There is the constant change in political agenda, theories, new approaches and so social workers must match up these new developments to their own skills in order to keep up with the demands of the job. There are many skills and attributes needed when being committed to lifelong learning within social work such as resilience, reflection, continuous professional development, critical thinking and so on. Rutter’s conclusion (2012, p. 57) supports the view of Cheetham and Chivers (2001, cited in Rutter, 2012, p. 57) that there are dangers of relying on one single approach in regards to learning however this essay seeks to consider two of the skills and attributes needed for effective lifelong learning as a social worker. The first is that of reflection which looks back at ones experiences and situations, identifying what worked and what didn’t. The second is that of critical thinking which moves deeper than the skill of simple reflecting, it goes on to analyse the findings from reflective practice to provide a much deeper level of learning.
He also felt that in order for people to truly learn and remember what they learn, they would need to become more “active” in the learning by “asking questions, do things hands on, to essentially re-create things in their own mind and transform them as is needed” they will remember the lessons for a longer period of time. The intelligences that Gardner described are in chapter 2 (Alexander, Clugson, and Tice, 2010, pp. 39-40), and are listed as Logical-Mathematical, Linguistic, Spatial, Musical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal. Garner believed as well that these intelligences, which are separated in the brain anatomically, “complement each other and function concurrently in enabling a person to build skills and solve problems.” For example, a person running a clothing boutique may need to use Bodily-Kinesthetic skills, Spatial intelligences, and Logical-Mathematical to stock the store with items for purchase in an appealing way, based on size and layout of the store, number of pieces available, and sometimes by price of the item. Their Intrapersonal, Linguistic, and Interpersonal skills would also come
A physical journey is a process that one undertakes to reach a certain destination. This transition involves overcoming many different obstacles, experiences and hardships that will not only challenge the individual physically but mentally as well. These difficulties however allow one to undergo an experience of learning and self-discovery. It allows the broadening of one’s understanding of themselves and the world around them and acts as the catalyst for change and self-growth. Mark Twain’s picaresque novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, shows journeys as a means of education and understanding.
Furthermore, the application and implications of critical curriculum and pedagogy will be revealed and debated in order to fully deconstruct meaning of the aforementioned intentions. Firstly, it is believed to be significant to start at the beginning. What is this great necessity of ‘Critical Pedagogy?’ What is the reason? The opening of this paper attempts to establish the social problem or dilemma that requires critical pedagogy. The “global village” and “flat world” are only two of the many different metaphors used to describe globalisation, but they capture the essence of this process that has profoundly changed how we live, work, and entertain; our lives are becoming increasingly intertwined with those of distant people and places around the world – economically, politically, and culturally.
Mezirow (1997, 2000) states: “Transformative learning refers to transforming a problematic frame of reference to make it more dependable in our adult life by generating opinions and interactions that are more justified. We become critically reflective of those beliefs that become problematic.” (p20) Mezirow (1997, 2000) implies depth of learning is gained from being critically reflective on self and on others work in order to strive towards change; also that there needs to be a desire for making changes i.e. a purpose to the action. Mezirow (1997, 2000) further discusses that critical reflections should encompass looking at self as well as considering; social, educational, political or psychological influences similar in concept to reflection on action as outlined in theory discussed by Schön (1983) although Schön (1983) does go on and include reflection in action within his work, something Mezirow does not. Schön (1983) suggested that reflection is a key factor for professionals to deal with complex situations and for professional development.
Education is critical to people’s real freedom to decide what to do and who to be. Education builds confidence, confers status and dignity, and broadens the horizons of the possible as well as allowing for the acquisition of skills and credentials. Globalization and technological change have made it extraordinarily difficult for poorly educated people to achieve the economic self-sufficiency, peace of mind, and self-respect enabled by a secure
Andragogy consists of learning strategies focused on adults. Its roots can be traced back to Alexander Kapp, a German grammar teacher who used it to describe Plato’s educational theory. It appeared again in 1921 when another German, Social Scientist, Eugen Rosenstock claimed that “adult education required special teachers, special methods, and a special philosophy.” Matthew Knowles however heard about the term in 1968 and used it in an article he wrote titled “Adult Leadership.” From that point on, Knowles has become known as the principle expert on andragogy. He asserted that andragogy should be distinguished from the more commonly used pedagogy, which means in Greek child-leading. One of the major differences between pedagogy and andragogy theory of learning is the role of the educator is minimized.
To transform yourself on becoming a leader, it is important to learn from everything. And there is no best teacher than you. There are many ways of learning, and could be for example emulating someone, taking learning from problems, or anticipating events learning before they occur. Since learning is more a process than a thing you get from one day to another, there should be motivations to keep on the road and try to fulfill our potential, and two of them are the hunger to satisfy our attention for something and the difference between what you are and what you should be. Since each person is responsible of its future, it is more than important to accept responsibility.
Lifelong learning … equal accessibility? Lifelong learning is a popular buzz term in current educational discourse and much attention has been paid to the area in recent times at both national and European levels. Many definitions are applied to the term all of which refer to learning and educational opportunities throughout the life continuum. The first formal acknowledgement of adult education in Ireland came with the publication of the Green Paper on adult education in1998 which defined adult education as ‘…learning by adults, which contributes to the development as individuals and as members of the community and of society’ (DES, 1998 p. 16) Lifelong learning is often referred to as offering a ‘second chance’ to those who have been marginalized in terms of education opportunity throughout the formal educative years and aspires to offer equality of opportunity to access education. While the term is widely used to refer to adult and continuing education the OECD in 2004 widened usage to encompass all learning from cradle to grave, however in this essay we are going to focus on the adult education perspective.
The answer ultimately lies in the moment; therefore, it is constantly evolving. Right now, for me, the good life involves two characteristics. They are my state of mind and my family. When it comes to living the good life, one thing that I feel is important is my state of mind. My belief that everything happens for a reason is what guides me through difficult times.