“Now I can use my idea that I taught Helen.”

When you struggle to tie a knot, you may just learn more than how to tie a knot.

Callen:  How do we put this in?

Charlotte:  Crosses?

Helen: We don’t need to tie a knot, you can put it through.  Helen finds a way to attach, threading into the holes of a lacy ribbon.

Marky:  I don’t know what’s next.  Marky lets go of the fiber strands and sits back.  He seems very discouraged.

Eleanor:  I know how! She approaches Marky to help.  You put it over and through and pull these strings.  She explains this without touching his work.

Marky:  But I want to do it a different way.  Marky is again motivated to try on his own.  I did it.  I put it through and then I made a circle and then I put this through the circle and pulled.

Helen:  Ugh.  Ugh.  Helen’s face expresses great frustration.  I don’t know how to do this.  It’s not going.  I can’t do this.

Marky:  I can help you!  Marky looks over to Helen.  You can’t make a knot?

Callen:  Then you can ask somebody.  Callen is focused on his work, but joins in to offer a possible solution.

Marky:  Do you want me to show you?  Helen nods and a conversation ensues.  Marky returns to his work and looks up at a teacher.  I just taught Helen my idea!  Now I can use my idea that I taught Helen.  In showing Helen an alternative way to attach fiber, Marky learned a new way to try to attach his own pieces.

Learning anything new, we encounter challenges. When the task at hand seems tricky, too difficult, frustrating or confusing, what do we do? What do we do if we have tried one strategy and it has not worked? What do we do when we have tried five different ideas and they all have not satisfied? What tools do we have at our disposal? Are we willing to turn to others to help? Are we willing to declare, "I do not understand. I need your help"? When we have figured something out, are we willing to share our understanding? Are we protective of our knowledge? Do we take a risk, potentially encountering critique?

How do we come to understand what it means to learn?

How do we understand ourselves as participants in a learning community?