Andragogy; A definition

Andragogy is the methods and techniques used to facilitate and guide the learning for those who are mature enough to take responsibility for their actions and ownership of their own personal learning journey.

While looking into the subject of Andragogy I was amazed at how poor the definitions I found are. Poor might not be the right term, they just were not robust enough. The definitions I found were very short and sweet. The first simply defined andragogy as “the methods or techniques used to teach adults” (Dictionary.com). Frankly I wanted a little more meat to my definition then this. The second was not much better. “Andragogy is the theory and practice of education of adults” (Wikipedia).

Both of these definitions mention adults. The prefix “andra” does refer to adults but what we are missing here is what is meant by adult. Traditionally we think of an adult as a person who has reached a certain age that allows them certain rights of citizenship like voting etc. When we are talking about education, this simple one dimensional view of who an adult is does not work.  There is no magic age at which a person switches from being a child to an adult with respect to education. In my definition I was a little more specific about the actions of the actual learners. A person who has taken the responsibility for their education and has made the transition of having the learning experience self directed is an adult learner, no matter what their age is.

The other part of the definitions spoke to the methods and techniques. I kind of disagree with this being so simple. It tends to let people believe that the learning is still teacher focused. Of course we still have the development of the curriculum and the teaching plan as well as content, evaluations, rubrics etc. What is missing is the understanding that in adult education the teacher becomes more of a guide to help the students explore, critically reflect and learn. Fundamentally this is the difference between teaching children and teaching adults. All the catch phrases used in post secondary education like student centered or student focused are simply indicating that they are using Andragogy or teaching adults.

You can fallow me on Twitter @jrmurrell

Jeff

Dictionary.com (October 7, 2015) Andragogy, Retrieved from; http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/andragogy 

Wikipedia (October 7, 2015) Andragogy, Retrieved from; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andragogy 

 

The Value of education

As I start to explore the many different forms of learning and consider them to the term education I have come to a conclusion, learning will occur with or without formal education but education can never exist without learning. Kind of like the connection between teaching and learning. When we consider these two terms it is very interesting the different points of view of each. "While learning is usually linked to an individual's progress in the acquisition of further knowledge, education is oriented towards a systems approach in which learning is provided in a co-ordinated manner through agencies" (Findsen & Formosa, 2011, p.23). So learning is the small discoveries of new knowledge while being educated in a new subject.

"In his analysis of 'education', Peters advocates that the concept should embody the transmission of that which is worthwhile and valuable" (Findsen & Formosa, 2011, p.22). If education is the transmission of that which is worthwhile and valuable I wonder who determines what information is worth learning and what is not. If you were to measure a certificate of qualification in a trade against a persons Degree in Ancient Chinese History how would you determine the value. In higher education institutions the Degree would hold more weight for positions such as administration. The thought process is that they have gone through the process so they have a better understanding of education even though the Degree does not speak to the ability to deal with the different unions involved or demonstrates ability to manager and work with budgets and within policies and procedures. Of course if we were to walk onto a construction site the Certificate of Qualification in a trade would have the highest value. So this brings me back to my question, who decides?

We could determine the value based simply on income after graduation. Of course this calculation would be based on speculation due to trying to figure out what the wages will be for a particular career and how they will change over time but it is a measure.  There is the other thought that it is determined by employ ability after graduation as if there is an abundance of employers wishing to hire graduates with these skills then the education must of course be valuable. Of course the sensible thought would be a mixture of both. Choosing these types of career paths also help society as there is a need for these individuals. Others will make a choice for formal education that speaks to them as individuals and helps them expand and explore them self. They pick based on the experience and the quest for knowledge, not for employable skills. I must admit that I can not argue against either point of view. The value in the information transferred in formal education then is determined by the individual student after careful consideration of all aspects and what speaks to them.

Personally I feel that no mater what formal education one decides to enroll in, the true valuable learning comes once they have completed the credential and have started to experience the World while putting their new found knowledge to work. You see the science of a subject can be taught but the mastery of the art of that subject must be obtained through years of experience applying that knowledge. In this manor people take the formal education and through experience that involves critical self reflection and then future adjustment, they actually increase the value of that information that has been transferred. In some cases they actually create new knowledge on the subject they were formally trained in while learning at work in an informal manor which in turn will eventually shift the subject being taught (changing the formal information on the subject). The interesting piece is that they never place a credential on this, the informal learning that occurs in later life. New students trying to determine what to enroll in must ask some critical questions so that they can evaluate each choice and make the right one that is the most valuable to them. After graduation they then must take the time to apply that knowledge to their fullest extent so that they become masters of what ever career they have decided on.  The choice is theirs.

