Week 7

For this weeks post I decided to look to Ted Talks for some inspiration. Since starting PIDP I have become quite interested in theses. There is such broad range of topics to choose from and they aren't that long so I can usually fit them in on a lunch break or while I'm getting supper ready.

After sifting through a few talks I landed on one that really peak my interest. You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk5WYa7V0AQ

"Closing the gap between the trivial knowledge that people only use in school and real world skills" (Lewis). This quote really caught my attention. Isn't this just what it boils down to? Using the guiding principles of Androgyny we see that the model that they have created at their restaurant/school perfectly compliments the 7 characteristics that Malcolm Knowles developed. Understanding that adults learn differently than children is key to creating a positive and successful learning environment. The top 5 characteristics that Knowles identifies in adult learners are:

• A preference for self-directed learning

• An ability to draw on life experience to assist with learning

• A willingness to learn when transitioning into new roles

• A focus on immediately applying new knowledge to real-life situations and problems

• A tendency to be internally motivated (rather than externally)

(source: https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/adult-learning-theories-principles.html )

The second fascinating quote that struck me during this Ted Talk is: "What a student needs to be successful can be radically different than what we expect". Mic drop!! Getting to know our learners and find out what they need is a critical step in maximizing their learning capabilities. This should be one of our top priorities as adult educators. We can do this in a variety of ways but the key is to make the TIME to do it.

The final quote or concept that needs to be addressed is, seeing our students as whole people. Adult learners have lives outside of the classroom that will positively or negatively impact their learning potential. Inviting them to explore what these are will assist them in recognizing what skills they already have that can be transferrable and "close the gap".