Problem based learning (PBL) is an instructional methodology, which engages learners by presenting them with scenarios reflecting real world challenges. This approach to education is different from many traditional “chalk and talk” methodologies, as PBL does not rely on the extensive use of lectures and monologues to drive the curriculum. The traditional paradigm of instruction tends to emphasize an approach where knowledge flows “downhill” from the instructor, to the less informed mind of the student.

The active agent in this instructional model is the teacher who propels the delivery of the lesson plan. A learner’s role within this paradigm tends to be passive, reduced to a role of no more than an “empty receptacle” passively receiving presented information.

Excerpt from: The Power of We!

The Darkest Forest

The warrior stood at the boundaries of the darkest forest, staring intently into its depths. The absence of light played tricks on the senses, as morphing shapes took on forms of a familiar nature, before vanishing
back into the murky depths. The warrior’s heart beat with an increased rapidity as the anticipation of the eventual confrontation filled her sensibilities. There was a heightened state of awareness. It was as if time stood still for that one moment.

Excerpt from: The 5 O'clock Coup

"You must be fierce, but have patience at the same time. Most inportant of all you must have complete determination. The worst opponent you can come across is one whose aim has become an obsession". -Bruce Lee

Never Mind that Man behind the Screen
Get at the impetus, the force behind the action, distraction from the true
reason. Treason of the senses leaves the traveler lost among landscapes
of emotion and conjecture, lectures of the heart lead to teachable moments and pockets of understanding; left standing with none but self
and possibility.

Excerpt from: A Chinese Kid Named Santiago, pg. 44

The Virtue of Patience

Ultimately, patience is the bedrock on which excellence rests. If one can enjoy the moment, enjoy the process and take it for what it is, then one can experience the natural flow of the activity. If one strives to live every moment, and strives to win every moment, then the natural conclusion of success will manifest because of these efforts.

Excerpt from: Way of the E-lightened Mind, 12th entry

Journal Entry on Self-Concepts

It is 12:51am New Years day and I am still awake…thinking. Over the past few weeks I had an opportunity to catch up with some old friends. It is always interesting seeing how things change over the years. Sharing in the personal success of people and observing their growth is an edifying experience. I began to wonder about how people come to believe in their ability to succeed. I wanted to know what creates this change this evolution in personal perspective. Is it possible for someone who may not have a good impression of themselves to change it for the better?

If one already has a positive opinion of themselves can they improve upon it? With many of these questions in mind I began to look at the phenomena of self concepts. "In a nutshell self-concepts can be viewed as the totality of a complex organized, and dynamic system of learned beliefs, attitudes and opinion that each person holds to be true about his or her personal existence" (Purkey, 1988).

Where do our beliefs about ourselves arise? Well one powerful contributor to this concept is our personal experiences. The occurrences in our lives over time construct an overall picture of who we perceive ourselves to be. Reflecting upon experiences of success or mastery contributes to a positive self-concept. The opposite of this is true as well. The self-concepts we develop about ourselves do not simply reside in the realm of our minds but has a tangible influence in our lives made possible through our daily behaviors. Prescott Lucky (1945) contributed to our understanding of this best when he stated that self-consistency, or maintaining the status quo is a primary motivating force in human behavior. Stated another way our actions will create our reality around based upon our self-concept. Subconsciously or otherwise people will act out in ways indicative of self-perception.

-Regi

“...I feel that the period will sooner or later arrive when I must abandon life and reason together, in some struggle with the grim phantasm, FEAR.”
-Poe

Fear is the foe of a thousand lives and shapes for it manifests in our lives in so many expected and unexpected ways. The greatest accomplishments the world has ever seen are the products of people who have conquered their fears. Within all endeavors, a decisive moment arises, a moment when a person must come face to face with their
deepest fears.

Excerpt: 4 Steps to Conquer pg. 9

The Seed of Bravery

Last night I dreamed of freedom and the plunge into fate. The slow depletion of life at the hand of conformity no longer held its sway. The warriors’ way displays a disdain for turning one’s back to adversity. The perversity of such and act is forbidden to those trained to dive headlong into the abyss of the unknown. Authority’s throne is meant only for those who sown bravery’s seed in the daily workings of their lives.

Self-Efficacy Insights
Tony Earles, Harvard School of Public Health and Maya Carlson, Harvard Medical School in Conversation at OLPC. In this clip Maya Carlson explains the concept of self-efficacy.

Tools of Self-Efficacy

I sat huddled in front of my computer on a cool Phoenix night. The soft glow of the lap top illuminates the room with bluish hue. Tonight like most nights I am contemplating self-efficacy. I am intrigued by the self-directed nature of human agency. The stories I often reference in illustrating profiles of self-development are of people who have personally decided to walk the
path of growth. It was a choice they made of their own volition.

I contemplated how one who has chosen to walk the path of human agency could enhance and strengthen the experience. My preliminary deliberations on the subject led me to three potential tools a person can use in seeking higher levels of actualization. The tools are:

1. Portfolios
2. Case Studies
3. Journal

Portfolios
Keeping a portfolio of one's professional and personal accomplishments offers a holistic illustration of development. Observing a body of work from a big picture perspective can provide insights into one's progress and potential patterns of future growth. I think portfolios are a great confidence builder as they can help a person see the fruits of their labor. Portfolios can also serve as a reminder to the underlining personal mission one seeks to attain through one's work.

Case Studies
Case studies offer people a glimpse into the performance of others. I think the best case studies one should make use of are those that illustrate the triumphs of people in similar circumstances. The case study can quickly become a blueprint when used effectively.

Journals
Journaling offers reflection and insight into internal cognitive processes. Gaps in understanding can be observed and addressed through the analysis of a well maintained journal. Self-development goals can be established around areas of opportunity identified in the journal. Maintaining a journal can also help to identify areas of competency that a person possess as well. This practice of journaling ultimately leads to a higher level of self-knowledge.

