Final Not-So-Final Portfolio Presentation  

Click on the link to find the ppt.

Click on a link below to jump to the revised version.  You will need to go back to this post to get to each link.

Look at the very bottom of a blog entry for the Comments link. The comments link is small. You can click on the link, leave your comments and I will be able to view them. You cannot leave comments in the document itself.

Where I edited a paper, I re-posted the whole paper so it will appear as the most current entry. Where I just revised my rationale for choosing a particular paper or application project, I just edited the version that already exists.

So, here is what to look for:

For the following, the whole paper was revised so I created a new entry for each. Click on the link below.

• Continuing Professional Development (Revised)
• Cultural Competence and Diversity (Revised)
• Teaching Profile (Revised)
  
• Learning Profile (Revised)
  

For the following, I just edited the entry that is already posted to include a clearer rationale for why I chose that particular project.

Evidence of Scholarly Writing

• Teaching the Disadvantaged and Under-Represented (Revised Rationale)
• Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised Rationale)

Examples of Applied Projects

• Teaching Experience Assignment 6487 (Revised Rationale)
• Exploratory Case Study (Revised Rationale)

I would also like to pursue learning more about disabilities in adults since I think many basic skills students have undiagnosed disabilities and this has hindered their learning throughout their lives. Since Wake Technical Community College (WTCC) does not provide an opportunity to learn about adults with disabilities in basic skills education I can pursue that through some on-line programs for professional development

I will also be involved in obtaining a Basic Skills teaching credential beginning sometime in 2010. WTCC will provide this opportunity for professional development so I will most likely work toward the teaching credential through WTCC.

As I continue to learn and grow in my profession, I will continue to look for opportunities that will help me as an instructor in the day to day activities of the classroom. This involves learning about best practices in teaching reading, writing and math skills to adults. I have also thought about taking classes in the area of counselor education because I think having counseling knowledge will help me interact with my students better when they come to me with their problems.

I would also like to read and maybe re-read some of the journal articles and other readings I came across that I’ve saved that I didn’t get to read because they looked interesting but weren’t relevant to what I was doing at the time.

And I’d like to learn how to make pottery, weave baskets or make stained glass crafts just for the sheer joy of learning something completed unrelated to my profession because when I am learning something that has nothing to do with my profession, it refreshes me and helps me to stay motivated when I do the work to advance my professional knowledge. I am attending a four day retreat next April to learn how to do these crafts and explore my creativity.

Because the mission of Wake Tech CC is to effectively serve the students in their educational pursuits, I have an interest in making sure that all students in my classes receive access to the opportunities the college offers. This not only serves the students interests but also serves the larger community these students belong to. My course work has helped me to become more aware of cultural differences that go beyond just considering ethnicity, demographics, and religious issues (ADED 6490). Diversity incorporates so many overlapping issues that affect how people think, act, and ultimately learn. And the opposite is also true; ultimately what they learn affects how people think, act and making meaning.

ADED 6487 offered an opportunity to investigate the theme of AE, diversity and the future. Understanding that diversity is a complex concept will help me move forward as an instructor or administrator into a world where all these elements of diversity will be the norm. Understanding the variances of diversity not only helps me as the instructor or program administrator be effective, but more importantly, it helps the students and community who are ultimately being served through effective educational programs. It also enhances the experience of instructors, administrators and students as we learn to interact successfully with each other. We will all be prepared for our complex and plural communities by understanding the complexity of diversity.

As an Instructor, I am particularly concerned with trying to remove the barriers that get in the student’s way because of their ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, etc. These characteristics often create barriers to their success and hinder them from reaching their educational and job related goals. As I mature in my profession, continue to learn and meet new students, I will continue to gain experience and knowledge working with the differences students bring to the classroom. My experience in the coursework has emphasized the need to aim for an environment in the classroom that provides an opportunity for personal development within an accommodating context (Zepke, 2005) for each student. I think the aim of AE is still the same; that is to provide a place for personal development that is accommodating, non-critical, and strives to contribute to creating a more just society. I think the way it will happen will become more complex because there are so many more variables that students bring to the class than in the past.

Because the United States has always been a melting pot of diverse groups from the beginning, I think this concept is nothing new. I think the boundaries of diversity have broadened (London, 1999). The teaching practices that I incorporate into my instruction and program administration are made richer because they are implemented in a classroom with a diverse body of students. Mutual respect and educational quality makes possible the use of the talents and abilities of all the students. I hope that my teaching methods and the way I relate to students provides an opportunity to recognize and foster their abilities and achievements by giving all students an equal chance at reaching their potential.

