Learn your own {d¥mn} way

issue 01

– Issue 01, December 2012/January 2013 –

free sa

mple

Learn your own {d¥mn} way

issue 01

– Issue 01, December 2012/January 2013 –

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Sparketype builds affordable mobile apps for small and medium businesses and personal brands. We also publish our own feature and niche mobile apps, ebooks, and this tablet mag for Rebelutionary Life.Sign up for the Sparketype newsletter below!

Rebelutionary Life is a blog and tablet magazine exploring disruptive people and ideas that are unconven-tional, intentional, and effective.Sign up for the Rebelutionary Life newsletter below!

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Issue 01, December 2012/January 2013

Brad Kynoch Founder, Chief Editor & Contributor

anne-Sophie dumetz Assistant Editor

Design and layout by SparKetype based on an original design by DESIGN IS MORE

daLe StephenS UnCollege

audrey WatterS Hack Education

RebelutionaryLife.com

Under the Covers

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// IssUe 01 //

“Learn your own damn way!”

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COVeR sTORYWhen you decide to learn, learn to decide: School can be a choice

PART 1: When school falls shortRegaining the creative edge: Why formal ed’ cripples creativity

PART 2: Making the leapLive and learn: The unstudent lifestyle

Eye on the future: How startups are dismantling the university

PART 3: Learning YOUR wayGetting ahead without credentials: Learning to get what you want

Track what you (need to) learn: A critical look at LearningJar

Learning through entrepreneurship: Start small, aim high, and make a difference

FeeDBACK?Let us know what you think!

Issue Focus

6Rebelutionary Life: Intro and manifesto

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Introducing

We respect and admire visual artists, so we use only material that meets one of the following:• public and free for commercial use without attribution• creative commons license indicates “commercial use with attribution”• received written permission for use with attribution• purchased appropriate rights for commercial use (e.g., stock image)Below are the images used in this issue that deserve our thanks and attribution:• OnAirwithSword by egeeksen /

iStockphoto, used on cover• BrightBlackPressShot by

Gary Birnie, used in “When you decide to learn, learn to decide”

• ExtremeParkour! by rubén chase, used in “Section 1: Where school falls short”

• SpiderKid by Sukanto debnath, used in “regaining the creative edge”

• SirKenRobinson@TheCreativeCompanyConference by Sebastiaan ter Burg, used in “regaining the creative edge”

• jump by Joshua davis, used in “Section 2: making the leap”

• Jumparound by araí moleri riva-zucchelli, used in “Live & Learn”

• 060/365TheWorldIsNotAPlayground(Explore) by Leland Francisco, used in “Live & Learn”

• 358/365-April27,2009 by morgan, used in “Live & Learn”

• ChalkboardBackground by Karin dalziel, used in “Live & Learn”

• EyeI by thomas tolkien, used in “eye on the future”

• Graduation:CleanSlate by Jd hancock, used in “Getting ahead without credentials”

• Writer’sRetreat by Jeremy Levine design, used in “Section 3: Learning your way”

• TheMoneyTree by Kris mouser-Brown, used in “Learning through entrepreneurship”

• DowninFront by Fernando de Sousa, used on last page

if we made a mistake using or attributing an image, please contact us!

Credits

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority,

it’s time to pause and reflect.—Mark Twain

Welcome to Rebelutionary Life Magazine!maybe you’re bored with your options, stuck in a rut, or feel like you’re missing something. or maybe you’re just curious.maybe you’re actively dabbling outside the norm to think in new ways, experience new things, or spice things up.maybe you live on the fringe and can’t imagine doing things the “normal” way.regardless of where you’re at, we’re here to help you ask questions, explore the unconventional, and open your mind to a world with fewer limits and more options. Because open minds break down closed doors.enjoy our mini manifesto, up next. (the version on our website is easier to print or share.) and you can learn more about us on our website!thanks for joining us and we’re honoured to be in this together!

Brad Kynoch | Founder, chief editor & contributor rebelutionary Life | rebelutionarylife.com

Rebelutionary Life manifesto (part 1)

Rebelutionary Life manifesto (part 1) Rebelutionary Life manifesto (part 2)

Rebelutionary Life manifesto (part 2)

Rebelutionary Life manifesto (part 2)

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when you decide to Learn, "Learn to decide"

How to drive your own learning (and when to ride the "school" bus)by Brad Kynoch & Anne-Sophie Dumetz, Rebelutionary Life

About this issue...

in every issue of RebelutionaryLifeMagazine, we look at a topic in an unconventional way. this issue, we’re exploring the ideas and tools that give people both fear and hope about their education and learning options.

You’ve probably heard the chatter get louder about

people questioning the value of a university

/ college degree and a controver-

sial movement of fringe

teens

and adults that are bypassing school* and earning their stripes in the “School of Life”.A couple years ago, it was low on the radar, but now some countries’ major national media outlets are covering it. It’s an emerging trend that has some in a huff and others excited. So whether it makes your blood boil or intrigues you, the idea is here to stay.

