Respond to each of the following points:
· the challenges of being a learner at your age
· the joys of being a learner at your age
· your hopes for the next decade as a learner
· your advice for people who are entering your decade as a learner.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
217 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 217 of 217Challenges of Being an Adult Learner
Challenges of being a learner at my age, 44 are primarily centered around scheduling. It is challenging as an adult to manage work, children, life and then school work on top of it. The great thing is that on-line learning exists now so I can sit down and do my school work in the middle of the night if need be. Many years ago this was not possible which would have made it impossible for me to go back to school. I am the single parent of autistic child and so planning is very hard because I never know exactly the way things are going to go, this presents challenges when trying to meet deadlines on school work. This element makes it essential to be able to manage your time accordingly.
The joys of being an adult learner that I find are first and foremost a desire to learn and get a degree. When I went to undergraduate school I had no desire to get a degree whatsoever, my parents made me go. Because I really was not interested I did not do very well, however, because I want this degree I am willing to make the sacrifices necessary in order to do well. In addition, I have lots of prior learning and life experiences to bring to the table. I find as I work on my degree that life experiences over the years have helped shape my philosophies and beliefs, something that I did not really have when I was 20.
As a learner my hopes for the next decade include the hope that education will change and begin to recognize that everyone learns in a different way. I hope that educators will work towards reaching all student's in a variety of ways which means they will pull away from the cookie cutter concept that everyone learns the same way so everyone will be taught the same way. In addition I hope that individual strengths will be recognized as intelligences. Just because a person may not excel in math or science or English does not mean they are not intelligent. My hope is that strengths in the arts or athletics or even organizational skills will be embraced and recognized and utilized in the teaching concept. I also hope that for younger learners we will get away from standardized testing being the ultimate decision maker on intelligence.
My advice for people who are entering the education arena at this age is very simple, go for it. I believe that you can never stop learning, in addition I believe that everyone can learn and excel and be anything that you want to be. I am a firm believer in education and I sincerely believe that it is an important element in not only getting a job but also growing and evolving as a learner. If you see it and want it there are many, many resources available today to make that happen.
Response for Nina Wells,
Nina I agree that it can be challenging for adult learners in their 40's. There are times when balancing work, studies, and family all seem to run together. The good part about this is time eventually teaches you the right skills needed to create a balance.
Lisa
Adult Phase
There are many challenges of being an adult learner at age 46. It took me three attempts and four years to complete my Masters degree graduating at age 45 seemed like it would never happen. I think being a single parent and single woman made the challenge even more challenging. When you are the sole provider and supporter you must learn how to be a seld directed and self motivated individual in order to achieve educational and lifetime goals. One of the most difficult challenges are the ones in which age is the key factor. Many students in traditional schools are young enough to be your child.
• The joys of being a learner at over the age of forty. There are many joys of being an adult learner, one of them is the fact that it keeps you alert and aware. I enjoy learning new ideas and concepts and once I have learned them I enjoy sharing what I have learned with others.
•My hopes for the next decade as a learner is that there will be more funding available for adult learners. Funding is the single most challenging aspect associated with making the decision to return to school. The average adult have to work to survive so the thought of going back to school and wondering how to afford it is almost overwhelming. It is a scary thought to finish school with close to a hundred thousand dollars in student loan debt, therefore yes education should be much more affordable.
• Your advice for people who are entering your decade as a learner. Do your homework, research schools in your state and area. Be sure to prepare for the financial decision of returning to school. Take advantage of scholarships and any other funding sources that may be available.
Adult Phase
There are many challenges of being an adult learner at age 46. It took me three attempts and four years to complete my Masters degree graduating at age 45 seemed like it would never happen. I think being a single parent and single woman made the challenge even more challenging. When you are the sole provider and supporter you must learn how to be a seld directed and self motivated individual in order to achieve educational and lifetime goals. One of the most difficult challenges are the ones in which age is the key factor. Many students in traditional schools are young enough to be your child.
• The joys of being a learner at over the age of forty. There are many joys of being an adult learner, one of them is the fact that it keeps you alert and aware. I enjoy learning new ideas and concepts and once I have learned them I enjoy sharing what I have learned with others.
•My hopes for the next decade as a learner is that there will be more funding available for adult learners. Funding is the single most challenging aspect associated with making the decision to return to school. The average adult have to work to survive so the thought of going back to school and wondering how to afford it is almost overwhelming. It is a scary thought to finish school with close to a hundred thousand dollars in student loan debt, therefore yes education should be much more affordable.
• Your advice for people who are entering your decade as a learner. Do your homework, research schools in your state and area. Be sure to prepare for the financial decision of returning to school. Take advantage of scholarships and any other funding sources that may be available.
Hi Tracy,
I agree with you in that scheduling is the most challenging aspect to learning and attending classes at this stage of life. Online learning is a blessing int he sense that it offers opportunity for adults who otherwise would have a very difficult time trying to complete a degree or attend classes.
I believe that the majority of adult learners are going back to school for several reasons one of which is because they enjoy learning and the fact that it may be necessary to advance further on their job or in their careers and economics, families are growing and many now have children of their own to prepare for college and for their own retirement.
Bill, I completely understand you on the patience issue. I have really had a hard time with this blog assignment myself. I am very concerned about my inability to work computers. My greatest fear is that what I already can't do will be outdated by the end of the year and there will be new more advanced stuff to try and master.
