Ownership of Learning

Let me begin with a little backstory, our littlest Beauchene is an amazing human being. He pays attention to detail, just "knows" things, can figure out any mechanical configuration, is a wonderful reader, athletic, a devout Batman enthusiast, happy, and just a fun-loving young man. He also is neurodivergent, more commonly referred to as "high functioning autistic". Along with this comes some intensive learning in areas that other "typically functioning" people do not seem to require. I was sharing in a class discussion with 4 of my peers about the importance of ownership using him as an example.

He is a recent kindergarten graduate, and regularly goes to occupational therapy because cross hemisphere body movements are uncomfortable, and not natural for him. He has to learn and practice skill building activities that "cross the midline" of his body, ie grabbing a crayon on the left side of his body using his right hand, reaching across the table for a toy car instead of walking around, using a spoon in his right hand to scoop sand from the left side of a bowl, etc. He does NOT like transitioning from the gross motor learning in the gym to learn and practice these skills. It's frustratingly hard for him. He resists them. His therapist is amazingly patient and encouraging, assisting him to help work through his frustration. However, it just wasn't something he was invested in until the moment he "owned

his learning".

That moment was last week when he independently fastened his safety-belt all by himself in the car. Typically he tries for a good bit and then says "ugh...I can't do this yet. Please help me." This time, the "please help me" didn't come. One minute passed, then two, then three... five minutes later he was still working at crossing that safety belt from the left side of his body to the right side of his body, and then "click". Success! He was literally BEAMING with pride, shouting "MOM! DAD! DID YOU SEE ME? I DID IT MYSELF!", full of joyful confidence and competence. The next time he went to occupational therapy, his approach to "crossing the midline" activities changed. He was less impatient. His focus was longer. He wasn't as resistant, even though the activities are still just as challenging. That "click"-ing moment helped him realize that what he was learning in occupational therapy was worthwhile. He now owned the learning, and instead of something he was "forced" to do, it's something now he knows he is able to do.

Owning your learning is realizing that sometimes we have to practice skills that we are frustrated with or that challenge us. Maybe we don't realize the value of what we are learning while we are learning it. However, sometimes those acquired and "forced learning" skills all converge together and "click", make choosing and owning our learning possible. For instance, learning how to make an e-Portfolio is something I wouldn't have done right now on my own. It started as a series of skills I need to do to complete this course in my chosen degree. A lot of reading. A lot of "playing around". A lot of wondering. Then something "clicked". I'm learning that I actually love the creative process surrounding the ePortfolio. I am now hungry to learn about it and visit other's ePortfolios to learn even more-without being asked. I now own my ePortfolio learning.

When you own your learning, learning is no longer a chore. Learning becomes an insatiable hunger that ironically grows more hungry the more you feed it. It becomes joyful in its purpose. Even though the challenge remains the same, the attitude toward it changes.

We can provide that for our students. We can create purposeful learning environments focused on the needs of the learners. We can show our learners the different tools to help make learning accessible and successful. We can do this with the goal of showing people they are capable of learning, and grow their confidence and competence by giving them the freedom to realize that they own the skills they've been shown and can use them to explore the world around them. We know the answer to "who owns the learning?"-it's time to make it "click".