REFERENCES

International Journal of Lifelong Education 24.2 (2005): 165-78. Print.

I am an ENFP according to the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. ENFP’s typically relate to people well and enjoy being around others. I enjoy the social aspect of teaching and this affects my commitment to what I am trying to help students do. Because of my temperament, I see a world with possibilities and this affects my teaching style. I see the potential in my students for success and a better life. I become passionate about wanting what I see my students wanting. My enthusiasm for their success helps to inspire and motivate them. This is seen more in my type than in others.

I think my teaching style reflects these characteristics. A characteristic of my teaching style is that I am empathetic toward the needs and desires of the students (a very NF characteristic according to the Keirsey Temperament Sorter). Because adults bring their life experiences to the classroom, want knowledge that is relevant and applicable to their lives and are willing to work on their own learning, my teaching style tries to accommodate this. I think my empathetic character has developed because some of the characteristics that relate to my teaching style relate to the fact that I also exhibit the characteristics of typical adult learners.
ENFP’s have good people skills. I think part of the value of my student’s learning experience when they come to my class is that I am genuinely warm toward them and interested in them. Because I am intuitive (this came out in my learning profile as well) I am able to understand a person after a short period of time and try to relate to my students in a way that makes them feel they are valued and have something important to contribute.

These characteristics are not directly related to the actual learning process but I think they are important to mention because so much of being able to learn is based on motivation, feeling good about what one is learning, and feeling that the teacher is contributing in a positive way to the process. I think establishing a comfortable relationship is critical and part of my teaching strategy.

Because, as an ENFP, I am also independent, I do not like to be constrained by bureaucratic policies when it comes to how I teach. I like to have the freedom to pass onto my students’ control of their own learning. I, as an adult learner, don’t like to be controlled by rules and regulations that impede my learning so my empathetic nature is such that I feel students will be suppressed in the same way.

I scored high in the facilitator and delegator category of the Grasha-Reichmann inventory. I think of myself as more of a facilitator (very NF) or delegator regardless of what I am teaching or who I am teaching even if the environment seems to require more of an expert or formal authority. In the GED classroom where students are required to attain a certain amount of knowledge and students are usually in a hurry because they are anxious to move onto other educational or employment pursuits and need their GED quickly to move onto those things, I find myself in the position of being the formal authority or expert. I possess the knowledge of the material they need to know and can gauge their competence. Some of this information may not be useful to them in their personal lives but I can ensure they will be prepared to take the GED tests if they follow the prescription I provide to learn all they need to know. I don’t think this is the best way to learn and retain new knowledge. In this context, I try to facilitate or delegate the learning by allowing students to learn the material in a way that works best for them. This way of doing things provides the students with a clear outline of what the goal will need to be in order to pass the GED tests and it puts the onus on them for ultimately learning the material in a way that works best for their learning style.

I think this teaching style works for me when I am a student. If there is content to be mastered, I like to take the material and learn it in a way that suits me. I like to know what the outcome is supposed to be and then like to get there on my own.

I try to guide and direct students, offer them options, and encourage them to use their own initiative and independence to make decisions regarding what they can do in the class that will be useful for them. Often, they have never acted this independently regarding their own learning. It takes some time for them to be able to create goals for themselves and have a willingness to be open to trying new things. Because this is time consuming and involves things like building self esteem and creating an independent work ethic, it often takes many weeks or even months to see concrete results. When they can see themselves as independent, then I can truly facilitate their learning. The outcomes in this kind of class are often not quantifiable because even though the student has not passed an academic measure, they have grown in areas such as self esteem, independence and other characteristics that are not readily measurable.

The fact that I am most comfortable in my role as a facilitator or delegator I think is also evidenced in my learning style. I am an active, sensing, visual, global learner according to the Felder inventory. I like to be involved in learning something by applying what I have learned. I don’t do well with theoretical knowledge that has no application for me. I feel very conscious about this when I am teaching. I want the learning to be useful to my students. If they feel the knowledge is useful, I feel like the effort I have made has been worthwhile as their teacher. Since they are dealing with serious issues outside of the class, I don’t want to waste their time. I don’t like having my time wasted either when I’m learning.

