. After graduating with my Bachelor’s degree, I decided to enter the field I knew I was passionate about: higher education. Feeling right at home in an entry-level full-time position as a College Completion Coach with the AmeriCorps Education sector program, I knew I was ready to continue my education in the specialization so that I could pursue higher positions. My fellow colleagues helped me see this clearly, as almost all of them had Master’s degrees. So, I began the search, and I found the Master of Science in Adult Education program. I was sold on it mostly because of its online convenience, as well as the opportunity to embed the Student Affairs & Higher Education certificate within the requirements. I was just beginning my hands-on-experience in a professional position involving the education of adults. This timing was incredibly beneficial, as over four years I was able to consistently apply theory to practice and both the philosophical knowledge and practical experience coexisted and contributed to my growth as an adult learner and professional. Thanks to this program, I’ve been able to synthesize and identify my views, experiences, and hopes for the future as a humanistic and nurturing facilitator of student learning.
Now this program, a very bright star in my life’s constellation, is coming to a close. The breadth of adult education has taken my career on paths that may not have been realized without the program. Being introduced to distance education and instructional systems theory and technology, I was reminded of what I love about the field of higher education and the ways my experiences connected to it. When first pursuing my career, I knew that no matter what title the job was or what department it was in, I just wanted to help students have access to learning and be successful in their pursuit of it. Early on, I found myself in many support roles; advising, enrollment, retention efforts. However, when I was still a student in undergraduate (not technically a professional in the field), I taught a First Year Experience course, and I also interned with the Women’s Center in which I found myself involved in restructuring the Women’s Studies internship course syllabus. These opportunities with teaching and developing course content started to come alive again in my mind while pursuing this degree. It soon became evident that my strengths involved all things related to academic teaching, specifically online teaching/learning. So now, by serving as an online teaching assistant, I know I still have the passion that brought me into the field of higher education in the first place. An alignment of experiences began to take shape as I learned theory and applied it to professional practice.
A meaningful pattern of passion for educational access and student support/success emerges. I hope the next bright star in my constellation of learning involves Instructional Design work. I see the chance to contribute my strengths to closing the gap between distance education learners and a more efficient, effective, and appealing acquisition of knowledge and skill. However, to feel confident in truly committing to a future title of Instructional Designer in a higher education setting, I need to bridge the gap between my professional roles up to this point and the academic learning I’m about to complete. I do feel it is a weakness that I’ve not completed a more hands-on stint in the direct field of instructional technology. Soon, I intend to reach out to local teaching and learning departments at colleges in my area to see if I may complete an internship/practicum with them. This will not only ensure that I truly can apply theory to practice in this specific field, but it will increase my toolbox of resources and skills to truly help students learn when I begin my work in an ID role.
My personal and professional experiences have instilled a nurturing perspective of human nature within my actions and ideas. My own struggles and achievements in obtaining a higher education inspired me to help others hopefully gain the same kind of satisfaction in life. My decision to commit my professional career to supporting people in accessing, securing, completing, and creating meaning from higher education comes from my beliefs that personal development and growth are key to a happy and successful life. Critical reflection of how my actions and beliefs relate to theory has helped me shift to a more inclusive, integrative perspective. To remain as authentic and credible to my own conscious and sense of direction as an adult learner professional, the philosophical foundation of education that I most closely align with is humanism. Some of the leading adult educators I admire “argue that adult learning professionals should be humanistic and progressive in their approach” (Wang & Sarbo, 2004, pg. ) Knowles, Rogers, Swanson, and Holton have made the case for these two theories being most effective in student emancipation of learning and transformation. I now have the confidence to defend proudly my nurturing perspective toward educating adults. And while my educational purpose will encompass all objectives of adult education, as a holistic educator should, my ideals will communicate more powerfully and productively. For I now know the roots at where each philosophy comes into play within my experiences and practices in higher education. I will remain humanistic as a facilitator, helper, and partner to adults in the learning process. I will remain progressive as a reciprocal teacher/learner in which I instigate learning through experiences that are educative.
In this portfolio, you will find examples from my learning that highlight the philosophical and practical knowledge that has brought me to this point in my life. Artifacts are offered from core courses, as well as electives from my pursuit of certifications in Student Affairs and Instructional Systems Technology. I feel this provides a holistic view of my strengths, skills, and professional interests. I hope that employers, colleagues, and/or graduate students that take the time to view this portfolio, find it represents what distinguishes me as part of the adult education, instructional technology, and higher education/student affairs universe. While stars expire, new ones are also born, so I intend to update this portfolio appropriately for years so that others can observe how my constellation of learning changes for as long as they are interested.
My first artifact is a paper titled “My Personal Philosophy of Adult Learning & Teaching” written during my first semester in the core course Intro to Adult Education. This was my attempt to start making sense of where my values, actions, and future intentions aligned with integral adult education theories and philosophies. I reflected on specific encounters I had with each major philosophy, detailed how they affected me, and explained if I considered them useful in my vision as a adult education practitioner. I found that I utilized a small principle from each philosophy I didn’t completely align with as a guide to connecting with those I do align with and concluding my educational perspective.
