Final Paper: Bringing it all Together By Cynthia Rumph October 27, 2000 The Power of Feelings: Emotion, Imagination, and the Construction of meaning in Adult Learning by John M. Dirkx In today’s society, we have an increase number of adult learners that are returning back to school to pursue their degree or change career profession. Whatever the situation maybe, adult educators have learned that adult learners are not learning just from educators or institutions; Adults learn through life experiences, family, work, society and various cultural events. In my research paper, I will explorer the different theories of adult learners based on the viewpoint of John M Dirkx. John Dirkx reflects a focus on the nature of the self and the various ways we have come to think about and understand our senses of self, our senses of identity, and our subjectivity (Dirkx,1997). I will compare John Dirkx perspective to learning to Jack Mezirow who believes in existing frame of reference (their “habits of mind and points of view”, Mezirow, 2000, p.17).
Adults are children’s first teachers before they enter the education system and in saying that our focus should solely be on the adults children would be a detriment to a greater cause. I have learned much from the LIU adult program and formulated opinions on working with parents and young adults like myself. They have dreams and goals just as much as native born people have. We should not be the reason why they cannot reach their dreams. Children look up to their adult figures and not developing this important factor will cause serious issues in the near
Fifteen different instructional strategies are shared in this article to aid in teaching mental flexibility. This article is definitely relevant to teaching in the 21st century where there is a need for students to have the ability to view things from many perspectives. Change is a given, and this article demonstrates how we must learn to adapt our teaching techniques to help teach our students to be flexible in their thinking. Because there is such diversity in the world today, I believe that it is important for students to think critically and be able to understand the various perspectives of others. I also believe that this article gives educators numerous ideas that are easy to adapt to various teaching situations and will help students develop mental flexibility.
Adult Learning Theories Acquiring knowledge of adult learning might be the most significant journey anyone can undertake. Success in life is determined how motivated and how positive a person can be. Andragogy is the art and science of helping adults learn (Henschke, J A. 2011). To better understand the way adults learn, multiple researchers, scholars and educators alike have been establishing andragogy to implement into individuals personal glossaries.
There are so many times in my life I wish I could go back to my early education years and pay closer attention to what I was being taught. I am extremely excited to be a new teacher during the same time the Common Core is being implemented. I look forward to helping my students meet their goals and seeing them prosper in reading and writing. I want to be that teacher that the student remembers when they are grown up and that teacher who makes a difference in a students life.
By knowing my personal style will help and enhance more traits for me to be more successful. I can work on my study skill strategies a visual learner to retain new information. Do you feel you are ready for the academic and financial commitment of attending college? I would define my academic and financial commitment/readiness as a predator patiently waiting for its prey…I am determined to succeed. After being in the classroom and learning so much classroom training, teaching skills and classroom management for 7 years as a Child-Specific Aid/Paraprofessional, I am ready for the academic and financial commitment of attending college.
Adults also want to use what they already know and be acknowledged for their knowledge – their self-identity is derived from their experiences. Andragogy vs. pedagogy: The difference between Andragogy and Pedagogy: • Andragogy is an adult focused teaching approach while Pedagogy is a child focused teaching approach. • Both methods of teaching are problem centered. • Pedagogy is more systematic than Andragogy because of the complexity of the students while Andragogy is motivational. Here is a comparison chart on certain aspects worth mentioning: Aspects Pedagogical Andragogical Concept of the learner Dependent personality Increasingly self-directed Role of learner's experience To be built on more than used as a resource A rich resource for learning by self and others Readiness to learn Uniform by age-level & curriculum Develops from life tasks & problems Orientation to learning Subject-centered Task- or problem-centered Motivation By external rewards & punishment By internal incentives curiosity The role of appropriate climate setting in desired training outcomes When teaching adults, "the psychological climate should be one which causes adults to feel accepted, respected, and supported; in which there
Plagiarism Exercise “… In an effort to better understand how adults learn, adult learning theories are derived to help theorists and practitioners by providing workable and testable explanations of the learning process. These theories seek to explain how the process of learning as an adult differs from learning as a child. They focus on describing how various social, psychological, emotional, and physiological factors affect adult learning. To that end, ideas generated by educators, sociologists, and psychologists all contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the adult learner and how to create a learning environment that is most suitable to their unique needs…” (Snyder, 2009). QUESTIONS: 1.
“Adult Learning Theory for the Twenty-First Century” is an article written by Sharan B. Merriam (2008). This article stresses the importance of focusing on the adult learner as an individual, how the learner processes information, and how learning enables the individual to become more independent and self-sufficient. According to Merriam’s (2008) article, when fostering adult learning, “it is important to encourage reflection and dialogue, whether with the self, another, or a group” (Merriam, 2008 p.97). Merriam’s
Reprinted here by permission. Most adults spend a considerable time acquiring information and learning new skills. The rapidity of change, the continuous creation of new knowledge, and an ever-widening access to information make such acquisitions necessary. Much of this learning takes place at the learner's initiative, even if available through formal settings. A common label given to such activity is self-directed learning.