Jeff

Findsen, B. & Formosa, M. (2011) Lifelong Learning in Later Life, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Sense

Teaching is not about the Teacher

The title of this blog comes from a tweet by Alice Keeler (@alicekeeler) last week in which she made this very statement. I of course agreed, who would not. Surely any sane person knows that teaching is a process. Or surely any sane person who spent 25 years in industry would right away see that teaching is a process (we can discuss if I am sane or not latter). Of course what she really meant was that teaching was about the learner. The educator in me had to agree and I have been thinking about this point for several days now. I do see teaching as a process but it is a process that should be all about the learner. This also ties back into something that I believed since my career shifted to education seven years ago that if the students did not learn then I did not teach. The real funny piece is that teaching did not occur if there was no learning but learning occurs everyday without the presence of teaching.

In the original tweet she did mention about the statement that it is "My classroom" so "My rules" can be a turn off for students. In certain situations this is 100% true. On the first day the teacher can set out some guidelines and discuss them with the class to come up with reasonable classroom behavior. This will get buy in from the students as they were part of the formation of the rules. This of course does not hold true on certain shops or labs where the teachers rules are really tied to health and safety rules. In these cases the rules are tied to curriculum and form part of the learning experience for the student.

In thinking about this and doing a little digging there are tons of things on what is teaching and how to be a good teacher or how to make your instruction come to life. What I really wanted to know was how I can tell if I am building my lessons, creating the teaching process framework, with the teacher or student in mind. This is what I have been thinking about since reading the post and I hope I have found my answer. If as an educator you are continuing to look at ways to improve the delivery of the material, to find that really cool experiment that will blow their minds. If you start building next years class with the thought of what can I do to make this more exciting and head straight to the internet to find something cool you might be on to something. Of course we need to figure out how to make it totally awesome and meet them on their level so we get the next best gadget to but in the class as well. If you are also one of those educators that can not wait to share these great ideas with your fellow faculty so that they can benefit from your efforts then I can say for sure that your teaching is 100% about the teacher.

I think my teaching is about the learner. I always started to build next years lectures from the point of strength for the students which means to look at the grades for the subject in previous years. I asked what have I done that helped learning to occur and what did I do that simply was fun but I really did not teach. I then look at the lesson plan and determine what I need to keep, what needs to be improved and what needs to be scrapped. Of course as I build the new lesson plans I do keep in mind the possibility of bringing out the IPads if required but only if required as sometimes they hinder learning. I also try and have two approaches prepared for subjects in which students have struggled in the past so if the students do not seem to be learning I can switch and move on. I am not tied to or sold on anyone method as the end all as I know I might be wrong in my approach. If you always ask will this help them learn and then try and measure that learning and adjust then I think your teaching is totally about the learner, as it should be. 

Thanks Alice for getting me thinking and learning more about the process of teaching.

Jeff

@j_rmurrell

When I stop Learning, I have stopped Living

I believe that it was Aristotle that first indicated that each creature on the planet was made for one special purpose. They could do more than one, but their individual structure was designed for that one special task. The easiest example of this is fish, they are designed to swim. Lots of creatures can swim but fish are the best at it. With this in mind that each creature is best at just one thing, I feel strongly that humans are best at learning. This is what we are designed to do. We hear, see and feel new things around us each and every day. We take in this information and then internalize it and think about it, sometimes at great length, and come to a set of conclusions forming a new understanding of the world around us. We as educators simply get to set up the tasks and activities for children to learn. We SIMPLY set it up and the magic of learning happens. There is of course nothing simple about it.

What we sometimes fail to see is that while we are going through the process of determining what specific activity we are going to use in the class room, what reading we are going to assign and what technological tool we are going to use to help bring it all to life, we are learning. If to be human is to learn from each and every interaction then you have no choice but to learn. Of course we have not even considered what actually goes on in the classroom while the activity is happening and you are interacting with the students or reflecting on the class and marking assignments. We as teachers and educators are lifelong learners. Of course "lifelong learning has become a strong catchphrase during current times, a slogan bandied about in conferences, symposiums and seminars" (Findsen and Formosa, 2011, p.1). I would suggest that lifelong learning is not a catchphrase at all but simply a statement of what we are.

The concept of lifelong learning has got me to start to question the idea of life itself and what it really is. We string it together as a series of accomplishments and milestones that are all learning activities. Life is not a spectator sport, it is meant for us to take hold and get involved and to learn. My grandfather said to me once when I was a boy of twelve that the day he stopped learning was the day he stopped living. I of course have tried to learn new things everyday of my life. As my parents have started to age and we consider homes for them to move into I have really started to question the concept of education for older people and wonder what we should do as educators about it. "Keeping old people in a state of inertia, passively awaiting death, is a denial of the right to citizenship" (Findsen and Formosa, 2011). I of course think that when I stop learning I will stop living so keeping me in a state of inertia with no opportunity to interact and learn is death.

