Acknowledging Learning Biases

In her article, "Taking Responsibility for Your Own Learning:  Maximizing Training Opportunities," in the new Exchange Essential, Training Teachers: Strategies, Carmen Rivers talks about the impact of biases in professional development:

"We all want to believe that we are without bias — that we see everyone and everything objectively and individually.  However, we are human.  Prior experiences create bias.  Try to figure out what your biases related to the learning topic are.  You may not be able to eliminate your personal biases, but you can discover them and find ways to manage them.

"I have facilitated several trainings related to nature-based learning and environments.  Often, participants come wanting to learn but become stuck behind their fears of the outdoors (icky bugs, dirt, and other known dangers).  These are the biases that their lack of experience, or negative experiences, has left behind.  Before they can help children love and appreciate nature, they need to move beyond their own fears and biases.  Acknowledging our biases is the first step.  Actively seeking opportunities to move beyond them is the next; perhaps a camping trip is in order."

Where Children Sleep Update

Yesterday the site to view the Where Children Sleep photos apparently crashed and is not yet back up.  So here is another place to view these photos:

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/where-children-sleep/

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