Times of Challenge

It is in times of setback and challenge that one needs to stick to a system and make adjustments as necessary. Sticking to a plan of action can sometimes be a difficult thing to do in times of crisis because the initial urge is to abandon all set plans in a mad scramble. This is the absolute worst thing that one could do.

In times of adversity, it is crucial to not lose sight of what one was trying to accomplish. If one can weather the storm and make modifications to the game plan as necessary, success can be had. The ability to persevere through disappointment and doubt is a skill that must be learned through experience. It is not easy to transmit the essence of this reality through words alone.

Excerpt from: Way of the e-lightened Mind (Book of Success, entry 8)

Self-Efficacy and Education

Today I sat in contemplation wondering how human transformation occurs. It is amazing to me how some people have the capacity to re-invent themselves into stronger more confident people. What is behind this evolution, this shift in agency? I am of the belief that education is the catalyst behind such a metamorphic transition. Now I do not conceptualize education as something that only occurs between four walls of brick and mortar, but rather I envision education as a life changing and challenging consciousness that is present wherever the learner is.

Education is only limited by the intent and resolve of the person. The question is where along the path of the learner does lasting growth and change occurs? What constitutes a paradigm shifting experience, true growth? Without a lasting change in a learner's objective and subjective behavior can the effectiveness of an instructional effort be determined?

Constant striving for perfection of the self through a
chosen art is the only path to enlightenment. Words
can only bring you to the foot of the path, and to
attain mastery and perfection you must constantly
strive to better yourself through an understanding of
your chosen Way.


- Miyamoto Musashi

A Warrior’s Tale

Tell the story of this brave warrior engaging in the work of creating life. Transformations often start with the pangs of loss, the pangs of growth and the pangs of triumph. You are your own hero, despite contrary's illusion and delusions of the doubter’s glance, you were born to dance with legends and the free spirited.

Excerpt from: The 5 O'clock Coup

“The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage.”

-Pericles

True freedom is freedom from fear, freedom from limitation, freedom from subjugation. True freedom is the domain of the courageous. Limitless realities belong only to those who dare to venture past the warning signs and put their personal comfort and safety on the line to make an ideal a reality.

Problem Based Learning

Problem based learning is an instructional methodology that engages learners, by presenting them with scenarios reflecting real world challenges. This approach to education is different from the traditional methodology of “chalk and talk” characterized by an extensive use of lectures and the passive engagement of students. Traditional instructional methods operate from an assumption that knowledge flows downhill. Trainers and educators are expected to extensively lecture students, bestowing wisdom upon the minds of the less informed. Within this paradigm educators are the active agents in this relationship. A learner’s role within this model is that of an “empty receptacle”, digesting presented information merely to regurgitate it on a later occasion.

Problem based learning moves away from this vision of education to one that places the learner at the center of the instructional engagement. Students are challenged to construct knowledge for themselves through problem solving. The expectation of engagement transforms learners from passive entities to active agents within the instructional environment.

Constructing Insight: The Outcomes of Learning

As educators, we strive to guide students along the path of discovery and knowledge acquisition; the motivations for many of us are multifarious. However, what aims should we seek to attain through such engagements? Contemplating about the philosophical nature behind educational methodologies is an important point to ponder. Examples of such deliberations are the learning outcomes of andragogy espoused by Malcolm Knowles.

Malcolm Knowles was an educational theorist who was very instrumental in the adult education movement. Andragogy (education of adults), although in use since 1830, was not a popular term until Knowles’ work. Malcolm believed that learning should produce at least these outcomes:

Adults should acquire a mature understanding of themselves
Adults should develop an attitude of acceptance, love and respect toward others.
Adults should develop a dynamic attitude toward life
Adults should learn to react to the causes not the symptoms of behavior.
Adults should acquire the skills necessary to achieve the potentials of their personalities
Adults should understand the essential values in the capital of human experience
Adults should understand their society and should be skillful in directing social change
Adults should understand their society and should be skillful in directing social change

At the core of these desired outcomes is a belief that adult learners are in control and self directed in accomplishing the goals of their learning. Educators are seen as facilitators merely “brokers of knowledge”, providing experiences conducive to learning discovery.

What are the philosophical outcomes that you strive for? It is never to late the contemplate this.

Resource:
Smith, M. K. (2002) 'Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and anadragogy', the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm. Last updated:

The Warrior Ways


What are the warrior ways? Are they days of introspection and sojourns for life’s key? Painful excursion to places that scare me? What are the warrior ways? Feelings of dismay as I pray to be more while so close to greatness’s shore? What are the warrior ways? A struggle amidst the fray seeking to stay along the path of authenticity? I find the warrior ways to be tumultuous sways of victory and defeat; ways of complexity, ways of imperfection, ways of me.

The Power of Teams

The key to teaching a team how to navigate the realities of competition and adversity lie in teaching a systematic approach that emphasizes the principle behind the skills. Training that emphasizes principles allow for a greater level of adaptability and improvisation in the midst of struggle.

Fully understanding the principles behind one’s chosen craft allows logical solutions to be found for varying degrees of challenge and circumstance. A team that is well schooled can think independently and not be overly dependent on the leader for direction and guidance. A well schooled team can endure the trials adversity has in store.

Way of the Enlightened Mind

Book of Leaderhip: 15th reflection

The Power of the Mind

“Ultimately, a human being is wealthy not because of what he has, but because of what he knows. What he has, he can lose through disaster, obsolescence, or theft. What he knows, he can never lose unless he loses life itself. Thus, his real wealth is a characteristic of his thinking not any physical assets”.

-Dennis P. Kimbro, Ph.D.