When I first considered going to college I looked at many programs. The first thing I looked at from a monetary perspective was a local community college. My father and stepmother both worked there and so I could attend at no cost aside from books. While in the end this did not work out there was, a concept there that I think fosters a particular kind of learning that is worth sharing. This idea was labeled Learning Communities. The basic idea is to take two or more classes from different disciplines and teach them as a single class. The learning community I took part in was a combination of a 100 level English and philosophy class called Existential Philosophy. What I find truly lovely about learning communities is how they foster this idea of lifelong learning. By doing a cross discipline class one see the connections between math and philosophy or science and English. It is through this weaving of one discipline with another that we learn to identify in our lives where our knowledge and our world intersect. But community college was not the only place I looked at, and learning communities were not the only place I saw a strong tie to lifelong learning.
Perhaps my favorite program when I was looking at school was a program called The Great Books. I looked at St. Johns of Annapolis not only because my father spent two years there but because the program itself appealed to me. Unfortunately, the school is also incredibly expensive and given my lack of dedication at the time to my education, I decided better of it. However, the Great Books program still appeals to me and I believe it says a lot about lifelong learning. The basic idea behind schools like St. Johns is that what we go to school initially for is not to learn something...
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...g with one another. I need to learn to take the “there is no such thing as a stupid question” formula I have for others and apply it to myself as well. No one knows everything and so there should be nothing shameful in admitting that fact.
In conclusion, while I have, an excellent concept of lifelong learning that was fostered from a long age; I still have some growth to do in this area. My concept of learning and knowledge is well formed both from traditional sources like college and The Great Books program but also from the way in which I was raised. That well-formed concept of learning and knowledge is honed and formed into something unique from my personality traits and personal psychology. However, it is only by continuing to foster this ideal of lifelong learning and molding myself to enhance the success of that idea that I can become a true lifelong learner.
Matthew L. Sanders discusses the necessity of taking responsibility for one’s own education in a section of his book Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education. In this section, Sanders explains how he initially blamed an instructor for not teaching him sufficiently and then learned that “No matter what kind of teacher you have, no matter what kind of class you are taking, if you are a learner you will set out to understand the material and create opportunities for success.” This statement is true and the concept can be applied through many methods to create success for students if they are willing to put forth effort.
Learning is important for countless reasons, the most important reason being that it molds a person into who he or she is. What people choose to learn, and also what they choose not to, create the core of their opinions as individuals. Though people do not admit it or openly declare it, it is fair to say almost everyone is self centered. Because of this, and the fact that learning dramatically affects a person, learning is not only thrilling, but also expressive. Furthermore, since learning is expressive, its meaning varies from person to person, therefore making each person’s experiences with learning unique and life changing.
For me, attending a state college, private college, or university was out of the question. I did not have the minimal ACT or SAT scores, and it had been 18 years since I had been in school. With open enrollment at community colleges, a college admission process that only requires you to have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development certificate, I decided to attend a community college by word of mouth and research done on the college website. Since I enrolled at Minneapolis Community and Technical College in the Fall of 2013, I have gotten the encouragement from my professors and in turn has given me the aspiration to push myself to excel in my studies.
The term non-traditional student has been redefined as the baby boomers flood colleges across the nation. “The very phrase lifelong learning speaks volumes about the integration of education across the life course. A variety of lifelong learning opportunities have emerged over the last two decades,” (Morgan, Kunkel, & Morgan, 2011, p. 289). Cincinnati State offers adult learner...
In 2015, 39% of total undergraduates enrolled in college throughout the United States were at community colleges. Some of the positive aspects of community college revolve around cost, academic exploration, and transitioning. Throughout the United States, it is often that 2-year community college tuition costs are much lower than that of a renowned 4-year university. This makes it easier for people of lower incomes to have the chance, and achieve a form of higher education past high-school. Community College also offers a chance for academic exploration to individuals who are not sure if they want to commit to a 4-year university. Community Colleges provides an opportunity for individuals to explore different majors and studies that are offered
Many students, including myself are entering college for the first time in our lives. They experience things alien to them and have to deal with an exorbitant amount of anxiety and stress. A major stressor that stands out is learning the academic way of thinking. Reading rhetorically and writing in a formal and academic manner are terms that, until now, were entirely foreign to me. At the high school level, many students are not exposed to these processes. Plain and simple, they just don’t experience this type of thinking and learning. This in turn causes an almost fight and flight response on the student’s part. Many students that struggle through these concepts give themselves the opportunity to stand or fall on their own accord, while others shut down and leave their education in the hands of chance. Students who experience this form of struggle are usually faced with the fear of asking for help.
