Lifelong Learning: 3 Years

I mark 3 years since graduating with my MLIS degree on May 8, 2016.

What have I been learning since then, especially in this past year?

Regarding my career, I have had the chance to attend workshops with an organization called LACONI, which offers professional development for librarians.  I've gained tools to better engage with my work, especially related to technology and intricacies of cataloging.

Certainly going to school gave me a good base of knowledge, but ultimately, school finds its value in its equipping me with the tools I need to continue learning, since there's so much more out there--in other words, school is for learning information and especially learning how to learn.

That's something I try to incorporate into my RE classes, helping my students better understand the practices of the Church so they can continue growing in faith, even beyond our year together in class.

Just like at work, the learning I do beyond my time in school is about putting what I've gained into practice for good purposes.  At work, I use my skills to make materials accessible to patrons.  In RE class, I use my understanding of faith to come alongside those youths in my charge to help them understand faith, even drawing upon what I know to address their questions.

During my time in school, I sometimes yearned to break beyond the artificiality of classroom learning and make it more meaningful in a broader context out in the world.  Finding those opportunities makes the learning of my past become more meaningful by truly coming alive.

There were many opportunities during my recent trip to World Youth Day in Panama where I experienced the learning of my past come alive. 

I've studied my fair share of geography in classes and more so on my own.  Indeed, once I got interested in geography, I yearned to learn more, and went to the library to find books for reading and learning more.  Geography came alive in so many ways as I experienced another country and another culture while in Panama.  I also got to visit a rainforest, which brought me back to studies like our rainforest unit in 4th grade.

Most prominently, I was able to use the Spanish skills I amassed during years of school, stretching all the way back to Ms. Gullo's Kindergarten class at Irving School.  I could put my Spanish communication skills to use in a real-world setting in a predominantly Spanish-speaking country.  I went there with confidence in my ability to communicate sufficiently in Spanish when requesting something, conversing with fellow WYD pilgrims, or even translating for other people in my group.  And I was glad that all my efforts in studying over the years paid off in being able to succeed in communicating and also in making good use of those skills.

It's great to see learning come alive as I experience it, and it draws me to keep on learning as I engage with life as it comes my way.