Maura Foley

Unit 3 Essay
EAD 860

Self-directed learning often begins when we experience a discontinuity, the
associated epiphany, or a moment of awareness (Boyatzis, pg. 11). This quote
epitomizes what drives many adults to begin what can be an arduous process of an adult
learning project. While much learning is focused on preparing skills needed for the
workplace, many of these self-directed projects focus on acquiring a new skill simply for
pleasure, as was the case with Noah Adams in his quest to learn to play the piano. This
type of learning differs from formal education where the learning society is clearly
defined as one can pick and choose whom to learn from, where to find their information,
or even to travel alone through the learning process. At the same time, some self-directed
learning projects may relate to the workplace, as did my decision to learn the braille
system for music. In either situation, the self-directed learner must identify for
themselves a skill they desire and work through the process of acquiring that skill.
During the course of his yearlong process of learning to play the piano, Adams
struggled with the question of how to learn while also confronting his own self-doubts.
Humans have an early childhood window to acquire such skills easilyand its a
window that closes quickly (Headlam, 2012). Many adults fear beginning a new
learning endeavor for this reason; they fear they are too old. Adams at times thought this
about himself and others. When his neighbor wants to begin to produce shows for radio,
Adams though to himself, gee, its late in her career to be taking on an entirely new art
form (Adams, 1997, pg. 107). However, even with his doubts, Adams recognized his
love for piano music and his desire to learn to play. Though he new it would be a risk, he
though, I wonder achingly - about the courage it would take to go ahead and try it
(Adams, 1997, pg. 3). Having the ability to identify an area where one wants to improve
and finding the courage to go for that dream even in the face of struggles or doubt is
needed in anyone wanting to begin a self-learning project. Einstein said later that he
believed love is a better teacher than duty (Adams, 1997, pg. 248). With this thought,
learners could continue their self-led learning even through struggles as it was something
they desired instead of something that was demanded of them.
Recently, I began my own self-directed learning project by attempting to learn the
basics of the musical braille system. I teach music in a rural district, and we have few in-
house resources for students with disabilities. After teaching a blind student essentially
by rote for two years, I realized she was too old for that method to continue if she was to
complete the same music curriculum as students with vision. However, when I spoke
with her classroom teacher, her paraprofessional, and her special education director, none
were interested in incorporating the musical system of braille, as they did not see it as a
core of her education. To teach her music by rote, especially when she was so engaged in
the material, was to do her a disservice. On this, Adams (1997) says, you just try to
figure things out, and you make a commitment; you dont do it halfway (pg. 75), which
is exactly what I set out to do by teaching myself the system first so that I could begin to
incorporate braille into her music lessons. Like Adams, I faced a busy schedule that at
times made my learning journey difficult. A threat to effective goal setting and planning
is that people are already busy and cant add anything else to their lives (Boyatzis, pg.
12). However, during this journey, which I am still on, I maintained my course by
remembering that this was a skill I wanted to have not only for my own development but
for my students as well. Outstanding performance requires the desire to develop and use
your talents (Boyatzis, pg. 11). In my desire to perform at my highest level, I took on the
opportunity of a self-directed learning project, which helped me to attain new talents to
enhance my teaching.
"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that
envy is ignorance (Emerson). To fight this, many adults begin the process of self-
directed learning projects. While these take many forms, they are all characterized by a
desire to learn something new, even if it does not have specific contributions to the
workplace. Though adults face a barrage of obstacles with such a project, they have
boundless opportunities waiting, if only they will take the chance. Sometimes Im afraid
that I approach the piano in the way I approach running; Ive never tried to find out
how fast and how far I could run (Adams, 1997, pg. 182).