" I believe...(that) strong leadership (board and administration), dynamic and increasingly relevant professional development (are) the foundations that help teachers continue to intrinsically benefit from a life-long journey (of) learning"
Excerpt from my Literature Review Proposal
Teaching in an Adult Learning Environment - Fall 2011
Teaching in an Adult Environment
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AS A LEADER - The experiences a teacher has with students ages 18 and younger are inexplicably different than those one would have with students from the ages of 20 and above. The goals, skill-set, perceptions, and needs of an adult learner are far different than those of children, pre-teens, and teenagers who are often still dependents of their parent(s). In order to gain some insight on how to work with adult learners, and hopefully one day becoming a leader in a school, school district, university, or ministry, I decided to include a focus on adult learners in my degree .
In much of the discussions, research, and assignments I engaged in throughout the degree, I always looked at the "adult learner" that was being spoken about as other teachers. Teachers, by profession and circumstance, are life-long learners. Therefore, by the nature of the profession, a teacher will be an adult student for their entire life.
In much of the discussions, research, and assignments I engaged in throughout the degree, I always looked at the "adult learner" that was being spoken about as other teachers. Teachers, by profession and circumstance, are life-long learners. Therefore, by the nature of the profession, a teacher will be an adult student for their entire life.
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As I mentioned before, I looked though the lens of an administrator, and the adult learner as a teacher. I looked through the paradigm of how an administrator would meet the learning needs of the teachers through effective and relevant professional learning (PL) and development (PD) experiences. In the literature review to the left, I specifically focused on:
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The current reality for professional learning for teachers (adult learners) is not an overly positive one. Their professional needs and goals of teachers are often unseen in their professional learning opportunities and experiences because generally they are externally imposed by the ministry and school boards. Furthermore, many of these professional learning experiences are heavy on cognition and learning, and lack the care, passion, and creativity that drive the motivation for an adult to learn (Day, 1999).
In addition, many professional learning experiences lack the internal and external conditions necessary for the adult learner to grow. Time and administrative support are paramount variables to encourage real change through professional learning opportunities. (Baylor & Ritchie, 2001; Day, 1999). Then, as cited by Day (1999), Liebermann (1996) states the formats in which professional learning opportunities should occur. As a leader in education, I should ensure that:
What a leader should ensure is within the teacher (adult learner) are:
Time - To learn, allow teachers to engage in new practices, collaborate with colleagues, inquire about his/her practice, and to evaluate both others and their own performances as teachers (Baylor & Ritchie, 2002; Day, 1999; Alberta Education, 2006; Kutner, et al., 1997; Voogt, et al., 2011).
A Learner Focused Perspective- Along with aligning the professional learning experience with a school/district-wide vision, tailor it to be specific to the adult learner involved, making sure its authentic to the teachers current abilities and potential (Day, 1999).
Effective Assessment of Student Abilities- With all initiatives being inline with the adult learners needs, and the school/ district-wide plan, the true goal of all stakeholders in the realm of education is student success. From collaborative learning communities, conversations and evaluations, the next steps in the adult learners and school's journey are to be derived from student achievement and performance.
As a learner, I felt vindicated in all I acquired in this course about adult learning. How? So often, I am perturbed by the format, delivery, or timing of professional learning or board-delegated professional development in my career. I have always felt there was a time, place, format, and certain specificity that all these professional opportunities should have fulfilled when they are put-on us (teachers), but my concerns were generally baseless with no evidence to support them from empirical research, they were just my "reflections" of the experience; nothing more than 'Sultan's subjective point of view'. However, I now feel that I have learned a great deal to support my view, no longer making it subjective.
As a leader for change, I want to change the direction and success for all students and the life-long learning experiences of teachers. By making professional learning opportunities more in-line with a teacher's strengths and goals, attaining student success and achieving the goals of a school/district-wide plan are far more attainable.
In addition, many professional learning experiences lack the internal and external conditions necessary for the adult learner to grow. Time and administrative support are paramount variables to encourage real change through professional learning opportunities. (Baylor & Ritchie, 2001; Day, 1999). Then, as cited by Day (1999), Liebermann (1996) states the formats in which professional learning opportunities should occur. As a leader in education, I should ensure that:
- Direct Teaching (conferences, workshops)
- Learning in the school environment (peer coaching, critical friends, teacher appraisals)
- Learning out of the school (school-university partnerships) and
- Learning in the classroom environment (student response and assessment)
What a leader should ensure is within the teacher (adult learner) are:
- Self competence
- Willingness and openness to change (Baylor & Ritchie, 2001)
- Motivation to learn (Ambrose, et al., 2010)
- Learner has a value for learning
- Self-reflective, evaluative, critical, and metacognitive (Stenhouse, 1975)
- Be among a community of learners who are his/her critical friends
Time - To learn, allow teachers to engage in new practices, collaborate with colleagues, inquire about his/her practice, and to evaluate both others and their own performances as teachers (Baylor & Ritchie, 2002; Day, 1999; Alberta Education, 2006; Kutner, et al., 1997; Voogt, et al., 2011).
A Learner Focused Perspective- Along with aligning the professional learning experience with a school/district-wide vision, tailor it to be specific to the adult learner involved, making sure its authentic to the teachers current abilities and potential (Day, 1999).
Effective Assessment of Student Abilities- With all initiatives being inline with the adult learners needs, and the school/ district-wide plan, the true goal of all stakeholders in the realm of education is student success. From collaborative learning communities, conversations and evaluations, the next steps in the adult learners and school's journey are to be derived from student achievement and performance.
As a learner, I felt vindicated in all I acquired in this course about adult learning. How? So often, I am perturbed by the format, delivery, or timing of professional learning or board-delegated professional development in my career. I have always felt there was a time, place, format, and certain specificity that all these professional opportunities should have fulfilled when they are put-on us (teachers), but my concerns were generally baseless with no evidence to support them from empirical research, they were just my "reflections" of the experience; nothing more than 'Sultan's subjective point of view'. However, I now feel that I have learned a great deal to support my view, no longer making it subjective.
As a leader for change, I want to change the direction and success for all students and the life-long learning experiences of teachers. By making professional learning opportunities more in-line with a teacher's strengths and goals, attaining student success and achieving the goals of a school/district-wide plan are far more attainable.