Source: Globe, Clker, http://bit.ly/1CVSonk; Thinking Person, Clker, http://bit.ly/1EmDSQV; Bubbles, Pixabay, http://bit.ly/1e1xNEz; Blackboard with Text, Pixabay, http://bit.ly/1HOs4g8; Backboard with NO text, Pixabay, http://bit.ly/1Fzl7eU
Hello there, and welcome to this unit. My name is Gino Sangiuliano. And I'll be your instructor as we go through the lessons that relate to some of the most popular adult learning theories. We'll cover a great deal of terms and strategies as we make our way through the learning objectives. Thank you for joining me. And I look forward to learning with you.
The purpose of this introductory lesson is to give you a sneak peak at the learning objectives in this unit, called Apply Professional Growth and Improvement Strategies and some practical examples that will demonstrate just how these theories and practices relate to you, the professional educator. We'll cover such topics as Malcolm Knowles six principles of adult learning and how they relate to best practice for planning, implementing, and facilitating professional development, and the importance of collaboration.
You will learn about how researcher Malcolm Knowles developed six principles that explain how adults learn. They are self concept, experience, social role, time perspective, motivation, and purpose. For example, as we gain experience we were able to use that to learn even more. We see this a lot when it comes to learning technology. For instance, if you have never used Google Slides to create a presentation and have used PowerPoint that experience will help you.
Another one of his principles deals with how our time perspective changes. As adults we want to learn what we want to learn and apply it immediately. Generally we are not saving that knowledge for some time down the road. If you want to learn how to scrapbook, you're going to go out and learn how to do it, then create a scrapbook.
Another example is from motivation. You'll learn as we mature internal motivation is far more effective than external motivation. Whether we're preparing a lesson or mowing our lawn we are motivated by the end result that comes from doing the best job we could possibly do.
Becoming familiar with the six principles of adult learning will really benefit you when it comes time to create, or even just participate, in adult learning sessions. You'll learn why it's so important to know and understand what adults bring with them to any learning experience and the strategies that can help tap into that prior knowledge. Conversely, if these principles are ignored participants can tune you out, or even worse sabotage the session.
Time is such a valuable commodity for teachers. And unfortunately we all know how frustrating it is to attend the session that is not relevant to what we do. In this unit you'll learn how to avoid this dangerous pitfall.
As a participant of many professional developments over the years I can now look back on them and identify why some worked and why some failed to meet my expectations. You'll be able to do this too.
Many schools and districts are moving toward a model of collaborative site-based professional development. This means that they are tapping into the wealth of knowledge that exists in their own backyard, rather than looking elsewhere. In a PLC learning groups can get together and take control over what, how, and when they want to learn. I know of schools that have such things Tech Tuesdays, a weekly opportunity for teachers to come together and troubleshoot technology issues and share stories of success with technology integration.
Many school districts are using collaborative teams of teachers to write curriculum and assessments. Another example of collaborative professional development is happening at this very moment on Twitter. I'm sure if you look, you will find some sort of educational chat going on right now related to education. Collaboration cannot be forced, and comes with the guidelines that you will learn about in this unit.
This leads us to the final learning objective, the impact that the theory has on us, the adult learner. We have to always remember that we are wearing two hats, that of facilitator of learning and also that of receiver of learning. This is a theme you'll hear throughout the unit. Modeling the behavior you expect from your staff and colleagues will a long way in the development of your ability to lead and inspire others. You will hear about the impact that observing and modeling in a PLC has on the staff and the students.
This is all really about continuous improvement and lifelong learning. Taking the time to think about and analyze how adults learn will have a profound impact on you beyond your professional life. You'll also begin to see elements of adult learning theory in everything you do.
So it's time to go ahead and summarize this lesson. We took a sneak peak at Malcolm Knowles six principles of adult learning. And then we connected them to professional learning experiences. Then we touched upon the benefits of collaboration when it comes to professional development. Finally, we began looking at some of the impact that it has on you, and your practice, and even your school.
At the end of each lesson I would like to leave you with something to think about. I like to call it food for thought. Before you begin this unit I would like you to reflect on two recent learning experiences you had as an adult, one you loved and one you didn't.
So once again, welcome. And I'm so excited for you to join me. Until next time have a great day.
(00:00-00:19) Intro
(00:20-00:48) Sneak Peak
(00:49-01:55) Knowles 6 Principles
(01:56-02:44) Professional Learning
(02:45-03:29) Collaborative PD
(03:30-04:25) Impact
(04:26-05:07) Summary/Food For Thought