The document discusses the dynamic learning styles of Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton, emphasizing their relevance in contemporary society. It examines how both figures engaged in a process of continuous learning through reading, writing, and collaboration, evolving their understanding through reflection and hands-on experimentation. The document concludes that their methods serve as a prototype for achieving greatness through disciplined inquiry and self-directed learning, applicable to modern challenges.

1. Dynamic Learning Styles:
Franklin and Hamilton
JAMES W. MARCUM
2008

2. Relevant?
 Benjamin Franklin and Alexander
Hamilton grew up and attained their
learning more than 200 years ago. Is
their example relevant, useful to our
time and place?

3. Learning: definition
 Learning is
engagement that
changes perception,
belief, or behavior
(knowledge)
 (Constructivist,
activist, contextual)
OLA Super Conference 2005

4. Dynamic Learning
 Engaged and reflective participation
in a discovery process that builds new
knowledge and enhances (changes)
skills and competence appropriate to
the given personal, social, and
technical context of importance to the
learner.
Marcum, After the Information Age, 165.
 (Social and Contextual)

5. Dynamic Learning Process
Reading
Writing
Collaboration
Active, engaged learning
Reflection on „meaning‟

6.  Borrowed books from brother‟s
print shop, read overnight
 Books: “true and reliable friends”
Reading:  Founder: first community library
 Collected and read books
Franklin throughout his life
 Studied French, German, etc. in
part to read important works in
original language
 Book collection
 7,000 when returned from Europe

7.  Silence DoGood
 Pennsylvania Gazette
 Poor Richard’s Almanac
Writing:
 Letters!
Franklin  Natural philosophy
 Political and diplomatic
 Bagatelles
 Autobiography
 (Writings/Papers, Yale 37 vols.)

8.  Ineffective alone (Boston, London)
 Junto
 Printer partners
Franklin:  Post Office
 Lightning (3: silversmith,
Collaboration clergyman)
 Treaty of Paris (Adams, Jay)
 Declaration of Independence
 Revolutionary War
 Constitutional Convention
 Networker

9.  Printer
 Publishing business
 Community, political
involvement
 Post Office
Franklin:  Politics: local, empire, national
 Natural philosophy/ Republic of
Active, Letters
 Inventions (stove, bi-focals)
engaged  Diplomacy
learning  Nation creating

10.  Franklin‟s method evolved but
always encompassed reading,
writing, explaining, clarifying, and
persuading: a dynamic learning
In short: process.
 His insights came from constant
reading, writing, observation,
“hands-on” experimentation and
really “hearing” his colleagues and
critics. His opinions frequently were
proven wrong and he changed them
as his understanding expanded.
 Anyone can develop those skills and
habits.

11.  “And so his greatest legacy lies not in the
blessings of genius, nor his stature as
natural philosopher or self-educated
statesman and founding father, but rather
Franklin‟s in the demonstration of a simple method
whereby hard work and disciplined,
socially-grounded inquiry enables one to
Legacy grow and develop and accomplish great
things. His prototype for dynamic
learning as a path to greatness may prove
to be Benjamin Franklin‟s greatest
legacy.”
 Genius or Dynamic Learner? Ben Franklin‟s
Path to Greatness, The Social Studies 99: 3
(May-June 2008): 99-104.
http://view.fdu.edu/files/franklingenius.pdf

12. Does the Model fit Hamilton?
Franklin Hamilton
 A year or two of formal  A few years of
schooling schooling and some
college
 Business,
 Business experience
administrative, legal
experience
 Civic, political,
 Military, business,
diplomatic, scientific political, legal practice
engagement engagement

13.  Mother: 34 books
 Mentored, schooled St. Croix and
NJ/NY
“self improving autodidact” RC
Hamilton:

 King‟s College
 Classics: literature, history, philosophy
Reading  Military affairs (Plutarch, Grotius)
(omniverous and  Business and finance (Postlewayt, A.
self-directed, RC) Smith)
 Law (Blackstone, Penn)
 Politics – statesmanship (Plutarch,
Locke, Hobbes, Montesquieu)
 Grange: 1,000 books

14.  Hurricane report 1772
 Political broadsides (NYC)
 Correspondence for Washington
Hamilton:  Letters!
 The Federalist (51 of 85; 175,000 words
Writing in 7 months)
 Political broadsides
 Treasury and National Bank (Rept. On
Manufactures; Defense of Funding System)
 Jurisprudence (Practical Proceedings)
 Papers (Columbia U.); digital: 1.3 M words

15.  Friendships
 Mentors (Rev. Knox, Livingston,
Washington, P. Schuyler)
King‟s College and Washington‟s
Hamilton: 
Staff (G. Morris, Laurens, McHenry,
Troup, Livingston, Lafayette)
Collaboration
 Collaborations
 Federalist Papers (Jay, Madison)
 Federalist politics (R. King…)
 New York merchants
 Court cases (Burr)

16.  Clerk for Crueger‟s merchant
house (in charge at ~ 15)
 Political activist as revolution
Hamilton: developed
 Military service
Active,  Law practice
engaged  Campaign for Constitution
learning  Federalist party politics
 Treasury Department (and
Inspector General of Army)
 Vision of commercial America

17. Education vs. Dynamic Learning
 Both Hamilton and Franklin lived in times of great
change and upheaval
 Between them they established many of the
institutions, policies, and practices of a new nation
 “Education” did not serve them
 They had to discover or create where nothing existed
 Their “omnivorous and self-directed” reading,
writing, collaboration, and learning provided the
wherewithal upon which they could produce their
remarkable contributions to the creation of the U.S.

18. Our Time: Change and Upheaval

19. What is dynamic learning, again?
 Engaged and reflective participation in
a life-creating process that builds new
knowledge and enhances (changes) the
skills and competence appropriate to
the given personal, social, and technical
context of importance to the learner.