Means and Ends--Why and How

I have seen Excel users who enter a column of numbers and then get out a calculator to total the columns. I have seen Word users who use tabs to center a title and spaces to indent a paragraph. I, of course, never program my VCR.

What inspires people to learn something with depth and competency? Why does a person want to learn a tool and use it well? I know people who use Word everyday and do not have a clue about how it really works. Some of the most minimally skilled users have training available, there are classes, training sessions, books, and even colleagues who can provide assistance. When I teach I want to inspire an active, creative, exploratory attitude to learning software.

Fundamental to all good training is the desire to inspire independent learning and creativity. The ultimate goal, the ideal, is for my students to becomes colleagues sharing insights and collaborating on solutions. The challenge and art of teaching is to inspire curiosity, pride, and independent learning. Skills are a means to a larger end, learning a skill without a purpose is like studying hammers without studying nails, lumber, or houses. Is the discussion about rote learning really about learning without context or teaching without motivation?

Sometimes I think inspiration is about means and ends. Learning and motivation requires learning and caring about both means and ends. Learning how, without learning why, will not motivate or inspire.