One of the things that has become clear to me in my learning about adult education is that the dynamics of change are experiential and relational.  The following reflections highlight those change dynamics.

 

Abandoning the "Ivory Tower" (Dewey)

This reflection paper responds to John Dewey's (1938) work on Experience and Education, summarizing my reflections on that work and the overall content of my first course in this master's program (EDAE 520).  This process of reflection convinced me of the vital role of experience in the educational process.  The educational process, to be effective, education must be organically integrated with the normal flow of life experience.  Education can be understood as life experience cooperatively structured for learning, and is thus not limited to the "ivory tower" of academia.

 

Community of Practice (Palmer)

This reflection paper responds to Palmer's (1998) work on The Courage to Teach.  It summarizes my reflections on that work and other insights from another course in this master's program (EDAE 624).  This reflection highlights the importance of relationships for the learning process.  Specifically, drawing on Palmer's model of a "community of truth," the paper concludes that effective learning takes place in the context of a community of practice. 

 

Social Capital blog

The importance of building healthy relational dynamics in community is going to be explored more thoroughly in my upcoming blog, based on reflections on Robert D. Putnam's Bowling Alone.

 

That blog is accessible here.