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CAE 323 Adult Teaching Practice Spring 2017

NAME: _Lauren Long_

Reflective Journal

Week 1 Introduction to Course

January 24-January 30 G: Chapters 1, 2, 21 (pp. 425-442);
L: A Small group of friends

Learning about Self

Chapter one in Adult Learning Methods was very helpful in showing me the
importance of developing a teaching style, as well as showing how this should be
done. One of the major factors in creating a teaching style mentioned in the
chapter is Knowledge of Self. It is important for me to know who I am as a
teacher, which may differ in some ways from how I would normally act outside of
the classroom setting (p. 11). I found the following quote very useful: To develop a
teaching style that is meaningful, it is essential to understand the knowledge area
of self and that prolonged reflection is a fundamental component in such an effort.
It is through an understanding of our beliefs, values, attitudes, and personal
philosophy or vision of teaching that we contribute to a foundationally sound
practice of helping adults learn (Galbraith 14). I need to focus on understanding
these core things about myself in order to understand who I am as a teacher as I
develop my personal teaching style.

Learning about Adults

I found the section in chapter two about physiological variables to be very

interesting. I had not thoroughly considered the physical characteristics of adults in
the context of adult education prior to reading this section (p.28-30). Things like
vision and hearing are crucial aspects of learning that younger learners, myself
included, often take for granted. As I begin to teach adults, I want to be conscious
of all of their needs, including their physical ones.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

The information on learning communities found in both the pdf A Small

Group of Friends and chapter 21 of Adult Learning Methods provided new insight
on what Adult Teaching Practice looks like in action. Eduard Lindeman defined
learning communities as Small groups of aspiring adults who desire to keep their
minds fresh and vigorous; who begin to learn by confronting pertinent situations;
who dig down into the reservoirs of their experiences before resorting to texts and
secondary facts; (and) who are led in the discussion by teachers who are also
searchers after wisdom and not oracles (p. 426) This definition paints a good
picture of learning communities that I would desire to be a part of and eventually
lead one day. One of my favorite parts of the definition is the phrase at the end:
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teachers who are also searchers after wisdom and not oracles. I think teachers
like this are key to effective learning, especially in the context of teaching adults.

Week 2 WOC
January 31-February 6 G: Chapter 16
B: Chapters 1 & 2
S: Chapter 2: Teaching artistry through reflection-in-
action

Learning about Self

The reading on being a critically reflective teacher (Brookfield chapter 1)

helped me to recognize all the blind spots that can arise when critical reflection
does not take place. Things that I would potentially consider to be good can also
have a negative side (such as the example of respect for voice listed in the
chapter), and things that I may consider to be harmful to learning could potentially
be beneficial under certain circumstances. Though I try to incorporate reflection
into my day to day life, I do not believe that I reflect nearly enough, especially not
using the principles of critical reflection listed in the reading. Brookfield chapter 2
suggested that teachers should use Our Students Eyes, Our Colleagues
Experiences, and Theoretical Literature as tools to help us grow in the skill of
critical reflection. As I grow as an educator, and even as a person, I want to take
intentional steps to incorporate more and more critical reflection into my life.

Learning about Adults

I enjoyed the section from Schon chapter two on practicums. On page 38,
Schon describes how the student learns through a practicum by stating, The work
of the practicum is accomplished through some combination of the students
learning by doing, her interactions with coaches and fellow students, and a more
diffuse process of background learning. As I read this, I considered why this would
be effective way for adults to learn. The learners orientation to learning, one of the
six assumptions of adult education, came to mind during this reflection. Practicums
allow students to practice what they are learning in practical ways. I think that this
relates to orientation to learning because practicums allow students to learn
through working out life-centered tasks and problems on a consistent basis. I
believe that this aspect is key to the practicums success.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

Chapter 16 of Adult Learning Methods was about creating course portfolios.

We did a course portfolio for our Intro. to Adult Education class, and we will be
expounding upon it for this class. During our first class, I enjoyed putting the
portfolio together, but I did not necessarily see the benefit it had for Adult
Education. This chapter really helped me to grasp the ways in which creating
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portfolios can be useful to Adult Teaching Practice. On page 322, a course portfolio
is conceptually defined as, "The framework which will provide the kind of
scaffolding students will need in order to successfully assess their own learning.
We have been talking a lot in this course about the importance of reflection, both
for the teacher and for the student. Creating portfolios are good for scaffolding
students learning because they cause the student to reflect throughout the entire
process of creating the portfolio. Another quote from page 322 sums this up well:
By documenting both their work and their thinking about their work as they co-
evolve, students have an opportunity to develop the kind of sustained reflection
that should underlie both their preparation and their practice. Conditioning
themselves to engage in critical self-examination on an ongoing basis contributes
to their internalizing the process; to believing in its importance to their continued
professional growth.

