I am following my own independent research, learning and training through my school: School of The Remote Influencer - SOTRI. I know I've mentioned SOTRI in this blog before. Sorry if I have repeated myself. There are two main aims at SOTRI. The first aim is to add to the Remote Influencing (RI) body of knowledge. The second aim is to use what I have learned through SOTRI to help society and the world at large.
Through my learning at SOTRI, I came to realize that the RI body of knowledge is vast. There is much to learn when it comes to RI. I am adding to the RI body of knowledge through my own independent, informal and non formal learning, which includes elements of Self Directed Learning - SDL, unschooling and DIY elements also. I could have followed a traditional educational path to aid me in my quest of adding to the RI body of knowledge. However, I found that the traditional methods did not work for me. They were too limiting, rigid and inflexible. That is why I chose the methods as previously mentioned above.
I found some interesting information on the benefits to society for Lifelong Learning. Here is a segment from an article I found via a Google search:
Across Scotland, learning is provided by:
Further education colleges
trade unions
employers
professional bodies
voluntary and community organizations
private training firms
community learning and development centres
secondary schools
higher education institutes
We believe in investing public money in lifelong learning because investment in knowledge and skills brings
direct economic benefits both to individuals and to society as a whole.
I noticed a gap in the above literature. Did you? In the list of learning providers, I see no listing for independent scholars, independent researchers, home educated students. Why aren't these forms of education listed or even valued for that fact? The interest in Self Directed Learning is growing on an exponential basis around the world. We will be seeing more and more students learning through these methods over the next few years and way into the future.
My learning is a blend of informal and non formal learning. I did some research into educational providers and private training organizations. According to the information I had read through, SOTRI is in fact an online school and it is also a training organization. I am providing my learning and training services via my web site and my facebook page. You will find these sites if you go to Google and type in: School of The Remote Influencer.
The learning attained through informal and non formal methods are sometimes hard to quantify. I am working on some unique projects through SOTRI. Some of my work revolves around creating an online business which can help many people. This idea is in beta test mode at present. I aim to help students to excel in their lives. The proof of whether SOTRI works or not will be in the concrete, real world, tangible results we obtain. There is value to SOTRI. Over the course of time, our results will testify to this fact.
Here is a link to article on Lifelong Learning and it's benefits:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/02/16309/17778
The above article is from Scotland. It still applies to many countries however.
