Learning about the many theories on adult learning allowed me to better understand how adults perceive their education, as well as the motivators that influence them. This is particularly important for instructors who guide adult classrooms. As a non-traditional student, my life experience and situation, played a major role in my academic endeavors. Prior to this class I had never considered this a factor of teaching or that it could potentially be reflective in the structuring of a curriculum. More so, it allowed me to recognize that true education is not solely the memorization of terms, but a critical understanding of ideas and topics. Instructors should guide students through a learning process, creating an environment that promotes the development of their own ideas.
This draws me to our discussions of how environment plays a key role in the academic success of students. Unfortunately, the scale is not always in every student's favor. This has created major imbalances in education, and the erroneous categorization of students. Mike Rose does a phenomenal job in presenting this issue in his work. The restrictions that students face can impede their academic growth, limiting their opportunities down the line.
As for our class, I am once again grateful for our rich classroom discussions. They were especially helpful in analyzing texts and in generating new ideas. What a wonderful semester!
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