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| http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest |
When asked why English mountaineer George Mallory wished to climb Mount Everest, he infamously (and allegedly) replied, “Because it’s there.” There is speculation that Mallory may have been descending the mountain when he died, but he certainly made it past the first step of the northeast ridge. It is unknown whether Mallory and his expedition crew ever made it to the summit of Everest, but his unwavering desire to reach the top is certain.
From where I stand, I have been looking at my own education as a sort of Everest, catching my breath at the third ridge step - summit awaiting, resources dwindling, desire to reach the top pressing. Looking up, I can see the peak through the clouds, the final destination drenched in sunshine and glory, not far away, but a challenge to climb.
But I must be lacking oxygen. For too long, I have thought a doctoral degree was the summit, the final destination on my education journey. I could reach the top, say I did it, and have an excuse to never have to worry about paying tuition and attending classes again. But I was all wrong. I have been looking at it only because it’s there.
Life is a journey, not a destination, it is often said. So why have I been so focused on the destination? Surely, it wasn’t in Mallory’s plan to reach the peak of Everest, then stay there the rest of his life. In fact, some speculate that he may have reached the peak, and was on a new journey back down the mountain when he died. Mallory did plan to reach the top of Everest, but he didn’t hang out there for the rest of his life because that was the end of all he wished to ever accomplish. He had more things to do, like write, teach, and spend time with his family.
While contemplating the next step to climb on my own education expedition, my supervisor at work, Joanne, changed this view for me. She pointed out that as educators we have traditional ideas of learning so ingrained in our consciousness, that we often fail to recognize the validity of alternate means of learning - and as educators shaping the future of education, we should be defining what it means to learn, and how we learn, not letting others define that for us.
For a moment, irony laughed in my face. And everything changed. It was a turning point for me as I realized my focus on the summit was contradicting everything I believe as an educator. Learning is in the journey, not the destination. I decided to begin this blog to reflect on my journey and document my expedition, much as a mountaineer would write in his journal, and to help me (and others) to learn from the multitude of experiences I have to draw from.
This new expedition I am about to embark upon coincides with the one year anniversary at my current job. Over the past year, I have had countless learning experiences worthy of reflection. I will now embark on catching up on some of those experiences, and reflecting on new experiences, determining my own learning path. Rather than focusing on a Ph.D., I will focus on networking, blogging, and living in my experiences. I will learn on my own terms. I will do it because it’s there.