Week 3 & 4 Reflect on Class discussion of Portfolio and Reflective

February 7-February Teaching;
20 G: Chapters 3 - 4
MCB: Chapter 7: Experience and Learning

Learning about Self

I learned quite a bit about myself through chapters three and four of Adult
Learning Methods, as well as through Appendix A, which is sandwiched in between
these two chapters. For this section of my journal, I think Id like to focus mainly on
what I learned through the test offered in Appendix A because I found this test to
be very useful and enlightening. My results fell under the categories of
Progressivist and Behavioralist. At first, I was a little bit surprised with these
results, but, once I read more about what they involve, they made quite a bit of
sense. My highest score fell under Progressive Adult Education. Progressivists are
highly focused on learner needs, and value the learners interests and experiences
throughout the learning process. I found it interesting that the book listed ESL as a
common practice for progressivist educators, since I am interested in teaching ESL
one day. My second highest score was Behavioral Adult Education. This one
seemed to resonate with me well because of the fact that it is competency based.
Learners are to master the material they are learning based on certain standards
and behavioral objectives. There is trial and error, feed-back, and reinforcement. I
think that all of those things are important in education, and I am excited to write
my personal philosophy of education so that I can further explore my views on
these philosophies and dig deeper into why I value what I do.

Learning about Adults

The chapter from Experience and Learning by Merriam, Caffarella, and

Baumgartner provided a good bit of insight on adult learning. Towards the
beginning of the chapter they discuss John Dewey and his book Experience and
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Teaching. In this book, Dewey makes the claim that all true education comes
through experience. He does not, however, state that all experiences produce
genuine education. Some experiences are actually counter-productive to
education, as they can guide people in the wrong direction and place people in a
groove or rut. For genuine learning to happen through experience, it must have
continuity and interaction. Continuity refers to the fact that learning experiences
are not experiences that stand alone, unrelated to anything else. They are
experiences that are associated with past experiences and can also potentially be
connected with future implications. Interaction has to do with how the individual is
interacting with the environment throughout the learning experience. All of this
relates specifically to my learning about adults because it helps me to better
understand the principle of the role of the learners past experiences. There is
more to that principle than just the information offered by Dewey, through Meriam,
Caffarella, and Baumgartner, but this new information has added an additional
level to my understanding of the concept.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

The last main section in Experience and Learning chapter seven listed some
of the methods used in adult teaching practice to implement experiential learning.
Before the completing the reading, I had never heard of Anchored Instruction,
one of the methods listed. Anchored instruction is teaching by creating situations
in which learners, through sustained experiences, can grapple with the problems
and opportunities that experts encounter (p. 181). This is accomplished through
the use of macrocontexts, or complex problems explored over extended periods
of time and through multiple lenses (p.183). The goal of this method of
experiential learning is to allow students who are just beginning to learn about a
given topic to work through situations and figure out what an expert would do. I do
not think that it would be a good idea to use this method all the time, but I do think
that students would benefit from its occasional use. I can see myself potentially
creating an activity like this in my future teaching to allow my students to grow in
a new way.

(1) SUBMIT THIS JOURNAL (via email attachment) TO THE PROFESSOR

ANYTIME PRIOR TO CLASS ON FEBRUARY 20th

Week 5 G: Chapter 5 6
February 21- February C: Chapter 9: Designing instructional plans
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Learning about Self

Chapter five of Adult Learning Methods presented Deans Instructional

Design Process. There is a chart that diagrams this process on page 94. When I
first looked at the chart, I had a hard time understanding Deans process. However,
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after we went over the chart in class and were able to elaborate on Deans three
phases of instructional design through discussion and an activity, I began to
understand it better. As I was reflecting on why the chart confused me at first, I
realized that I think that I tend to look at things in a linear way. The chart was
intentionally made to be not linear. Because of this, it took a little extra time for me
to understand what it was trying to convey. I think that this will be helpful for me to
keep in mind for the future. It is a good example of the fact that people learn in
different ways, and what makes perfect sense to some people may not register
well with others.

