Group 6, Narrative -Group Members: Aaron Bean and Wilisha Scaife
This first month of class has been socially and intellectually stimulating. I am excited about working with our new project team. Wilisha brings perspective, experience and love of expression that will surely improve upon what Aaron and I contribute from our male highly technical perspectives. Aaron and I have worked together in prior classes and I am delighted to be working with him again. Narrative learning, our project topic, is one we each have a great deal of appreciation for. It will be exciting to develop our contemporary points of view concerning a learning method that has been useful in conveying knowledge from one generation to the next since human history began.
Our text for our class seems excellent to me so far. While I sometimes think we educators may make things a little too complicated concerning theories of education, I acknowledge that I still have much to learn in this area. I enrolled in EDAC 634 to increase my awareness and professionalism concerning my approach to teaching the adults in my classroom, and this is exactly what is happening.
Our weekly discussions have been stimulating and useful. We have been welcoming and respectful to one another without being afraid to disagree. We are sharpening one another.
Bo's organization of the class has been of particular interest to me since I have been challenged to develop a hybrid course for my program at Ivy Tech for fall of 2013. Internet courses are certainly on the horizon for my program and this course already has helped me become more welcoming of that prospect.
It has been a good first month of class. I am looking forward to more good things to come!
Our text for our class seems excellent to me so far. While I sometimes think we educators may make things a little too complicated concerning theories of education, I acknowledge that I still have much to learn in this area. I enrolled in EDAC 634 to increase my awareness and professionalism concerning my approach to teaching the adults in my classroom, and this is exactly what is happening.
Our weekly discussions have been stimulating and useful. We have been welcoming and respectful to one another without being afraid to disagree. We are sharpening one another.
Bo's organization of the class has been of particular interest to me since I have been challenged to develop a hybrid course for my program at Ivy Tech for fall of 2013. Internet courses are certainly on the horizon for my program and this course already has helped me become more welcoming of that prospect.
It has been a good first month of class. I am looking forward to more good things to come!
Wilisha Scaife (634): I am commenting on James Brunson’s Post -- January 31, 2013 (Group 6)
ReplyDelete[First--THANK YOU, group members, for sharing your summary thoughts. I needed to see your examples to gain some confidence in what needs to be a part of this summary. I also appreciate your passionate thoughts and appreciation for what we all bring to the table. I trust that, TOGETHER, we will have something significant to share!]
I have enjoyed the things I have learned through the assigned reading and especially the thoughts shared by classmates in the discussions posts. I must say, reading the thoughts and experiences of the other adult learners makes me desire a face-to face experience with my cohort members. I have been open in sharing the learning style and preferred environment that I feel produces the riches learning experience for me, and that the environment of 'physical togetherness' where we can see and share, not only our verbal and written opinions, but also our hearts (those things we 'feel' as we see expressions, etc.). I have also admitted that I made the very intentional choice of online learning so I am glad that it is an option for adult learners today. I need to have the flexibility of engaging the formal learning environment when it is most convenient because of my busy, and at times, unpredictable schedule. The truth of the matter is, this is probably not the best time for me to be taking classes: I work about 60 hours a week as director; have 3 children with EXTREMELY busy schedules (we are literally at basketball games in and out of Indiana 3 to 4 times a week and much of that is driving out of state), along with being a "mom" in every way; preaching, teaching, and leading ministries at my church and invitations at other churches, conferences, and workshops; presenting on assets and advocacy for children and families and general motivational speaking across the US; a wife...!!! And so much more. I say all of this to bring to light what I have learned AND better appreciate about adult learners. WE ARE ALL BUSY, but that is only a part of the challenge of adult learning.
I have read and am in full agreement that adult learning SHOULD be multi-layered. As diverse, complicated, and multi-faceted as each adult theory and process, so is each individual adult learner; thus the adult learning environments, activities, and facilitation must attempt to EMBRACE (wrap around) the adult learning so that success is assured. Yes, assured! Now I know that is a lofty responsibility for educators to commit to: Can adult learning programs ensure success? I think so especially when we appreciate and evaluate adult learning based on the theory that it is happening everywhere and all the time for adult learners and as we convince the adult learner of this concept.
A friend of mine took this class EDAC 634 course when she started her graduated studies about 3 years ago. She told me that this course "transformed her." It had such an impact on her that I could 'feel' the transformation as she spoke. However, she dropped out of the master's program. She is using what she learned in her work with adults in the community right now, and (because of her experience in this course and our conversations) she is thinking about how and when she will get back into her graduate program. The truth of the matter is, she is learning in her work in the community and when she comes back to the classroom, she will have an increased capacity for learning AND an increased knowledge of experience to bring back to make her unique contribution to the learning environment and impact adult learners she engages in her future classes.
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