My second artifact is a paper titled “Who Am I?” written for the core course Adult Learning Through the Lifespan. It was the most fun and easily informative assignment during the program. To write the paper, I first had to complete a Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) survey. Completing the survey meant discovering the skills and abilities I have when it comes to being an adult educator and teacher/facilitator. Then the paper allowed me to reflect, make meaning, and connections on my results with my practice in adult education. It confirmed some things that I already knew and gave me insight into more things I could look into.
My third artifact is a paper titled “Theory to Practice: Informal Learning” written for the core course Adult Learning Through the Lifespan. It was my chance to identify just how prevalent informal learning has been in my life. I had not previously realized not just how often I was participating in informal learning, but just how powerful of a learning form it is. A constellation can only be formed if there are enough bright stars to be connected into a meaningful pattern. By reflecting on the topic of informal learning, it made sense to me how important a voluntary will to learn is.
My fourth artifact is a paper titled “The Influence of Technology” written for the core course Forms & Forces of Adult Education. Distance education systems (online learning) have provided the greatest impact on my education as an adult, so I chose this form of educational technology to focus on in this paper. When I started researching to begin writing, I had no idea I would uncover a major issue related to this topic and it has continued to be a cause I am dedicated to. While the advantages of online learning have grown greater every year and developed grander impacts with the help of MOOC’s, the limitations of access to the Internet around the world must be addressed if we truly hope to provide life-long learning to the masses.
My fifth artifact is a paper titled “ Teaching with Technology Statement” written for the core course Distance Education Systems in Adult Education. I really loved this assignment, as it was like a combination of my personal philosophy paper and a continuation of the influence of technology paper. I was tasked to review principles and theories specific to distance education that guide me as a facilitator and guide.
My sixth artifact is a project titled “Module 2A” created alongside two very talented and intelligent group members for the elective course Instructional Technology Foundations. I am extremely proud of this project, as it challenged me creatively and I’m very proud of the result. The decision to use a space shuttle metaphor to describe how many instructional systems keywords are connected was my original idea. Then, my group members and I perfected the diagram and the rest of the content.
My seventh artifact is a paper titled “One Size Does Not Fit All Evaluation” written for the elective course Intro to Student Affairs. While I had already been working in the field of student affairs for three years, I was not aware of the designated categories of higher education institutions. By evaluating the institution where I worked at the time was eye-opening into the strengths and weakness inherent in just the environment of a college. I intend to take these understandings and work to shield students as best I can from whatever weaknesses may be effecting them while attending the institution I’m employed by.
My eighth artifact is a summary of the experiences and takeaways from a 3-day in-person Participation Training event required by the M.S.E.d program. Honestly, it was something I put off until the last minute, considering my hectic life schedule and the stress of traveling. In the end, it was an opportunity to face challenging group situations and I left feeling more equipped to deal with the most universal occurrence of all-having to work well with others.
References
Capps, R. (2012). Supporting Adult-Student Persistence in Community Colleges. Change: The Magazine Of Higher Learning, 44(2), 38-44.
Galbraith, M. W., & Jones, M. S. (2008). First Things First in Becoming a Teacher of Adults. Journal Of Adult Education, 37(1), 1-12.
Now this program, a very bright star in my life’s constellation, is coming to a close. The breadth of adult education has taken my career on paths that may not have been realized without the program. Being introduced to distance education and instructional systems theory and technology, I was reminded of what I love about the field of higher education and the ways my experiences connected to it. When first pursuing my career, I knew that no matter what title the job was or what department it was in, I just wanted to help students have access to learning and be successful in their pursuit of it. Early on, I found myself in many support roles; advising, enrollment, retention efforts. However, when I was still a student in undergraduate (not technically a professional in the field), I taught a First Year Experience course, and I also interned with the Women’s Center in which I found myself involved in restructuring the Women’s Studies internship course syllabus. These opportunities with teaching and developing course content started to come alive again in my mind while pursuing this degree. It soon became evident that my strengths involved all things related to academic teaching, specifically online teaching/learning. So now, by serving as an online teaching assistant, I know I still have the passion that brought me into the field of higher education in the first place. An alignment of experiences began to take shape as I learned theory and applied it to professional practice.
A meaningful pattern of passion for educational access and student support/success emerges. I hope the next bright star in my constellation of learning involves Instructional Design work. I see the chance to contribute my strengths to closing the gap between distance education learners and a more efficient, effective, and appealing acquisition of knowledge and skill. However, to feel confident in truly committing to a future title of Instructional Designer in a higher education setting, I need to bridge the gap between my professional roles up to this point and the academic learning I’m about to complete. I do feel it is a weakness that I’ve not completed a more hands-on stint in the direct field of instructional technology. Soon, I intend to reach out to local teaching and learning departments at colleges in my area to see if I may complete an internship/practicum with them. This will not only ensure that I truly can apply theory to practice in this specific field, but it will increase my toolbox of resources and skills to truly help students learn when I begin my work in an ID role.