Learning about Adults

I enjoyed learning about learning styles in chapter six of Adult Learning

Methods. On page 133 (and continued on page 137), there was a paragraph on the
implications of the learners knowing their learning styles. The very first line in the
paragraph states that knowing learning styles can be empowering for adult
learners because the learners will be able to reflect on their results and then put
them to practice in their studies. A sentence on page 137 reads, The results can
help individuals understand what is needed to be effective learners and how to
strategize when conditions are not ideal. I think that it is important to encourage
students to make use of their learning styles so that they can know their strengths,
their weaknesses, and how to learn best in any given learning environment. In
summary, through this chapter I understood the value of finding and presenting
good tests to help students determine their learning styles, and I saw the
opportunity that is to be had through encouraging students to learn the way they
learn best.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

In the chapter of our reading written by Caffarella, there was a section that
discussed five different reasons for assessment. I found reading over this section to
be helpful in my learning about Adult Teaching Practice. The first reason for
assessment is to assess a persons background, experiences, and readiness for
learning. This assessment is done when the learners enter a program, and it is
important because it lets the teachers know what the students can and cannot do,
as well as gives indicators as to how they feel about the content being covered.
The second reason for assessment is to improve the instructional process and
materials. This assessment takes place before, during, and after the educational
program, and can be completed by both the educators and the students. The third
reason for assessment is to ascertain whether the instructional event has produced
the desired results. This form of assessment involves checking to see if the
learning outcomes were fulfilled. The fourth reason for assessment is to help the
learners to become more effective in their learning. This aspect should be
encouraging to the learners while helping them improve their critical reflection
skills. Finally, the fifth reason for assessment is to provide data for the overall
program evaluation. The data gathered is helpful in making decisions on how to
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adjust the program in order to make it better in the future. I found this information
helpful because it provided multiple clear points as to why we need to assess. It is
not that I did not believe in the importance of assessment prior to reading this
section; I just really appreciated the detailed insight that it offered.

Week 6 Review Readings

February 28-March 6 G: Chapter 7 8

Learning about Self

I enjoyed reading chapter eight of Adult Learning Methods: Ethical

Reasoning in Teaching Adults. The part I found most interesting was comparing
the ethic of justice in education with the ethic of caring. There was an example
given in the book prior to this comparison about a teacher who was a strong
womens rights activist having to make a decision when one of her students
became pregnant and asked her for advice. According to an ethic of justice, she
would have to remain true to her beliefs as a womens rights activist, even though
she may have to face certain consequences and conflict with people because of
this. If she went with an ethic of caring, the context of the relationships
surrounding the situation and the feelings involved would hold more wait than the
abstract concepts that were found in the teachers convictions about womens
rights.
When I was applying the concepts of having an ethic of justice or an ethic of
caring to my own beliefs, values, and convictions, I came to the conclusion that
there has to be a mixture. As a Christian, there are some concepts that I have to
remain true to, no matter what. This would fall into an ethic of justice. However,
another part of being a Christian involves loving people well and showing grace. In
order to love people well and show grace, I will have to be highly attuned to their
specific contexts and feelings. This falls under the ethic of caring. Above all, I think
it will be important to stay in Gods Word and listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit
as I figure out the ethics of teaching in various contexts.

Learning about Adults

I found the second paragraph on page 144 in Adult Learning Methods to be

very interesting. It starts out by stating that there are two norms that provide
insight to understanding motivation for adults in the United States: The first is
that a person is adult to the extent that she or he performs social roles typically
assigned by our society to those it considers adultsthe roles of worker, spouse,
parent, citizen, soldier, and the like. Second, a person is adult to the extent that
she or he perceives herself or himself to be essentially responsible for her or his
own life. It goes on to say that responsibility is key in adult motivation. I think that
the book was trying to convey that people want to learn so that they can become
more competent in the responsibilities they carry as adults. They do not want to
waste time by learning things that they do not need. They desire to learn things
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that will help them to be more responsible for their own lives, and when this need
is met, they are more motivated to learn.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

Page 150 talked about using the motivating framework to create a

motivating learning environment. The book suggests that this is accomplished by
taking the four motivating principles of establishing inclusion, developing attitude,
enhancing meaning, and engendering competence and transposing them into
questions to use as guidelines for selecting motivational strategies. I found the
suggestions made in this section helpful in making the creation of a motivational
environment practical. Asking questions like How do we create or affirm a learning
atmosphere in which we feel respected by and connected to one another? and
How do we create engaging and challenging learning experiences that include
learner perspectives and values? will help to guide in the quest.

