Adult Education? Hmmm? Can education be present without learning? By itself, is it Education or just rambling? Adult Education to me is a verb, that is a communication between two consenting entities. This interaction is one based upon a Adult education is the transfer of knowledge to enhance the life and well being of the learner and those they come in contact. Learning can occur in a variety of settings, from a formal classroom to a informal setting, such as a restaurant.
I am not sure of the decision to elevate or the need to classify it as professional occupation, at this time. I think it is important to have the learner(s) trust your ability and knowledge on the subject. One way of doing this, is by insight to the instructors comfort level with the topic and formal education. In that regards, providing degrees and credentials. Can their be credentials (ASTD, NAEP, etc.)without professionalism?
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2 comments:
Jim,
I think that you have hit on some of the challenges that we, in Adult Education, face everyday.
What is meant by "education"? Who determines when education occurs? One person's opinion can differ greatly from the nexts- even when viewing the same interaction.
Having the learner "trust" the Instructor is paramount for success. As you expressed, without this trust, can education really occur? Or, will the learner look for validation from another source?
As we have discussed in class, professional accreditation is a dream unfulfilled. Who makes the decision on what needs to be certified and by who?
Jim,
I am interested in the phrase that you use, "transfer of knowledge." In using this phrase, I would ask a few clarifying questions. First, who transfers the knowledge to whom? Does the instructor possess this knowledge, and therefore the transfer is from the instructor to the students? If so, my assumption would be that you ascribe more to a positivist view (in that there is one truth and this truth is transferred from the instructor to the students in the learning process), and that you may prefer the lecture method of teaching over other methods. Is this accurate? If not, could you clarify what you mean by "transfer of knowledge" and how this transfer happens?
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