Lisa, I am absolutely fascinated with the work that you do. A number of years ago I had the opportunity to teach acting classes in a woman's federal prison, it was really a wonderful experience. How does one go about getting work in your field?
Well time challenge seems to be a common theme throughout any of the adult phases, I do agree that online learning opportunities now create endless option for individuals to continue learning. I further agree with you that if you want it you have to go for it. There are so many resources out there for educational advancement, you just have to be willing to dig a bit and find them.
Response to Yola
Dear Yola,
Thank you for your helpful response.
I just want to add that you are right about the value of listening. I had overlooked that as a great advantage of public speaking, too. Sharing, specifically through collaboration, bring about great insights for solving problems.
Regardless of the age group, the trends of the century are bringing learners’ perspectives closer.
Together, we can definitely make a difference. Thanks to the Ed.D. program and to willing colleagues like you.
Rawya
Response to Janette
Dear Janette,
I am so sorry to hear about your illness. But you are so determined, and such perseverance has obviously empowered you to manage your time skillfully and hopefully attain your ultimate goal.
You are an inspiration,
Rawya
To: Christopher
I used to be one of the older people in the class during my undergraduate work and I slowly came closer to the average during my graduate work. I suppose at 37, I am now at the average.
You said that you enjoyed learning "new" things during this time in your life and that it was meshing with your personal experience.
I also believe that age and wisdom do contribute to the richness of gained knowledge at a later age. I’m not sure if I would have gained the same insight or understanding from the material ten years ago. I suppose that I may have been stuck in one of the phases of progression but I believe that it is natural to desire additional knowledge after acquiring some life experiences.
Good luck
To: Christopher
I used to be one of the older people in the class during my undergraduate work and I slowly came closer to the average during my graduate work. I suppose at 37, I am now at the average.
You said that you enjoyed learning "new" things during this time in your life and that it was meshing with your personal experience.
I also believe that age and wisdom do contribute to the richness of gained knowledge at a later age. I’m not sure if I would have gained the same insight or understanding from the material ten years ago. I suppose that I may have been stuck in one of the phases of progression but I believe that it is natural to desire additional knowledge after acquiring some life experiences.
Good luck
The challenges of being a learner at my age include balancing family, friends, work, volunteer responsibilities, and completing assignments for graduate school. There does not seem to be enough time in the day to complete my obligations.
The joys of being a learner at my age involves reflecting on my past experiences in an effort to understand concepts.
My hopes for the next decade as a learner is to share my experiences with other adult learners to assist them with becoming successful students.
My advice for people who are entering my decade as a learner is organize your life by investing in time management skills.
Age 40-49 (almost 50!)
I’ll be 50 in December, and I’m excited! I retired early from full time teaching last year and decided to enter this doctoral program. This exercise has given me a chance to reflect on past decades, especially my 40s, to appreciate challenges and joys of unique life experiences.
>The challenges of being a learner at my age are few, but comprehensive. Time management issues are paramount due to family and financial demands. I am in the “sandwich generation”, caring for my children, and “quasi” caring for my mom and in-laws. Fortunately, they remain active and independent as they mature, but caring-giving responsibilities are slowly increasing. For example, my mom fell backwards down a flight of steps last week. Thankfully, she only suffered bruises and not broken bones or unconsciousness. Another challenge is understanding and using new technology and media. I still struggle with applying new innovations in learning. It has been over two decades since I received my last graduate degree. Times have changed with advancements in communication. No more “white out” for typing errors! My greatest struggle is learning as an adult with a disability. I have MS with unpredictable weakening symptoms. Most of the time, I’m well and productive, however, when exacerbations begin, the recovery time is extensive. Having MS has caused me to address and change my learning styles, that is, I rely more on auditory than visual learning.
>The joys of being a learner at my age outweigh the challenges. I am wiser and more critical and discerning because of the vast experiences I bring into the learning arena. I know what I know because I lived it and am learning to support it with scholarship. And that’s exciting. I can now give greater detail, focus, and research to adult education topics. Mainly, I am less stressed about having an “impeccable” G.P.A. to compete for a job or pay raise.
>For the next decade(s), I plan to continue the lifelong learning, and apply new skills and knowledge for the betterment of my local and global environment. I desire to make the optimum use of my time considering my disability.
>My advice for learners entering their 40s is three-fold:
(1) be mindful of the life cycle, transitions, and building new structures, (Levinson, 1986)
(2) maintain a healthy physical, emotional, and spiritual balance, and take time for yourself,
and (3) appreciate experiences and enjoy the journey along the way
Kathy
Responding to Bill
Hi Bill, You are not alone. I am a very patient person however, the blog took a long time to access. This is my first time using a blog. With more experience I hope it will get easier. This is one of my challenges. I guess this is the new face of technology
I prefer face-to-face interaction.
Good luck.
Samdaye.
Responding to Tracy
Hi Tracy, I agree it can be very challenging at 44. Finding that balance is not an easy task. However, I have learned do not give up your dreams and as you said, " go for it."
I totally agree that everyone can learn. We may have different learning styles and learn at a different pace.
Great!. You are a firm believer in education.
Goodluck!
Samdaye.
Post a Comment