(2) SUBMIT THIS JOURNAL (via email attachment) TO THE PROFESSOR

ANYTIME PRIOR TO CLASS ON MARCH 6TH

Week 7 G: Chapters 9 10
March 7-March 20

Learning about Self

As I was reading chapter 9 of Adult Learning Methods, I was a little surprised

to see that one of the first steps in selecting effective teaching methods and
techniques is to know myself as a teacher. As I read back on even that last
sentence, I feel like this should not have surprised me at all; knowing yourself as a
teacher is a concept that we have been emphasizing all semester. I think that the
surprise may have come from relating the concept of knowing myself to the very
methods that I choose to employ. For example, when I think of the methods that I
plan to use in teaching, I try to imagine what will help adult learners take in new
material best. This certainly is not a bad thing to focus on, but, if I fail to consider
my own philosophy of education and teaching style, my choice of method may not
prove as effective as I had originally thought. The second part of choosing a
method discussed in chapter 9 does involve considering the needs and learning
styles of the learners. So, I have gathered that neither aspect can be neglected in
effective method selection.

Learning about Adults

I enjoyed reading about the different types of learners in chapter nine. Pages
185-187 listed and described three types of learners: Navigators, Problem Solvers,
and Engagers. Navigators are learners who create a focused plan for learning. Page
185 says that their motto could be stated as, Plan the work; work the plan. These
learners desire order and structure to help them best utilize their organizational
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skills, and they tend to be perfectionistic in their work. Problem Solvers use critical
thinking skills to explore many different ideas in learning. They are creative and
enjoy making good use of story-telling as they reflect upon their experiences and
add depth to the learning process. Problem solvers do not enjoy having rigid
guidelines on how they choose to process learning. The motto listed for problem-
solvers is Ask them what time it is, and they will build you a clock. Engagers
learn best when they can be passionately involved in the learning. They must be
engaged with the material being presented to them, as well as engaged with those
around them. The engagers motto for learning is that It is fun! They desire to
find joy in learning, and they can become bored if they are not involved. Building
relationships is a key part of learning for engagers. It is helpful to recognize the
different types of learners within your class. I think that knowing your students
involves knowing how they learn, and knowing how they learn will help in choosing
effective methods (or in using multiple methods for the purpose of reaching a
variety of students).

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

Chapter 10 in Adult Learning Methods explained how to use the case story
method. The case story method includes five steps: free-writing; writing out the
case story; telling, listening to, and describing the case stories; small group
discussion; and whole group discussion. Through the case story method, I learned
that solving a problem is not always the goal in a learning experience. The goal of
the case story method is to help the learners better understand their problems by
processing through them with others. At first, I had a hard time wrapping my mind
around the idea of not working to solve the problems; however, as I continued
looking into the case study method, the methodology behind it began to make a
little more sense. To my understanding, it is not that the problems are not
supposed to be resolved, it is just that the case story method is not seeking to
solve them. It seeks to give learners a better understanding of their problems so
that they can know how to better address them in order to find a solution in the
future.

Week 8 G: Chapters 11 14
March 21-March 27

Learning about Self

Chapter 12 covered the method of lecturing. Lecturing has been the

dominant method of teaching throughout my years in school. I enjoy listening to
well-planned, informative lectures, but I also realize that a good number of people
do not particularly enjoy the use of this teaching method. I think that this is partly
because it is hard for many people to listen intently with only minimal interaction
and participation. I think that another reason can fall on teachers who do not know
how to lecture in a meaningful way that relates to a variety of learners. Since I
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learn well through listening to lectures, I am prone to teach through lectures. As I

have grown in my understanding of what it means to be a good adult educator, I
have learned that it is beneficial to use multiple methods to reach out to all types
of learners. However, when I do use lecturing, I want to be sure that I do so in an
engaging way. On pages 248-250, there was a helpful summary on how to create
meaningful lectures for adults. The steps were to say a lot about a little, use lots of
examples, keep moving, and to capitalize on variety. These pages helped me to get
a better handle on how to lecture well.