The Keirsey Temperament Sorter truly identified my behavior as a teacher. I agree with the NF analysis; that I am committed to my students and concerned about their welfare. This causes me to become emotionally involved at times and I take their failures and successes personally. I’m getting better at not doing that.  I try to individualize instruction as best as I can within the parameters of the GED requirements. Since many students are not successful in completing the GED tests, I feel they have at least learned something they can use. This is also a characteristic of the NF type in that learning should be useful. I get the most joy in teaching when there are a variety of activities going on simultaneously. That is always an indication to me that students are being productive. The most fun for me is the search for creative ways to reach someone. I am very satisfied when I have gotten to know my students well enough to know what they need to learn and what will work for them in terms of how they will be able to learn.

I think my learning style contributes to how I teach because I can use the way I learn to be creative and empathetic toward the needs to my students. I think my learning and teaching styles are parallel in that they are flexible and I am able to accommodate many students in the different environments that I teach.

The result of the Learning Styles Inventory by Tony Grashaw in, “Learning with Style” demonstrates that I am an independent learner and a participant. I think this is different than how I was as a child. I was very quiet and teachers would often tell my parents that I didn’t participate, for example, by answering questions in class unless I was asked. I do remember, however, always feeling eager inside to “get the right answer” and I enjoyed school for the most part. I enjoyed the new knowledge and so my memory of myself is actually more in line with the Grashaw inventory where I am a participant because in my mind I felt engaged. I think I didn’t show it at times on the outside. My parents were very good about letting me be me. I didn’t feel pressure as a child to do certain things or act a certain way so I think because of that I am somewhat undisciplined when it comes to learning. But that attitude also allowed me to put my hands in the dirt, run around in bare feet and experience the world around me. As my mother still often says, “live and learn.” I think that describes me as a learner.
According to the explanations for my learning categories, I am a learner who likes to think for myself and I am confident in my learning abilities. I think this also has risen out of the fact that as a child I was let loose as it were to explore the world.
I prefer to learn the content I feel is important and work alone on projects as opposed to working with other students. In this way, I think the participant category is a little inaccurate but I do like to engage in what is being taught and learn it. I do enjoy being around other learners and value their input but I like to think for myself and use others ideas as something to bounce my own from. In the participant category, I am a “good citizen” which means that I enjoy going to class and taking part in as much of the course activities as is possible. These descriptions of me ring true. This is why I have been successful in completing (thus far) the course work online.

I also completed an inventory called the Learning Styles and Strategies (Felder and Solomon). According to this inventory, I am a visual learner. I learn best with things that I can see – pictures, diagrams, flow charts, demonstrations etc. According to this inventory, most people are visual learners. I also scored high in the Global category. I absorb material randomly, in fits and starts and then, “get it.” The explanation in the inventory states that global learners tend to be able to solve problems in unique ways when we can see the big picture. I think the explanations for both inventories were accurate when I took them the first time and they are still true today. What I think is different is that the awareness of my learning style and the time that has elapsed since the first time I took the inventories, has allowed me to become more conscious about not using teaching techniques that fit just my learning style.

As an adult learner, I think that I am typical of most adults who want to learn. I like for the teacher to be the facilitator. I also want to learn what is useful to me and that is the kind of opportunity I seek when I enroll in a class.

I think that some of the characteristics that relate to my style of learning are somewhat fluid. As a participant, according to the Grashaw inventory, I am flexible in terms of how I am willing to learn and adapt to what is going in the class. That doesn’t mean I necessarily enjoy it, but since I like to participate and want to learn I am flexible. This has helped me learn-how-to-learn and is not something new to me. For example, I earned a good portion of my undergraduate degree in a correspondence program that was the predecessor to online learning. Because I didn’t go to school the traditional way after high school, and I needed to maintain full time employment, this was the only option available at the time to obtain post secondary education. It was in that context that I really gained my independence as a learner and learned how I learn and how to learn. The motivation to succeed in a college level class on my own without the advantage of having other classmates and the instructor right there was a valuable experience for me.

Because I am a visual, global learner, according Felder and Solomon’s inventory, I like to be involved in learning something by doing and having a purpose for the knowledge. I don’t think I really do well with theoretical knowledge that has no application for me.

I think my learning style contributes to my self-directed learning because I can see the big picture (global). This means that I can see the end result and understand the value of what I am doing when I am enmeshed in the finer details of reaching my goals. My need to visualize what I am learning also contributes to my learning because I can translate words into doodles or numbers or notes or drawings that helps me remember. The fact that I am a participant and independent affords me the opportunity to learn on my own so that I don’t need to rely on those around me or on the teacher. These characteristics have all contributed to where I am today as a learner and I believe I will continue to learn in this way in the future.

