Before I started my education blog, I had (and still have) another one Along the Yellow Brick Road where I would occasionally blog on subjects of an academic nature. What follows is a blog I wrote about the concept of capacity and ability. Here’s what I blogged:
When last I ‘blaghed,’ I ranted on a bit about learning and education. I’m a firm believer that not only are we all different, we all learn differently. But more than that we each have different, what I call, learning capacities. With that said, I would like to turn the blagh over to the Scarecrow who holds a Doctor of Thinkology from Emerald University in Oz.
“I’ve done a lot of thinking about thinking and I’ve concluded that we all have different capacities for learning. I call it the ‘barrel and bucket’ theory of learning. Consider then the barrel. And while barrels come in different sizes, they are generally larger than the bucket, which also comes in different sizes. No one would ever confuse the two. No one would ever expect a bucket to hold as much water, sand, nails…or whatever. We don’t disparage the bucket because it only has a set capacity. We accept it for what it is.
“Why then, don’t we use this same Scarecrow logic when it comes to learning? Don’t we all have different capacities? Are some people barrels and other people buckets? But unlike the literal barrel and bucket, people are not always a barrel or always a bucket. Some people are barrels when it comes to biology but a bucket when it comes to a foreign language. And it is not only in academic disciplines that we are different, i.e have different capacities, we have different learning styles.
“For example. Just because someone might have a barrel capacity when it comes to biology, it doesn’t always follow that they will fill their barrel (or achieve capacity). Some barrels learn one way (from a book and lecture) while other barrels are better filled with one-on-one and hands-on learning.
“I know what some of you are saying. ‘You’re targeting people and labeling them.’ Well, that’s not true. I’m just trying to say that our different capacities for learning different things in different ways should not be used against us, nor should we ever expect everyone to have the same capacity for all disciplines in all ways.
“The amazing thing about people, unlike the literal barrel and bucket, is that people have the ability to expand their capacity. One who is a bucket can develop into a bigger bucket and then a barrel…and even to a tanker.
“Our capacities are ever-changing. The more we are open to learning…and the less we fear taking risks (aka failing) the greater our capacity for learning becomes.
“Are there any limitations? That’s a subject for another blagh about mental abilities. Another aspect that needs to be revisited.
“But what do I know. I’m only the 37 pound scarecrow in the room.”
The Schooling of America 