I think that there is no simple answer here for our aging population. There are two things we as educators can do to help. The first is easy as we get to interact with the people who will be filling these old age homes 60 years from now everyday. We need to make sure they understand learning is fun and that they should never stop trying to reinvent themselves. By reaching out to them now we might help them build and prepare to always learn. The other requires some work. Would it not be cool to start an evening of education in an old age home in your community. I wonder what information and knowledge I would get from the interaction?

Learning is not something that only happens in the classroom, from reading a book or the exercise of study. Learning occurs in many forms around us everyday in our day to day life's.  I have promised my self to never stop studying and growing. To never stop looking to the world and looking within for answers to life's questions. I shall always look to reach out and try new things, go to new places and meet new people. To interact, explore and discover. My goal is to live and learn.

Findsen, B. & Formosa, M. (2011), Lifelong Learning in Later Life. Rotterdam, Netherlands; Sense

High School Graduates Can do Math

     As an educator I said it myself and now as an administrator I have heard it weekly from instructors who report to me, graduates of grade twelve simply can not preform math. The number one complaint from instructors in any area of post secondary education is the lack of basic math skills. On this issue we have heard many weigh in expressing their concern. In fact to help improve this situation, many jurisdictions have shifted back to what they consider a more traditional math for grade school. Some have standardized testing to measure numeracy (as well as academic performance in other areas) to ensure that graduates of the school system can in fact perform basic math at the required level. The results indicate that the graduates can do math yet the problems still remain and educators in the post secondary system remain stead fast that grade twelve graduates can not perform math at a basic level. The education system indicates that the graduates can while the higher education institutes claim that they can not. I think they are both correct.
      Recently I was made part of a working group on retention and completion rates for apprentices. We brought together a cross section of individuals that had ties to the apprenticeship system in Ontario to explore the issues and come up with some concrete resolutions to solve this huge problem. We spoke of many different issues but kept coming back to the same concept, apprentices failed trade school because they could not do basic math. The decision was made to run a "pre-week" of training that would be used to bring the basic level of apprentices up to a required standard of math that would help them be successful in trade school. The week also included other information and instruction on proper study habits as well as introducing the apprentices to the number of different services available. This additional week of trade school was given to a select number of apprentices in a particular trade so we would have a large enough sample size to prove our theory and have significant data for the results.We decided in order to get the best data possible we would give every apprentice the Essential Skills for Ontario Tradespeople (ESOT) test at the beginning and end of the training. While the week of additional training did make a difference and it will be expanded to other trades in the next year, that is not why I am writing this Blog.
       When we received the results of the first ESOT test the results showed that both the mean and average scores indicated that the group did actually have numeracy skills that were well into the range required to be successful as a trades person in Ontario. We assumed these results must be a fluke but when the results for the fallowing groups came in showing the exact same results, it must be true. The apprentices can actually do the math and at the level required to be successful in a trade. So the K-12 education system is correct, they do graduate with the required math. How can the educators in post secondary all be wrong and why do we have such a high failure rate in courses in which they are required to perform math?
        On critically reflecting on this I came to realize that I know and have known for sometime, what is actually wrong. They can all do the math, they simply can not apply the math, and I am sure that many high school math teachers would be shocked at just how bad it is. For example, if I ask my electrical students to simply multiply 24 by 5, they quickly tell me that the answer is 120, and most do it without a calculator. If I tell them that I have a 24 ohm resistor that has an ampmeter in series with reading 5 amps, what is the voltage drop across the resistor. The result of course is exactly the same, 24 times 5 equals 120 volts but they are unable to do this easily and that is after having been shown ohms law and all of the related formulas. They can do the simple math when presented as simple math, they can not apply that math with additional concepts.
        I wish I had a solution to the problem. My gut tells me that the education system has actually done many things to improve. For some reason we have gone away from the ability to take that math and apply it. Some might think that the use of the calculator is the issue and want to transition back to a time when it was not used so heavily but I do not think that will help. In today's society, a calculator is at everyone's finger tips so why not in grade school? It could be the result of less play or the type. This might be the place in which math teachers of grade school could have a huge impact on their students by creating math that is play. I know that we speak about gamification but I do not think that it will work using a device. They need to take basic math skills and apply them away from the device to get the fulsome understanding of the concepts.  What ever the solution, I do know that we need to focus on applying math, they already can do it.

