on that list carry at least as much weight in how one organizes his or her time as the to-do list.”

Thus, for September we are exploring:


To-Learn Lists


I personally, do not have a formal to-learn list. Instead, my exploration via work, blogging, speaking, I seem to find ample learning opportunities. But it does seem like a very good idea to be a bit more directed. So, more specifically, I'd like to hear:
  • If you have a to-learn list and are willing to share, and willing to share how you work with that list, that would likely be helpful information.
  • As Knowledge Workers, work and learning are the same, so how does a to-learn list really differ from a to-do list? How are they different than undirected learning through work, blogging, conferences, etc.?
  • Are to-learn lists really important to have? Are they as important as what Jim Collins tells us?
  • Should they be captured? Is so how?
  • How does a to-learn list impact something like a Learning Management System (LMS) in a Workplace or Educational setting?
  • What skills, practices, behaviors do modern knowledge workers need around to-learn lists?
This has been discussed a bit out there, but I'm not that familiar with good sources on this topic, so feel free to provide links to sources. I look forward to seeing responses.

How to Respond:

Option 1 - Simply put your thoughts in a comment below. This may be hard given the complexity of the topic.

Option 2 -

Step 1 - Post in your blog (please link to this post).
Step 2 - Put a comment in this blog with an HTML ready link that I can simply copy and paste (an HTML anchor tag). I will only copy and past, thus, I would also recommend you include your NAME immediately before your link. So, it should look like:

Tony Karrer - Safety Training Design

or you could also include your blog name with something like:

Tony Karrer - Safety Training Design : eLearning Technology

Posts so far (and read comments as well):

21 comments:

Manish Mohan said...

Very interesting big question of the month. To-Learn lists to me are part of the life goals and skills we all need to have irrespective of our profession as knowledge workers.

Do I have a To-Learn list? Not until today. Here's my To-Learn list that I created after reading this post.

Unknown said...

The "To-Learn List" is at the heart of Learner-Centric discovery and Dynamic Curricula.

The Learning Leaders Blog Response

Anonymous said...

I have to respond to this one... thanks for keeping the conversation going.

To-learn list: The Big Question

Eloise said...

My blog entry: To Learn Lists: The Big Qustion

The upsycho said...

Karyn Romeis: The Big Question: To-learn list

Anonymous said...

My To learn list

Michael Hanley said...

The E-learning Curve Blog - To-Learn Lists indicate some potentially useful approaches on how to engage others in continuous learning...

Clark said...

We do it in a number of ways, but could stand to do it more formally: To-Learn Lists?

Bill said...

Bill Brantley - To Learn Lists - What My Grandfather Taught Me

jay said...

Jay Cross: To-learn lists, unlearning.

Inge (Ignatia) de Waard said...

here is my to-learn list blogpost

Clive Shepherd said...

Clive Shepherd: http://clive-shepherd.blogspot.com/2008/09/to-learn-lists.html

Anonymous said...

my list... and thoughts....

Norman Lamont said...

Thanks for the prompt. Norman Lamont.
http://normanlamont.typepad.com/eellearning/2008/09/the-big-questio.html

Karl Kapp said...

Here is my response. I really liked the question.Kapp Notes: List to Learn, Learn to List#links

Anonymous said...

Lorretta J Davis - href="ljdavis.biz/blog/?p=19">Continuous Learning -The To Learn List

Emanuele said...

Emanuele Siracusa -
5 Things to Learn before a Round the World Trip

Taruna Goel said...

Interesting question! Never really differentiated the to-learn from the to-do until now...

My views here

Anonymous said...

Here's My to learn list:
Adventures in Corporate Education: What’s a “To Learn” List?

Anonymous said...

Great questions, Tony. You got me thinking about Personal Responsibility for Learning.
Claudia Escribano @ The LifeLongLearning Lab: Personal Responsibility for Learning

Blogger In Middle-earth said...

Kia ora tatou!

My To-learn List

My reclining view of the to-learn list is probably old hat. But what I hadn't learnt was to complete all the parts of a process, which is why it took me so long to enter this comment here.

Better late than never :-)

Ka kite
from Middle-earth