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How to Design a Personal Lifelong

Learning Plan
As you reflect on Einstein’s quote, I am sure you will agree with him that
acquisition of learning may indeed take us a lifetime. You have already learned
in the previous section that one of the ways you can acquire such learning is
through formal learning in an educational institution, informal learning through
courses, and non-formal learning through multimedia channels like the
internet. Have you ever given a thought to designing your own personal lifelong
learning plan? Or are you like most teachers who function on a “what they
require for the present” plan and are thus satisfied if they have earned a
university degree and are currently employed in a job that pays them a
relatively good salary?

What is a personal lifelong learning plan? A lifelong learning plan is a written,

well-thought of strategy to continuously gain, absorb, and build skills and
knowledge and apply these throughout the life of an individual. As learning
should be an essential and indivisible portion of our daily lives, it is necessary
for you to develop your own plan to constantly acquire knowledge and skills
that you can use for your everyday life.

The lifelong learning plan is sometimes called a learning contract. It differs

from the typical contract like a housing loan contract in two respects. First, it
exists between and binds the person who created it, and himself/herself. In
this case, it is you yourself since there is no other second party involved.
Second, you must be willing to adhere to what you have put into this plan, and
at the same time, be conscious of changing situations that might require
adjustments as the plan takes effect and new learning needs and priorities
emerge.

Before you set out to write your personal lifelong learning plan, you will need to
prepare yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. Use the following
considerations as guidelines to help you do so:

1. Make a personal commitment to lifelong learning and treat it like a

lifetime journey.

2. Make this journey a fruitful one by continually learning something new all
the time.

3. Maximize your resources. Utilize your time, energy and, perhaps, finances
to the fullest.

4. Maximize your learning environments. Identify settings that are able to

support and inspire you, both inside and outside your home. Besides the
 library, can the park, fast food outlets, coffee shops, or a shopping
complex be just as stimulating for learning?

5. Know how you learn. Identify your learning patterns, such as when and
how often you need a short break from learning. What is your learning
style? How do you process information? Do you like reading aloud, or do
you prefer silent reading instead? How do you find peer discussion?

6. Maximize your mental ability. Engage in analytical, critical, and creative

thinking to train your mind to process, store, and retrieve the information
it receives. Use frequent mental exercises such as brain gym to
strengthen it as well as make it flexible.

7. Anchor on the power of words to form ideas. When you are engaged in a
writing activity, such as an essay or article, regard it as a chance for you
to express your ideas.

8. Enhance your retention of facts and ideas. Listen to a book on tape, re-
write, and transfer the content to your long-term memory. Exhibit mastery
by applying it to other daily life situations.

9. Be aware of and value individual differences with respect to

communication styles and learning styles. This will facilitate your
personal growth, open your mind, and develop your perceptual
experiences.

10. Look after your physical and mental health as they influence your
learning. Address health challenges, such as workplace stress, as soon
you experience loss of appetite, sleeping difficulty, or prolonged anxiety.

11. Chart your lifelong learning course. In order to maximize your time,
energy, and focus, it is recommended that you follow these steps:

(i) Select a learning theme for the year. For example: “By the end of
 
the year, I will have mastered three classroom best practices.”.
(ii) Subdivide your theme into several topics and include a time frame.
For example, “January- April: Technological pedagogical approach,
such as online forum. May-August: Classroom management, such
 
as implementing a behavioral contract with students who
misbehave. September-December: Authentic assessment, such as
designing rubrics to grade student portfolios.”
(iii) Create a journal to jot down your ideas for the following year. For
  example: “Next year, I will do an action research to improve student
participation in the classroom.”
(iv) Review every six months to decide what new ideas to work on in
the next six months. For example: “Based on student feedback,
  students in other classes should be allowed access to view but not
allowed to contribute toward the online forum discussion. This is to
facilitate knowledge dissemination to other interested parties.”
The process of creating your personalized lifelong learning plan involves the
following steps (European Society of Association Executives, 2007):

1. Identification of your existing knowledge, skills, competencies, and

qualifications. What do you already have? What do you still need to
acquire or further develop?
 2. Identification of non-formal and informal learning activities and
opportunities available. What learning activities are available?

3. Assessment of the suitability of said activities to your needs and

interests. Will the available learning activities enable you to acquire or
enhance the knowledge, skills, competencies, and qualifications that you
need? Do the activities match your needs? Here you have to consider if
resources (e.g., funding) are available for the learning activities.

4. Availment of suitable non-formal and informal learning activity/ ies. Once

you have assessed the learning activities and found them beneficial to
you, it’s time to avail of them.

5. Self-evaluation of learning acquired. Were your learning expectations met

by the activities?

The following questions may guide you further in assessing learning

opportunities:

1. What kind of lifelong learning program is this plan for – a formal

continuing education program or a self-directed learning activity?

2. What is the time frame for the selected program/activity?

3. Does this program/activity satisfy my personal needs? Professional

needs?

4. What will be its impact on my professional practice? Student learning?

5. Will I have the support of the school administration?

6. What are some of the potential barriers when I undertake this learning
activity and how can I overcome this?

Are you excited to try your hand at designing a personal lifelong learning plan?
If so, then accomplish Activity 1.8.

Sat Feb 16 2019 20:40:28 GMT+0800 (Philippine Standard Time)