Jeff

The prison of Learning Disabilities for Adults

        Learning Disabilities are a struggle for many people of all ages. When we are dealing with grade school children we tend to treat them with care and compassion trying to help them work around their disability in the classroom. Fundamentally I feel that this is exactly what we should be doing as educators for these students as we help them progress through school. What I think that the system is lacking is giving these individuals solid life skills to deal with their disability when they have left the education system. When they are children we treat them with care and compassion, but not when they are adults. The stereotype of lack of intelligence cause many adults with learning disabilities to live their life in fear of being found out. This fear of being thought of as less intelligent if found out, no mater how moderate the Learning Disability is, becomes a prison that caries a life sentence. They never get out on good behavior no matter what they do. The fear is always there and they can never truly be free.
        "Adults with Dyslexia are more ashamed of their spelling - than their slow and inaccurate reading" ( Barton, September, 2014). The primary reason that they are ashamed of their poor spelling is that this is the dead give away that something is wrong. Many people feel that this problem should not be as significant now as everyone works with some sort of word processor that automatically checks the spelling. "For Adolescents and Adults with Learning Disabilities and ADHD, these new literacies have the potential to redefine their disabilities and give them new ways of over coming them" (Gregg, P. 127). This might be true but it is not the little magic red lines under words we have typed. This in many ways is actually worse then how adults with poor spelling operated before. For example we have the two words "Status" and Statues". That magic little "e" does change the word significantly. Someone with Dyslexia, who has problems putting the letters together to form sounds and then words, might read these as the exact same word. It might get a green line when in a sentence but what about when it is a stand alone word in the heading of a chart?
         Now the issue is starting to grow as we are connecting digitally at an alarming rate. We send countless numbers of texts and e-mails daily. The world is shifting to more of a written word type of communication and less of a verbal one. This makes it much worse for the Dyslexic. "In the global conversation made possible by the internet, the easiest way to tell the smart folk from the knuckleheads is how often they make seemingly ignorant mistakes" (Adams, October, 2011). If one Albert Einstein was born at the beginning of this century instead of the last we may have never known the theory of relativity. He had Dyslexia and was unable to read until he was nine years of age. It is very possible that poor spelling would have rendered him into the "Knucklehead" category and no one would take him seriously. 
         I think that when students get to post secondary programs we should be developing courses that are mandatory for them to take on how to deal with their disability in the World of work they will soon enter. It is a very important step in preparing these young adults for a professional life.Letting them know about the potential pitfalls would be a huge step in helping them become all they wish to. I would suggest using new variations of the ways in which adults with Learning Disabilities dealt with the issue in the past. I suggest that they could have a dictionary with them. Any word that they try to figure out how to spell they should not rely on the red line. Even if they write the word and the red line does not come up they should look up the meaning of the one they have used. Keep another separate word document open also helps as they can then use the word in a different sentence that could expose if the word is the correct one. The easiest would be to have the software that will read them back what they have written. The problem with having a person prof read is they can relate the word to those written around it and might not pick the small mistakes out. The computer will simply read back each word on its own merit. I think that it is cheaper for the software that takes what is spoken and creates the document. This might even be a better solution for a Dyslexic. In any event, they need to be aware of the pitfalls and how they can overcome them.



Barton, S. (September, 14, 2014) Poor spelling is the Most Obvious sign of Dyslexia Retrieved from;
             http://susanbartondyslexiastories.com/2014/09/14/poor-spelling-is-the-most-obvious-sign-of- 
             dyslexia-2/

Adams, C.( October, 21, 2011) Are Poor Spellers Stupid? Retrieved from; http://www.straightdope.com
             /columns/read/3019/are-poor-spellers-stupid

Gregg, N. (2009) Adolescents and Adults with Learning Disabilities and ADHD, New York, NY:
             The Guilford Press

The Pink Ghetto

       As I continue down my journey of enlightenment I have started to closely look at why young women do not enter the trades. I find it frustrating when I think of all the opportunities out there yet see them continue to enter into programs that do not lead to those positions that will give them financial rewards. Some would argue that money is not everything and there are other things in life that are rewarding and this is true. I knew a man who worked in our shop and he "was born to the broom". He loved it. He kept the entire place spotless. Whistled and sang all day long. So I get it. There are things that people truly love and are meant to do. What I do not understand is why people make a choice that is not something that they love to do, that will give them a career with limited income potential, and they will live life struggling to try and make enough money to pay for the hobbies that they truly love to do.

If you are going to work to make some cash to pay your bills, you might as well do something that will pay the best. Girls please start choosing a skilled trade and stay away from the pink ghetto.