KEITH COZART HAS COMMENTED ON MARCH SUMMARIES GROUP 1 , GROUP 1 (AGAIN) and GROUP 5
KYLE OWENS COMMENTED ON GROUP 1 and 5
Kyle Owens Summary
KYLE OWENS COMMENTED ON GROUP 1 and 5
Kyle Owens Summary
Over the
past month I have grown more and have learned more than I thought I would have.
I especially took an interest to career pathways and have found myself doing
some reading outside the classroom. Indiana has really capitalized on the idea
of career and technical education and the educating of adults. The new state
motto has even been geared toward this idea, “A state that works” this phrase
puts out the image that Indiana is a blue collared state. Along with this motto
Governor Pence has put a focus on vocational education, in hopes that it can
bring potential manufacturing jobs to the state. I believe that this renewed
excitement in the manufacturing field will also raise awareness and funding for
future adult education initiatives.
Another
item that caused me to think more about was teaching methods in adult educator.
As a high school teacher, I am always told to think of new and creative ideas
to keep the students engaged and excited. These methods can range anywhere from
playing games to group projects. When comes to my personal experiences in adult
education, there is usually no creativity or innovative methods. I think it
stems from the idea of how can we present the most amount of information in the
most little amount of time possible. A lot of trainers and educators have the
idea that because we are older we should be able to stay focused and absorb
more information. I think this is where adult education lacks and can sometimes
discourage others from pursing high education. In college and high school the
main focus in someone’s life was education, where in most cases of adult
education this is not the main focus. So trying to spend time teaching with new
methods is very time consuming, in today’s fast moving world it is very
important for adult educators to find a nice middle ground.
Keith Cozart’s Summary
Kyle and
I share the same perspective of adult education often having a stale
presentation method. The proof was
captured in my video posting during Week 11 discussions. The UpToParents class
I was required to take along with my divorce proceedings were very informative
but lacking creativity. In this
instance, with that group of people, maybe it was for the best.
With that
said, my awareness of Adult Education has increased. This course and the projects we’ve prepared
have caused me to pay more attention to Adult Education offerings in my
community and beyond. I compare it to
making plans to buy a new car or any large purchase that takes some time. When you are in the process of looking, your
awareness of what is available and what everyone else is driving is
increased.
The
reality is that I am busier then I have ever been in my lifetime. I’m forced to squeeze in time for this class at
very strange intervals. I’m doing my
best to be proactive on up coming assignment so that I don't fall behind. The writing component is difficult. I’m a slow writer, which makes me not enjoy
the process so very much. But I know
that to become better, I need to practice more and this course certainly keeps
me practicing.
Look Ahead:
As we
head into our last month of the course it is very important for our group to
review and remediate ourselves on what we have learned. It is now time to focus
on finishing the semester with a strong performance as well as reflect on what
we have learned. In the next couple of weeks we will look at the future of
adult education and where we think it should head. The future is very bright
for those in this class and should at how we can contribute to the success of
adult education.
I enjoyed reading about how the process of learning about adult education has made you think. I think in every course we take, there is a process that plays out and our expectations change as we learn more. For me, since I am a high school CTE teacher, I have notions of what education is from my own experience. I tend to think of career preparation-entry into the market. That is not true for everybody and I am learning how others view adult education and accepting different perspectives. Thanks
ReplyDeleteMy comment keeps disappearing so hopefully it doesn't appear later 3 different times. I enjoyed your summary. I was unaware of some of the initiatives that Indiana is taking in adult education. I know that there has been a push in the high schools for career preparedness with such programs as JAG (Jobs for Americas Graduates) but was not as familiar with some of the technical programs. I also found comfort in knowing I am not the only one completing assignments at odd hours and hoping not to fall behind. We are almost done (for the semester anyway). Good luck the rest of the semester.
ReplyDeleteKyle - cool to hear you are doing some extra reading outside of the required work for class. I used to read constantly up until a certain point in my life where I became "too busy" for it and really wish I hadn't quit. I still see myself reading on a regular basis, but little to none of it is for fun. It has to do with work, school, or I'm needing to look up information on something else I have to do.
ReplyDeleteHave you found out anything interesting about the push to bring more manufacturing jobs to the state? At times the speeches I hear or read about sometimes seem to be just political posturing and I often wonder what kind of results we're seeing from these policy changes.
Good question, Ben!
DeleteBo
There actually is a lot of creativity and innovation with regard to adult education delivery models. this class alone is an example of how different technology and teaching styles are used to engage adult populations. The hard part of teaching adults is that you have to find a way to make the information relevant to their needs and tie it back to real life concerns. Adult education theory generally focuses on the fact that adults approach learning experiences by trying to apply already existing information to that which is new and finding ways to make it all fit together. The role of the instructor shifts from that of the single point of knowledge to that of a facilitator helping the adult learners draw on and share their experiences in a way that leads to better understanding of concepts. The creativity comes from the different approaches that must be applied to help the adult learner feel confident, comfortable, and valued while they take on this new experience. This is where concepts of self esteem, learning environment factors and learning style play a role as well. At the same time you have to deal with the fact that there are also going to be those adults that lack the prior knowledge necessary to make common connections on a given subject in this case the students move from an andragogy theory base back to a pedagogical base and must be approached like a child learner while still finding a way not to be discouraging or condescending. This distinction is one of the many things i find so fascinating about adult education and learning theory and why there is as yet no true unifying theory that can address all aspects of the field.
ReplyDeleteGood points, Chris!
DeleteBo
Kyle, I just noticed the new state billboards today and wondered what it meant. I was going to look at the website but you've answered my question! I thought it was quite an interesting message to use the term "Innoyed"... I have my own opinions about what this means but not sure this is the forum to vent.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, group 2 is also focusing on a strong finish to the end of the semester. Time management is a must, with other final projects due, work, life, etc. I also could see how trying to remain relevant and fresh to your students could be a challenge. I have just spent the last 8 years of my professional career counseling, teaching, and training insurance agents how to sell consultatively, focusing on value, and reaching beyond price. It has been a struggle to reinvent my presentation and corresponding message. I'd love to know any tips or tricks! :)
Erin