Saturday, August 04, 2012

Collective Learning

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense to change the way children learn into a more collaborative experience. At the end of the decade, for them to grow up and be good members of the society and achieve something meaningful, they must learn to listen deeply, appreciate others' views and let each person express himself while still arriving at independent conclusions. Eventually, though, it is about posing the right questions as a collective, putting everything together and filtering the noise. 


Update: So, why do you think this is funny? :-P Because it sounds contradictory and paradoxical? However, I do think I have not articulated what's in my head well enough.... 

I am not saying we must not think independently. Just saying we must learn the art of arriving at independent conclusions and at the same time learn to appreciate that others may have different views due to their own perceptions, experiences and background. We need to be able to see why they think the way they think! 

If we can then put various ideas together and filter out what the collective thinks is noise, it may lead to a good decision in corporate environments. Lone artists or innovators can still go ahead and do their own thing without checking with anyone ;-)

6 comments:

Srikumar K said...

Great jobs were done alone. Tolstoy did not ask anybody's opinion before writing War And Peace. Neither did Henry Fielding before he wrote Tom Jones the Foundling. With this internet we guys have already become fools without any originality.

Nimmy said...

Srikumar: Hmm....artists and writers have always led their lives in solitude. I am talking about common men who are a part of an organization or community and need to engage themselves in team work. When there is no cohesion in a team, when we are not able to appreciate others' views and arrive at a collective choice or decision, things get messy!

Nimmy said...

Also...I am not saying we must not think independently. Just saying we must learn the art of arriving at independent conclusions but also learn to appreciate that others may have different views due to their own perceptions, experiences and background. If we can then put various ideas together and filter out what the collective thinks is noise, it will lead to a decision in corporate environments. Lone artists or innovators can still go ahead and do their own thing ;-)

Jaideep Sobti said...

A belated happy birthday to you ma'am. i got it all mixed up with Aug 9 for some reason. Anyway, here's wishing you a wonderful year ahead.

Regards,
Jay

Nimmy said...

Jay, Thanks friend. :-)

PS: Please don't address me as ma'am! Makes me feel like an alien.

Jaideep Sobti said...

3rd Rock from the Sun :)