Learning about Adults

Chapter 14 of Adult Learning Methods focused on distance learning. Much of

the success of distance learning is contingent on the facilitator being able to
connect with and meet the needs of the learners from afar. Many methods of
accomplishing this were discussed, but I found the section on page 281 that
described creating learner-to-learner interaction to be particularly interesting in
regards to learners themselves. The section opens by stating, Creating learner-to-
learner interaction helps to relieve feelings of isolation experienced by many
distance learners. I have experienced this feeling of isolation during an online
course that I took a few years ago. It is hard to be motivated to learn when you do
not know anyone who is learning with you. Building online communities helps
learners to learn from one another in distance learning and helps combat the
feelings of isolation that can arise when enrolled in these types of courses.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

Our in-class comparison of Brookfields view on discussion with the method

of directed discussion was very insightful and aided in my understanding of
discussion. I tend to view discussion in the way presented by the directed
discussion method. Brookfields concept of discussion was very new to me, and, at
first, I did not know how to feel about it. I felt that Brookfield had some good ideas,
but I was definitely wary of his lack of structure and his opposition to having pre-
determined learning goals in mind prior to the discussion. During our class period, I
realized that there is a time and place for both forms of discussion in adult
teaching practice. I do not think that it is wrong to facilitate a guided discussion
and keep people on track, but it is also good to occasionally let discussion be more
organic. I think that the choice of method comes with knowing the context in which
the discussion will take place.

Week 9 G: Chapters 15 & 17, 18

March 28-April 3

Learning about Self

Chapter 17 was about critical thinking. It caused me to consider how my

critical thinking skills have grown over the years. Throughout the chapter, it is
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made clear that critical thinking is not always easy. It causes people to examine
their lives and potentially change some of their deep-seated views. As I read the
chapter, I was able to reflect on my past three years here at Toccoa Falls. Critical
thinking has been crucial to how I have learned, as well as how I have grown in
Christ. I have experienced the challenges of having to change my views because of
learning that took place through critical thinking. At the closing of the chapter, the
author makes a list of the things about critical thinking that she has learned
throughout her years of teaching it. Two items on the list stuck out to me. She
wrote that learners will be initially hostile and resistant to this activity for fear of
where it might lead and that teachers earn the right to ask students to think
critically by first modeling the process in their own actions. These two statements
stuck out because I can relate to the first and wish to make the second my goal as
a teacher.

Learning about Adults

Chapter 15 explained the concept of a learning contract, a formal

agreement written by learners that details what will be learned, how the learning
will be accomplished, when the learning will occur, and what criteria will be used to
evaluate the results of the learning (p.290). I enjoyed reading about learning
contracts because they truly seem to capture the idea of adult education and make
use of the assumptions that lie behind andragogy. However, on page 304, some of
my concerns with learning contracts show up under the section about the
limitations of learning contracts. Though Id like to be more learner-centered in my
teaching, it is hard for me to make that shift away from being teacher-centered. I
think that evaluating the pros and the cons of learning contracts through the lens
of how adult learners function can be useful in finding balance between being
learner-centered, remaining true to the principle of andragogy, and the reality of
the challenges that being 100 percent learner-centered creates.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

Chapter 18, Demonstration and Simulation, presented two helpful methods

of adult teaching practice. Demonstration is helpful in teaching things that involve
learning both new knowledge and a skill. It is defined as an accurate portrayal of
procedure, technique, or operation. Simulation is a technique that enables adult
learners to obtain skills, competencies, knowledge, or behaviors by becoming
involved in situations that are similar to those in real life (p. 372). Both
demonstrations and simulations allow learners to learn through experience. I really
like both of these techniques because they can lead to meaningful discussion and
enable very practical learning.

(3) SUBMIT THIS JOURNAL (via email attachment) TO THE PROFESSOR

ANYTIME PRIOR TO CLASS ON APRIL 3rd
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Week 10 G: Chapters 19 20
April 4-April 10

Learning about Self

Chapter 19 was helpful in my learning about self because it covered the

Case Study Method, which is a new method of adult education that I think I might
enjoy. The Case Study Method is focused on utilizing the learners experiences. As I
read about how thoroughly this method enables the learners to use past, present,
and future experiences, my excitement for potentially using case stories in my
teaching one day began to increase. In reflecting upon that increase of excitement,
I realized that I strongly resonate to the assumption of the role of the learners
experiences. Though all of the six assumptions are important, I think I relate to the
role of the learners experiences so well because of my love for people. I love to
teach because I love people, and I want to get to know them through helping them
learn. The learners need to use their experiences as they learn, and the case story
method enables them to share and discuss what they have experienced and what
they are experiencing. This can allow for a certain kind of community learning that
could foster both student-student relationships and student-teacher relationships,
and I find that exciting.