*In this article, the term “school” refers to higher education

institutions like university / college. We don’t mean

primary and secondary school where kids get the essential education of their youth.

Don’t take a back seat to your learningThis issue isn’t a guide with

all the answers about higher education. It’s a starting point to trigger your thoughts, help you engage in discussion, and ask challenging questions.

No matter how you choose to live and to learn, the intended result of any educational life experi-ence is always more than a simple piece of paper. The result isn’t even the path, or the destination. It’s you. A better, brighter new you. Someone who has the tools to be engaged in changing the world—the tools for lifelong learning, sharing, and giving.

Every day, you make choices. You choose to go to work, or school, or not. You choose one thing over another. And with each choice, you recommit to the path you’re on. With growing

options, you’re continually choosing your own adventures—in life and in education, too. And you’re challenged to make the “right” choices. It’s not easy. But it’s not final, either.

You’re already well schooled on the merits of going to school.

We’re not trying to discredit school, nor are we trying to put out the fire by discrediting the alterna-tives. We just want you to ask good questions and consider all

the options.

Always ask yourself if you’re still on the right path to learning, for you. Make up your own damn mind. That’s what this issue is about—how to be more intentional and consider the unconventional.

Drive your learning

1. Look inward: Know yourself2. Look outward: explore your options3. Keep choosing: make intentional choices

More choices than everAs an adult today, whether

young or old, you currently have more options available for learning than ever before in human history. (Pause a moment and chew on that!) That’s both exciting and terrifying! The fact is, there are more options open than just higher education, but not every-one trusts the idea of learning outside schools. In addition to school, your choices now include at least the following:

• Read, travel, or volunteer / work for free

• Take massive open online courses (moocs) or informal online courses (e.g., webinars)

• Go to conferences, seminars, and workshops

• Get tutored or mentored• Start a business or work for a

startup• Join special-interest groups

(e.g., meetups)• Participate in edu / business

bootcamps (e.g., hackathons)• Join a “hackerspace”• and the list goes on...

Fearing the unconventional and the unknownSnubbing school has a lot of people in a huff.

“It’s undermining what generations have put in place!”“It’ll corrupt the minds and futures of our kids!”“How will kids get jobs?”“It’ll become hard to find qualified people!”

“But they’re not weigh-ing the consequences!”“But I won’t have the option for school later in life if the alternatives fail!”“What about enrol-ment levels in schools (and the loss of revenue)?”

Yes, it’s causing quite a stink. But there’s also a power-ful message in it—in some areas of learning, there can be more effective, faster, and cheaper ways to learn certain things than learning them in school.

Calling the shots and weighing optionsSchool isn’t always the best choice for everyone—it depends on several factors, including:What you’re trying to learn: • What subject matter or skills? • Do you need to layer the learning

over multiple years (e.g., medical school)? Or can you learn as you go? (e.g., technology)?

What you Want out of it: • Are you doing it for professional

reasons or personal growth? • Is it to impress your colleagues,

grow in your current job, get a new job, or start a business?

• Is it to gain membership somewhere?

• Is it to make like-minded friends while learning?

• If you’re being hired, what kind of credentials do they need? Or do they need skills more than credentials?

hoW you learn best:• Do you love school? • What are your ideal learning

styles? (most effective, efficient) • How do you learn best to retain

new information vs. testing well?• Want to try something new?

your situation: • Where do you live? Do you have a

family? What can you afford? • How easily can you access the

internet? • Do you face socio-economic

challenges or discrimination?• Could you still go to school later

if you choose to try other learning paths now? Would you be better off or worse off that way?

your mentality: • Are you driven, hard-working,

and patient? • Do you take measured risks? • Are you swayed by family or peer

pressure? • Are you afraid of failing inside or

outside school? • Do you like to be led through

learning or are you self-driven? • Are you willing to learn new ways

or would you rather stick with established techniques?

In no way is this an exhaustive list of considerations. But remember to ask yourself the tough questions and give thoughtful, honest answers that are right for you!

Opening your mind for renewed hopeDon’t think of your education as a ride where you simply jump on the “school” bus because it stops on your street. But that school bus can still be a sweet way to get where you’re going, if it’s right for you.

Whether you’re just starting out or whether you’re a lifelong learner, your education is a map that you draw, where you are in the driver’s seat, and you choose the path at every turn.

So if you open your mind to other options, you may find you can break down some closed doors that have been holding you back!

Our cover imageThis guy rocks. He embodies the fierce attitude you need to hack though your pre-conceived notions of what learning means to you. He’s got fire and we want you to feel it!

Let us know in the comments what you think of him and this article!

–Brad Kynoch, Rebelutionary Life