Overall, this book was a succinct introduction to the core elements of adult education. Chapter One reviewed many popular education theories that I had heard of before, yet I had never really thoroughly studied. I had learned about Malcolm Knowles before, and I had learned about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in my undergraduate Introduction to Psychology course. Even some of the practical exercises that were recommended, I have either participated in or facilitated. However, seeing the theories combined and viewed through lens of adult education was very eye-opening for me and left me with possible tactics I will try to test out whenever I teach workshops and in my
I was
drawn back to Chapter Two as I re-read this book. While theory is very
fascinating, I loved the examples of practical applications. One suggestion I
loved was the structured classroom discussion called Paired Verbal Fluency
wherein paired students took turns talking about the lecture in specific
time-frames. The rules were simple, and it might seem a bit forced and
artificial to naturally more extroverted students. However, as an introverted
student, I appreciate the framed context because I believe it could cut down of
social anxiety. I was also intrigued by the A La Carte Syllabus. I've never
encountered a class when students could choose assignments with that level of
freedom. On one hand, it could be a total disaster with teacher-directed
learners (there could be many bewildered claims of “But, Professor, I was
confused about which assignment was due!”). However, it may well be a hit with
students who are already truly self-directed learners because it will feed into
their desire to be independent and have a say in the curriculum. I would be
interested in participating in a course that incorporated the A La Carte
Syllabus.
Hi Raquel, Thank you for inviting me to become a contributing author on your blog. I've appreciated reading your first post. And I agree with you that structured learning activities can draw shy students into in-class small group conversations, thereby increasing their involvement in their own learning and in the collective learning experience established by an instructor.
ReplyDeleteHi Raquel, Please include your first name in the title of our blog so I can access it knowing it is yours. Thank you. --Barbara Gleason
ReplyDeleteHello Barbara,
DeleteAlright. I've changed it to include my name.
--Raquel
Raquel, I am glad that you find Brief Guide to Teaching Adult Learners useful and even enjoyable. I chose this book because it presents a lot of information very succinctly and because the authors explain theories very clearly for readers who are not yet familiar with many concepts and terms introduced in the book.
ReplyDelete