Learning about Adults

Chapter 20 focused on explaining forums, panels, and symposiums. I thought

it was interesting to compare the three methods and to learn what kind of context
is needed in order for each method to be most successful. When relating this to my
learning about adults, I considered the importance of thinking about the learners
when choosing whether to host a panel, forum, or symposium. The needs of the
adults that you are hoping to help learn through the event should be a large part of
figuring out the context in which the event will take place. Consider who will be
attending and consider how they will best receive the information. Asking
questions like Would a formal symposium spread out over a length of time be the
best method for the group of adults we are targeting, or would it be better to hold
a panel one evening, in order to accommodate to the adults learning needs?
throughout the planning process could be helpful in making sure that the adults
needs are being met.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

Prior to reading chapter 20 and discussing its content in class, I had a basic
knowledge about panels, but I did not really know what forums and symposiums
were. I had heard both words before, but if someone were to have asked me to
define them I would not have known what to say. I now feel that I could give a good
definition for both forums and symposiums. I also could explain how they fit into
adult education. I think that panels will remain my favorite of these three methods,
but I am very glad to have learned about the other two methods as well.
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Week 11 & 12 Reflect on your own teaching, and what you are learning
April 11-April 24 from watching others teach

Learning about Self

My experiences teaching this semester have helped me to realize just how

much I enjoy teaching, and I am excited to watch that passion grow as I am given
more and more teaching opportunities. Because I am a very relational person, I
have always had a love for working with people. I also love it when I get the
opportunity to explain something new to someone. I have realized that teaching is
a way that I can practically live out these two passions. I had so much fun leading
discussion for my out of class teaching assignment, and I may have had even more
fun teaching our class how to make a southern meal. In both of these teaching
experiences, I was able to see people become excited about learning, and I felt
very excited about being able to have similar experiences as I am able to teach
more and more.

Learning about Adults

Watching Jordan and Esther teach was a very neat experience because it
allowed me to see how unique teaching can be from teacher to teacher. I enjoyed
watching Jordan and Esther teach in their own unique ways because it helped me
to see that good teaching comes in many different forms. I also enjoyed gleaning
from different things that both Ester and Jordan did to help me grow as a teacher. I
hope to never stop learning as a teacher, and I am confident that a good deal of
my future learning as a teacher will come from watching others.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

I think that both teaching and watching others teach aided in my learning
about adult teaching practice in that I got to both experience what it is like to lead
a group of adults in a learning experience and participate in a learning experience
as an adult learner. During the times I was the facilitator, I strived to incorporate
the many things that I have learned about adult education in order to create a
successful learning experience for adults. During the lesson planning process, I
intentionally thought through how I could use the six assumptions in my lesson,
and, as I taught the lesson, I had to actively think about what I had planned to be
sure that I emphasized certain things within the lesson. During the times that I was
not facilitating the lesson, I was able to see how Jordan and Esther were
intentionally trying to do the same, and, as a learner, I was able to learn better
because of their hard work. I think that we learned a lot from each other during
each experience.
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Week 13 G: Chapters 21 22
April 25-May 1 Reflect on entire semester

Learning about Self

I think that discovering my philosophy of education and teaching style has

been the most exciting thing about this semester. It has been so cool to
understand myself better as a teacher, and I definitely think that I will be a better
teacher for knowing why I do things the way that I do. I have also enjoyed learning
that I do not really mind lesson planning. It is actually pretty fun to think through
the details of how I am going to conduct a learning experience.

Learning about Adults

This semester has helped me to see that there are many very good ways for
adults to learn, and you have to study the adults you are working with in order to
figure out how they will learn best. However, Ive also learned that it important to
know yourself as a teacher and the content you will be teaching before choosing a
method. Once a method is choses, the six assumptions should be thoroughly
utilized in order to help adults most effectively.

Learning about Adult Teaching Practice

Before this semester, I had no idea how many different methods are
available for teaching adults. The only two that I could have listed before this
course would have been discussion and lecturing. Now I know that there are so
many more options! I also glad that our learning of the methods went beyond just
talking about them in class. Being able to participate (fully or at least to some
extent) most of the methods that we discussed really helped me to understand
what each method is all about. I think that the highlight of the course for me was
our hands-on learning about demonstrations and then being able to lead hands-on
demonstrations ourselves.

(4) SUBMIT THIS JOURNAL (via email attachment) TO THE PROFESSOR

ANYTIME PRIOR TO CLASS ON MAY 1st

**REMINDER: THIS JOURNAL NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN YOUR FINAL

PORTFOLIO, WHICH IS DUE MAY 5TH
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