REFERENCES

Felder, Richard, and Barbara Solomon. Learning Styles and Strategies. N.C. State University. Web. 10 Oct. 2009. .

Grasha, Tony. Learning Style Survey. University of Cincinnati, Cuesta College, Cincinnati OH, 27 Mar. 2009. Web. 16 Oct. 2009. .

President Obama has unveiled the American Graduation Initiative (AGI) which is a plan to double the number of people who graduate or receive a credential from a community college. Community colleges will be receiving grant money that can be used to develop programs that create opportunities for non-traditional students including low-income adults. Adult literacy and basic education programs are eligible for the funds but community colleges are not required to connect the money with these programs. I am already involved with Proliteracy.org and the Council on Adult and Basic Education (COABE) to stay current on legislative issues that relate to this subject. I would like to continue to do that to make sure I can voice my opinion when the time comes to distribute the funds.

I am also interested in learning more about the “Reach Higher America” initiative which is calling for a fundamental change in adult education because we are becoming less and less literate compared to the rest of the world. I don’t know what that will mean for my professional development specifically other than participation in a credentialling process that will begin in the middle of 2010.

I have felt for a long time, that learner-centered teaching is the most effective way for students to develop skills. I didn’t know there was a name for this practice in adult learning. I was only familiar with the childhood version of a learner-centered environment in the Montessori Method which follows the same principles. The power in the classroom, as Weimer puts it (2002), shifts onto the student. When students feel they have more control over how they learn and/or what they learn, confidence is built and the joy of learning can be promoted. If a student is only given the opportunity to learn through what the teacher does and says, he/she will not be using and developing their skills. I am more intentional now about creating and maintaining the learner-centered environment.

Philosophically, I don’t think my point of view has changed much regarding teaching and learning in adulthood. But what I do think has happened is that many of my ideas were lying latent waiting to be unleashed and articulated. I was not fully conscious of some of the things I believe about adults or learning. It is clearer to me now because I have articulated what I say I believe about teaching and learning and I understand myself better because of the exercise of thinking these things through.

Some of my DB posts, papers and other projects have given me the opportunity to learn and explore topics that I would not have thought to explore in the day to day activities of teaching students. For instance, I have found that having the freedom to study Bloom’s taxonomy a valuable exercise because it has helped me to understand the different levels of learning. I learned about Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences because one of my classmates shared her project on that topic. The learning styles inventory (which I use with students now) has helped me understand how I learn and of course, how adults in general learn. Also, Paolo Freire’s book, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” where he articulates how education should function has given me the framework for my own philosophy because I agree with so much of what he says.

The value of this program is that it has allowed me to think through many other issues related to the field of AE and have my ideas challenged and finally to come to a point where my ideas about the issues of teaching and learning have been changed, reinforced, or affirmed by the interaction with other students, teachers, the readings and the projects. By having the opportunity to think through and articulate many issues, I have been able to get to the core of what I am trying to do as a teacher and what students need to learn about themselves and the world.

References

Freire, Paolo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, 1970. Print.

Weimer, MaryEllen. Learner Centered Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002. Print.

The result of the Learning Styles Inventory by Tony Grashaw in, “Learning with Style” demonstrates that I am an independent learner and a participant. According to the explanations for my learning categories, I am a learner who likes to think for myself and I am confident in my learning abilities. I prefer to learn the content that I feel is important and work alone on projects as opposed to working with other students. In the participant category, I am a “good citizen” which means that I enjoy going to class and take part in as much of the course activities as is possible. These descriptions of me ring true. This is why I have been successful in completing (thus far) the course work online.

I also completed an inventory called the Learning Styles and Strategies (Felder and Solomon, ). According to this inventory, I am a visual learner. I learn best with things that I can see – pictures, diagrams, flow charts, demonstrations etc. According to this inventory, most people are visual learners. I also scored high in the Global category. I absorb material randomly, in fits and starts and then, “get it.” The explanation in the inventory states that global learners tend to be able to solve problems in unique ways when we can see the big picture. I think the explanations for both inventories were accurate when I took them the first time and they are still true today. What I think is different is that the awareness of my learning style and the time that has elapsed since the first time I took the inventories, has allowed me to become more conscious about not using teaching techniques that fit just my learning style.

