Expert Learners

In one of the communities of inquiry I frequent, a question was posed by Lani Ritter Hall (@lanihall) around a discussion of unlearning the need to be the "expert" and what it might mean to adopt a learner-first attitude. And that got me thinking...

I wonder if our definition/expectation of 'expert' is shifting. I hope it is. When I look at those folks I would consider 'expert' in their field, no matter what that field is, it truly is those who have modeled for me what it means to be a learner first. They don't purport to have all the answers, but they can point the way in how to find those answers, point the way to other people who can help in that journey, or even point to digital technologies that can support answer finding by helping make those connections.

What does it look like/sound like here in our space? I think I see a balance of questions and shared experiences, of showing more than telling, of people who are willing to be vulnerable enough to put beginning thinking out there for others to help them refine, of co-learners who are willing to respectfully engage in that refinement process because in doing so, they too are coming to a deeper understanding of the topic under consideration.

That's what it seems like to me. But that being said, I know that's only my perception, and that's why I invest myself in participating in communities of inquiry. Seeing/hearing/sharing the perceptions of others, some very widely divergent from mine, opens my eyes, mind and heart to other ways of thinking and knowing. That's exciting and is something that can be challenging to find elsewhere in my world.