Cheryl
Honkomp
EDAC
634
November
30, 2013
November
Month End Review
Now that we are finished with the text, I appreciate
the format we used in taking each chapter out of the book, and not following
the order of the book laid out by Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner. I think this format helped me to build my own
network of ideas to connect with each subject rather than the text connecting
the dots for me. I consider this text one of the best editions I have read
recently.
The discussion on traditional learning
theories brought back memories of undergraduate work with BF Skinner and the behaviorist
theory. The text provided a definition
of learning: “Learning is a process that
brings together cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences and
experiences for acquiring, enhancing or making changes in one’s knowledge,
skills, values, and worldviews.” I like
the first part of the learning definition.
But we often learn from our mistakes, and I wonder where mistakes fit
into the definition. Mistakes aren’t a
planned change, and one doesn’t look to acquire knowledge from a mistake, nor
do mistakes necessarily enhance knowledge, but I’m sure an argument can be made
that mistakes are included. I also noted
the suggested two chief values of learning theories which are: “providing us
with a vocabulary and a conceptual framework for interpreting the examples of
learning that we observe. The other suggests
where to look for solution to practical problems.” The problem that I currently have is that
there are many learning theories and it is often difficult to categorize where
each learning experience fits.
I am familiar with Maslow but only to the
point of his hierarchy of needs, so the additional goals within the
self-actualization at the top of the pyramid were interesting. And maybe this section makes more sense to me
because the humanistic theory resonates with my beliefs and learning
style. Each time I take a personality
test or learning style test, I fall within the humanistic theory belief. I also like the constructivist theory and how
it takes a little bit from many theories.
There are definitely pieces of each theory that resonate and I don’t
know that one theory is the answer to any teaching or learning model. To take into consideration the different
values of millions of people, add in the cultural differences, and then
consider economic differences, I don’t think one model could ever hold true for
the masses.
Chapter twelve and adult development was
probably my least favorite of the entire text.
I tend to shut down when race is discussed because I have encountered
gross abuses when the topic turns to race.
Chapter thirteen contains a statement: “Conversely,
if they are not given the support or challenged to think at higher levels, the
understanding and retention of material will be lower” (Knight & Sutton,
2004), of which I agree wholeheartedly. I
would be interested in a conversation regarding developing a learner today vs.
developing a learner in the early 20th century. Does our instant gratification society make
it more difficult for learners to develop step-by-step? I think it is very important to support a
learner.
After reading the section on the Women’s Ways
of Knowing, I considered many of the women that I know but then considered the
theory within a company, or within a team, or within a household. There needs to be a balance where individuals
feel some sort of control over their life and the choices that are made in
their life. I think this theory works at
a corporate level as well as an individual level and at the lowest level,
employees are silent, and there is a lot of mistrust. At the next level, employees receive
knowledge but don’t feel they are capable of contributing to the overall
success of the company – their opinion is not worth anything. At the subjective level, someone actually
cares enough to consider the employees opinion and the employee begins to feel
valued, and so on. I also witness individuals
who have little control over their home life, so go overboard with control at
work, which could be explained as part of the WWK theory.
The chapters on memory resonate with me
because I am in the later part of my life but I don’t agree with the findings.
The research suggest that older adult memory may not be as good as a youth’s
memory, but does the study take into consideration that most youth are in an
educational environment, where exercising your mind is the key concept, whereas
adults are in a working environment where competition is the goal. Would older adults score as well on a memory
test if they continued in an educational environment where their brain was
challenged daily? Adults also have years, and years of material to sort through
before making connections whereas a youthful person has half or even a quarter
of the information to sort through for an experience to strand. Interesting information, but I hope to prove
it wrong.
The YouTube video on Howard Gardner and his
seven platforms of intelligence has truth to it based on daily
observations. Examples are all around us
in people who are more musically inclined than others, or more athletic than
others, or better with logic and math than others. I thought the video on Sternberg’s theory was
confusing and the information did not resonate with me. But after viewing the Emotional Intelligence
video, I had lots questions, and am interested in putting the conscious vs.
subconscious theory to work. I remember
someone commenting on Daniel Goleman in the discussion and his book Emotional
Intelligence which I will add to my “read” list.
I took away more from the readings and videos
this month, and now I need to determine where the information fits in the full
picture. Our group was proactive in
putting together the final project, however, I still struggle with
communication for a group project online.
Merriam, Sharon B., Caffarella, Rosemary S. and Baumgartner, Lisa
M., Learning in Adulthood
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