I think however, my learning style makes me more empathetic toward the needs and desires of the students in my classes. Since I am a visual learner and according to the inventory, most people are visual learners, I take time to draw pictures, and use videos, etc. so that students can see what they are learning. My learning style helps me to relate to them because I understand what they need to learn. It has also made me aware that we are not all alike in the way we learn and that the print material that is available and the lecture form of instruction does not work for many students. I also offer these inventories to them so they can reflect on how they learn best. This has been a valuable opportunity for them to create self-awareness that they have not had in the past.

Because adults bring their life experiences into the classroom, want knowledge that is relevant and applicable to their lives and are willing to work on their own learning, my teaching style tries to accommodate these characteristics. As an adult learner, I too, want those things. I think too, that since I am an independent learner, I just expect that all adults should be independent. Sometimes that’s the case but often, especially when students are young and haven’t as much life experiences, this requirement for independent learning is difficult.

I think also that because I am an adult and have been in learning environments as a student or teacher for most of my adult life, I think that some of the characteristics that relate to my style of learning and teaching are somewhat fluid (For example, as a participant I am flexible in terms of how I am willing to learn when I am the learner) and tend to adapt to accommodate students in different environments. Learning-how-to-learn is not something that is new to me. For example, I earned a good portion of my undergraduate degree in a correspondence program that was the predecessor to online learning. Because I didn’t have the opportunity to go to school the traditional way after high school, and I needed to maintain full time employment, this was the only option available at the time to obtain post secondary education. It was in that context that I gained my independence as a learner and learned how I learn.

Because I am a visual global learner according the Felder’s inventory, I like to be involved in learning something by doing and having a purpose for the knowledge. I don’t think I really do well with theoretical knowledge that has no application for me. I feel very conscious about this when I am teaching. I want the learning to be useful to my students. Since they are often dealing with serious personal issues outside of the class, I don’t want to waste their time. I think this is why I am also, to some degree, a sensing learner. I like to solve problems by already established methods and don’t like to waste my time trying to reinvent the wheel.

Unfortunately, the materials that are available to me address the needs of visual learners because it is in books published specifically for the population that I work with. I try to include other types of materials such as videos, newspapers, stories with pictures etc. so those who are non-visual learners can learn better. I try to give students as much choice as I can in terms of how they learn material. This keeps them motivated and if they are motivated, they will continue to learn. I also feel that since I am a global learner, I can see the bigger picture of how some of my activities can benefit my students especially in the long run since at times, it is hard for them to see their own potential.

I think my learning style contributes to how I teach because I can use the way I learn to be creative and empathetic toward the needs to my students. I think my learning and teaching styles are parallel in that they are flexible and I am able to accommodate many students in the different environments that I teach.

REFERENCES

Felder, Richard, and Barbara Solomon. Learning Styles and Strategies. N.C. State University. Web. 10 Oct. 2009. .

Grasha, Tony. Learning Style Survey. University of Cincinnati, Cuesta College, Cincinnati OH, 27 Mar. 2009. Web. 16 Oct. 2009. .

Some bloggers have a large and committed readership where there is significant sharing of knowledge, reflection and debate. Blogs have become an important part of the internet environment (educause.edu, 2009) because authors and readers have a place for connecting, reacting without the censorship of formal media outlets that have editors and others reading responding to written work prior to publication. This is significant because on blogs, people engage in knowledge sharing, reflecting and debate in a way that has not been possible before the internet was available.

The implications this has for me in my coursework and practice is that blogs are becoming an increasingly accepted instructional technology (educause.edu, 2009). My blog can become a place to reflect on my profession and receive feedback. I can disseminate information quickly to whoever I want with no limitations on the number of people who can access this information and receive feedback quickly. And it’s cheaper than printing pages and pages of a document that may only be read once or twice.

Since a blog is not a static page but a website, I can create different blogs for different circumstances. For instance, in the case of compiling the components of my portfolio, I can give access to that portion of my blog to the relevant people that need to read it. I can create another blog at the same location that is relevant to my students and their interests. Or, I can publish a cover letter and resume for a potential employer. I can also attach documents and other files that might be useful.

A blog is a way of communicating that does not involve print medium. Because blogging has become such a popular way of sharing information, I feel that learning this technology will prove to be useful to me in the future in ways that I may not have discovered yet.

REFERENCES

Patton, Jeremiah. “Beginners Guide to Blogging.” Educause Learning Initiative. Web. 16 Oct. 2009. .

“Seven Things You Should Know About Blogging.” Ezine Articles. 01 Jan. 2005. Web. 16 Oct. 2009. .