WEEK ONE COMPENDIUM

When is an adult not an adult and other stories

THE MOST COMMON

v  Pragmatism was the most common approach to adult learning

preference.

v  Sprinkled in were: •  Learning style preference •  Reflection •  Involvement

WONDERFUL QUESTION

v  Just what is an adult? •  Something to seriously reflect on. There is a person in the NU

community who teaches a course called Grays on Trays which is teaching snowboarding to big people. Are they adults or are they children in this context?

•  How many of us, either in observing our students or even our own behavior, gasp, have reverted to six year old, okay- maybe 16 year olds, when in a physical classroom?

•  And shouldn’t learning be a condition of wonder, curiosity and experiment- sort of like a day at the beach?

ALLOWING TIME

v  Several people offered comments on how they, in their classroom,

or a need they themselves had, built in time to think about what was

being learned.

v The difference, also pointed out, is that the adult chooses to return

to the classroom and is often faced with the thought of – why am I

here when I could be watching TV or playing video games.

v The online experience is better suited toward reflection.

APPLICATION

v Had to giggle when reading a few of the posts about the need to

take what is learned in a course and immediately apply it. The giggle

is that in Week 5, that is what you will all have the chance to do.

C H I LD R E N, FR I E N D S A N D SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, OH M Y

v While online learning does allow a much better opportunity to

juggle children, significant others, parents, etc. there are those who

prefer the face to face experience. Several colleges have actually

focused on this demographic. Check this page out. You’ll see some

familiar names:

http://www.thebestcolleges.org/the-20-best-colleges-for-single-

parents/

ADAPTING TO STYLE A K A C O M M U N I C AT I O N

v  This is a trick question. Or better stated, a tricky question. There

seemed to be some angst about how much adaptation to style

(communication- type of assignments – process, etc.) of the instructor or

instructor to the student is worthwhile.

v  As those of you in the class who have been in my classes before know,

my favorite answer is ‘It depends.’ And it does. These moments are

situational. Uncomfortable, but situational. Situational means, this too

will come to pass.

FAULT

v  Whose fault is it if there is an unsuccessful outcome? •  The immediate thought is- why the designation- fault?

v  Sometimes we have, of no fault, there is that word, of our own, a

volatile class. Nothing can or will work.

v  This can happen easily in a required course – why the *&^$%* am I

here?; this can happen if expectations are misaligned.

v  The backward design assignment is aimed at minimizing any potential

of mismatched learning outcomes.

VARIED FORMATS

v My guess is that swirling around is the question of whether for

each course you as the instructor have to have a magicians supply of

formats to pull out of the proverbial hat for each and every lesson.

v No.

v Yes, varied formats are important but the use of the formats, get

ready for this, needs to also be varied.

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

v He is absolutely ubiquitous. Be aware but it isn’t necessary to

incorporate Bloom for everything. That, in itself, can become tedious

for you as the instructor and the student as learner.

v  See next slide.

WIDER CONTEXT

v Another situation that involves learner and instructor. Yet,

sometimes the learner can feel that making the connection to the

wider context belongs to the instructor.

v No.

v The instructor sets the the sandbox, the safe place, the ideas for

the student to make that wider connection.

v This is known as the exhilarating Ah ha moment.

THANKS EVERYONE

v  For a stimulating Week 1.

v On Sunday, of course after Downtown Abbey, we begin Week 2.