We live in a society that is rapidly changing and where we are becoming lifelong learners. A lifelong learner is someone with aspiration and ambition to improving knowledge and skills with a personal, social, work related and civic outlook. Constructivism is the theory of how a person constructs knowledge when new information presented and it combines with existing knowledge that one gains through experiences. In a review of the constructivism theory through a student’s view, teaching and learning are the implications through hand-on, experiential, collaboration, project-based or task based projects. Learning is a continuous active process of gaining knowledge through experiences and interactions within the world. Learning occurs when an individual encounters thoughtful challenges, naturally occurring or in a problem-solving activity. Most importantly, it is worth noting to state that learning is a social
Lifetime learners want to become knowledgeable through numerous situations in their lifetime (Bethel University, 2013). I think anyone can be a lifelong learner with determination, self-motivation, and the drive to learn anyone can achieve a lifelong education.There are many attributes that make up a great lifelong learner (Bethel University, 2013). Self-motivation and self-determination make for a great lifelong learner (Bethel University, 2013). Things you learn throughout your lifetime must be put into action by the way you analyze a situation to how you solve a problem is an example of lifelong learning (Bethel University, 2013). You may not think you are a lifelong learner but, every day something is evolving and every day you are learning something new. Utilize and impact everything you learned yesterday for today and any day forward. Using your knowledge and willing to grasp and sponge information and incorporate it into your everyday life is ultimately what a lifelong learner is (Bethel University,
College is not the end of the journey. Students need to be reminded constantly that their learning will continue on into their careers and life. All the learning activities and assignments are simply a foundation for the skill of the lifelong learner. The instructor simply points them out and directs the student.
What is the purpose of Lifelong Learning? Lifelong learning is the concept that learning and opportunities can go beyond that of compulsory education, as well as traditional routes, both academic and vocational. With ever expanding economic growth and globalization, the need for new skills is more prominent and lifelong learning and adult education is seen to have become a governmental response to socio-economic inequality, the financial crisis as well as the growing competition within industry both nationally and internationally. The notion of lifelong learning also presents itself as a “trinity.
In the current health care system change has become constant so it has been recognised that lifelong learning is even more imperative for nurses to ensure that they can develop their skills to keep pace with these changes and improve their performance. One of the nursing registration requirements that are outlined in the current Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Conduct (NMC, 2015, p.17) is to “keep your knowledge and skills up to date, taking part in appropriate and regular learning and professional development activities that aim to maintain and develop your competence and improve your performance.” Nurses are required to involve themselves in lifelong learning activities to ensure that they can practice effectively and maintain their
During my time as a student I have been able to develop the way I learn and interact with others to a degree that has also helped me to mature into a better person. I have come to believe that this maturity will help me to develop into a better thinker as well, one that has the patience to listen and take consideration of what others have to say. I consider the act of learning a two way avenue that has to be taken seriously. It is one that involves the teacher, and the protégé. It has been, and will continue to be, my absolute goal as a student to become a diligent protégé and acquire all of learning my teachers have set in front of me. The way each of them have helped me to think about how my actions, and the way I choose to study my lessons and develop as a student, has made a tremendous impact on my life. This impact is one that I will carry into the future as I myself advance in my professional studies.
My philosophy on education and learning is simple; to teach my future students to the best of my ability to achieve academic success. As well as getting to know my students well. Getting to know a little of their background can help make a difference in our teaching career. As a teacher, we care for our student’s educational needs and to achieve a full potential in their learning ability. I believe that education is an individual, unique experience for every student who enters a classroom. Having a passion for teaching and providing students with a proper education should always be a teacher’s top priority.
Learning is a process that involves effort and hard work, but it definitely pays off in the long run. Once a foundation is set on how to become a better student, the student with the foundation is set up for success. A student should be taught methods on how to become better at concepts related to success attained at the college level because it helps the student out so much once he or she knows how to effectively study. While studying might seem tedious and overwhelming at time, it can be proven to be instrumental if a person knows how to effectively do it and get the most out of it. I strongly believe that learning never ends, and a person can continue to learn new things as long as he or she lives. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner,
‘Own attitudes towards and knowledge about the variety of people we teach. The way we speak and behave will say something about you, your perceptions and expectations of your students… As a tutor, you have a professional duty to behave in non—biased ways that are acceptable to all. This means recognising that every adult is of equal worth irrespective of ethnicity, gender, ability background or disposition, and working with each person to the best of your ability in order to further his/her achievements’ (2006:43).