As a result I have undergone many changes. In the process of advocating for evidence
based practices and practitioner as researcher approaches, I shifted from
behavioral to constructivist in both learning and instruction. As an adult educator and training facilitator
I have developed a holistic and collaborative approach in my learning environment. Instead of
sharing what I know I would rather design and create a healthy and
inclusive space that nourishes, nurtures, and empowers diverse learning
opportunities - for my learners and myself. By providing a safe
environment that honors and respects exploration and experiment more sharing
and exchange can occur among stakeholders.
Applying this educational constructs in instruction
gave me the experience of leading by example and collaborating with my learners
in discussion, dialogue, expression, action, and implementation. This was a powerful and successful means of
encouraging and empowering learners to explore and expand their own
discoveries. This contributed and led to
changes that affected us all in positive ways.
The more my learners took ownership of their performance and
achievements the more accountable and fulfilled they were about their attitude,
learning, and themselves - as was I too.
In our collaborations between community centers in the United States and
the Philippines we all became more eager, enthusiastic, and enthused by our
collective teamwork and synergy.
Incorporating and integrating technology also added
benefits and advantages especially in enhanced accessibility and
convenience. It allowed each learner to
explore and progress at their own pace.
It helped tremendously when dealing with participants from diverse parts
of the world and working from different time zones and distinct cultures. The andragogical methods of this
constructivist and holistic learning system we built together greatly improved,
supported, and strengthened our communication and interaction. It also helped us stay in touch with each
other more immediately during sessions and even after graduating from enrolled
programs. In the process I have been
able to clearly develop and designate benchmarks that sustain my original vision
for incorporating technology to enhance, extend, and expand existing
curricula.
The whole experience of completing this ARP has been
such a roller coaster of highs and crashes. Too often while grappling with my ARP it felt
like I was wrestling with all my demons and angels in the process. I am grateful to our instructor
for keeping us clear and walking us thru the process, which
really made a huge impact and difference to me. One I hope to live up to when
in class with my learners as well.
Unlike my previous classes, where I would grapple with individual facets and components - too concerned with
getting the technical stuff handled and working right - the direction and support in this class gave me the perspective, precision, and persistence as each piece began to fall into place and I was able to reconnect once
again with the vision and purpose of why I wanted to do this particular ARP. Just like the Mr. Holland character in the
movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” I deeply and sincerely offer my abject appreciation
and profuse gratefulness for the assistance, care, and support I was generously
accorded to come up with a stellar opus.
Lessons Learned and Insights Gained
1. What
have you learned from the completed Action Research process?
As a student, lifelong learner, adult educator, and
independent consultant the tools and techniques I acquired to build my online
portfolio have been valuable and multiple.
Personally and professionally I can track and review my own performance,
progress, and presentation more immediately and hands on. The information and statistics I have
accumulated these past two years have deepened my knowledge, understanding, and
reflections on my learning and progress.
Keeping and updating a digital portfolio is a precious tool I have grown
to appreciate and will continue to apply in my work and in my life.
The research provided a fresh perspective on how
participants learn, absorb, and adapt the concepts and theories presented. Working on this ARP clearly documents and
illustrates the application and implementation from theoretical learning to
actual manifestation. I am gratefully
appreciative of having had this wonderful experience and I look forward to its
continued unfoldment.
2. What
would you do differently?
I
would have reviewed the series of ARP courses more closely at the beginning of
being enrolled in this MAED Program. I
would have collaborated more with my assigned academic adviser, enrollment counselor,
and academic board to preview and schedule classes and instructors that were
the best fit for my learning style and chosen ARP topic. I would definitely have scheduled my first ARP
class more closely to the second one. I also
would have chosen to take my chosen elective in between the second and third ARP classes
instead of taking these classes back to back as I did. That would have allowed me more time to
reflect, absorb, and contemplate so I could have come up with better
adjustments to my ARP.
3. What
would you recommend to students who are entering this process?
The
student can only prepare as much as they can as well as they can within the
parameters dictated by the program and the institution. Based on my sole experience my
recommendations for improving the preparation process for students would be
directed at UoP in general and its academic board in
particular. Considering the ARP is the
lynch pin upon which the MAED Program is anchored - currently how the three ARP courses
are set up individually (for both instructors and
students) and its independent implementation are ineffectual at best and lame
by a worst case scenario for instructional fulfillment and success of outcome.
Because
there is no or very little prior coordination or ongoing collaboration between
the three classes, many students end up trashing what they created in ARP1
by the time they get to ARP2. Or if
they choose to keep the same topic, much time and effort is invested revising
and adjusting their material to match it up with crucial requirements. The pressure and stress could be greatly
reduced if the workload between ARP1 (which at present is too lightweight
and inconsequential) and ARP2 (which is too technically heavy and not more
clearly defined) could be more equally distributed. This may call for extending ARP1 into a
six week session instead of its current four week time frame.
4. What
would have helped you to be more successful with your action research project?
The
whole ARP curriculum is too theoretical in approach overall. Providing students with written requirements
beforehand is not adequate enough. I
believe UoP would have higher satisfaction rates on the ARP program if preparation
workshops were incorporated as program prerequisites. Otherwise the gap between what ARP1
provides and what will actually be required for ARP2 is totally inadequate
in preparing the learner and addressing their ARPs.
5. Did
you discover new resources or skill sets that will help you to continue to grow
or to develop in your professional or personal life?
Yes,
I definitely appreciated being taught the intricacies of grant application and
proposal writing. I am also grateful to
the many instructors and teams I had the privilege of working with. Their contributions (both positive and
challenging) have greatly enhanced and expanded my world and experience.
6. What
were some challenges? How did you overcome them?
I
learned early on that although I enrolled in the MAED program for my own
reasons, objectives, and purposes this only worked when I was matched well with
like minded individuals who shared or understood what I was working
toward. I had the opportunity to come
across an inflexible and highly dogmatic instructor in one class that
just about killed all my interest in pursuing this MAED program to its
end. How it was so ineptly handled by UoP’s
academic board only further soured the experience. Good for me that I had high enough grades and
performed well enough in other classes to not have had too adverse an effect on
my overall output.
It
did not assist me in the least that the academic advisor assigned to me was
also enrolled in the same program I was taking - only several subjects behind as
I had started the program a few weeks ahead of her. I think my expectations and complaints only
managed to scare and intimidate her. Too
bad really as I had hoped to continue on with a doctorate after this. It is clear now that enjoyable as my MAED
experience was here at UoP it is not where I would return for more advanced
education. I need an educational institution that fosters a more creative and expansive attitude.
No comments:
Post a Comment