Learning through listening

It is the holidays here in Australia, much needed and definitely hard earned by all of us involved in education. At the end of term I was exhausted, wound up and in need of a change. So I have been taking a break, a deliberate effort not to read every post that reaches my in-box. Not to answer every tweet and definitely not to think about all the work I need to do in preparation for next year.

What I just cannot completely stop though is learning, I think my urge to improve, to learn and to challenge myself is ingrained. So although I am trying really hard not to learn about new programs or lesson ideas or classroom management tips. I am still learning through listening. Everyday I wheel out my bike, climb aboard and ride the streets of my suburb while listening to an audio book or podcast. As I do so, I have also been exploring exercise apps. So far I have trialled CycleMeter, Cycle Watch, JogLog and RunKeeper. Watching my distance and times improve is an added bonus too.

So far I have listened to

Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative

• by Ken Robinson
• Narrated by John Lee

and

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School

• by John J. Medina
• Narrated by John J. Medina

Both of these books have been interesting and challenging and gave me food for thought, while confirming my own educational philosophy. I can heartily recommend them both to anyone interested in the future of education.

I leave tomorrow for a family holiday, where I will have no internet connection and no opportunity to lurk on twitter, to check out the odd blog post or classroom tip. I will however still be learning while listening, even though I may have to walk rather than cycle. So if you too know that to remain sane next year you need an enforced break. Why not discover the world of audible and audio books or if you prefer the world of i-tunes and free podcasts.