My personal and professional experiences have instilled a nurturing perspective of human nature within my actions and ideas. My own struggles and achievements in obtaining a higher education inspired me to help others hopefully gain the same kind of satisfaction in life. My decision to commit my professional career to supporting people in accessing, securing, completing, and creating meaning from higher education comes from my beliefs that personal development and growth are key to a happy and successful life. Critical reflection of how my actions and beliefs relate to theory has helped me shift to a more inclusive, integrative perspective. To remain as authentic and credible to my own conscious and sense of direction as an adult learner professional, the philosophical foundation of education that I most closely align with is humanism. Some of the leading adult educators I admire “argue that adult learning professionals should be humanistic and progressive in their approach” (Wang & Sarbo, 2004, pg. ) Knowles, Rogers, Swanson, and Holton have made the case for these two theories being most effective in student emancipation of learning and transformation. I now have the confidence to defend proudly my nurturing perspective toward educating adults. And while my educational purpose will encompass all objectives of adult education, as a holistic educator should, my ideals will communicate more powerfully and productively. For I now know the roots at where each philosophy comes into play within my experiences and practices in higher education. I will remain humanistic as a facilitator, helper, and partner to adults in the learning process. I will remain progressive as a reciprocal teacher/learner in which I instigate learning through experiences that are educative.
In this portfolio, you will find examples from my learning that highlight the philosophical and practical knowledge that has brought me to this point in my life. Artifacts are offered from core courses, as well as electives from my pursuit of certifications in Student Affairs and Instructional Systems Technology. I feel this provides a holistic view of my strengths, skills, and professional interests. I hope that employers, colleagues, and/or graduate students that take the time to view this portfolio, find it represents what distinguishes me as part of the adult education, instructional technology, and higher education/student affairs universe. While stars expire, new ones are also born, so I intend to update this portfolio appropriately for years so that others can observe how my constellation of learning changes for as long as they are interested.
My first artifact is a paper titled “My Personal Philosophy of Adult Learning & Teaching” written during my first semester in the core course Intro to Adult Education. This was my attempt to start making sense of where my values, actions, and future intentions aligned with integral adult education theories and philosophies. I reflected on specific encounters I had with each major philosophy, detailed how they affected me, and explained if I considered them useful in my vision as a adult education practitioner. I found that I utilized a small principle from each philosophy I didn’t completely align with as a guide to connecting with those I do align with and concluding my educational perspective.
My second artifact is a paper titled “Who Am I?” written for the core course Adult Learning Through the Lifespan. It was the most fun and easily informative assignment during the program. To write the paper, I first had to complete a Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) survey. Completing the survey meant discovering the skills and abilities I have when it comes to being an adult educator and teacher/facilitator. Then the paper allowed me to reflect, make meaning, and connections on my results with my practice in adult education. It confirmed some things that I already knew and gave me insight into more things I could look into.
My third artifact is a paper titled “Theory to Practice: Informal Learning” written for the core course Adult Learning Through the Lifespan. It was my chance to identify just how prevalent informal learning has been in my life. I had not previously realized not just how often I was participating in informal learning, but just how powerful of a learning form it is. A constellation can only be formed if there are enough bright stars to be connected into a meaningful pattern. By reflecting on the topic of informal learning, it made sense to me how important a voluntary will to learn is.
My fourth artifact is a paper titled “The Influence of Technology” written for the core course Forms & Forces of Adult Education. Distance education systems (online learning) have provided the greatest impact on my education as an adult, so I chose this form of educational technology to focus on in this paper. When I started researching to begin writing, I had no idea I would uncover a major issue related to this topic and it has continued to be a cause I am dedicated to. While the advantages of online learning have grown greater every year and developed grander impacts with the help of MOOC’s, the limitations of access to the Internet around the world must be addressed if we truly hope to provide life-long learning to the masses.
My fifth artifact is a paper titled “ Teaching with Technology Statement” written for the core course Distance Education Systems in Adult Education. I really loved this assignment, as it was like a combination of my personal philosophy paper and a continuation of the influence of technology paper. I was tasked to review principles and theories specific to distance education that guide me as a facilitator and guide.
My sixth artifact is a project titled “Module 2A” created alongside two very talented and intelligent group members for the elective course Instructional Technology Foundations. I am extremely proud of this project, as it challenged me creatively and I’m very proud of the result. The decision to use a space shuttle metaphor to describe how many instructional systems keywords are connected was my original idea. Then, my group members and I perfected the diagram and the rest of the content.
My seventh artifact is a paper titled “One Size Does Not Fit All Evaluation” written for the elective course Intro to Student Affairs. While I had already been working in the field of student affairs for three years, I was not aware of the designated categories of higher education institutions. By evaluating the institution where I worked at the time was eye-opening into the strengths and weakness inherent in just the environment of a college. I intend to take these understandings and work to shield students as best I can from whatever weaknesses may be effecting them while attending the institution I’m employed by.
My eighth artifact is a summary of the experiences and takeaways from a 3-day in-person Participation Training event required by the M.S.E.d program. Honestly, it was something I put off until the last minute, considering my hectic life schedule and the stress of traveling. In the end, it was an opportunity to face challenging group situations and I left feeling more equipped to deal with the most universal occurrence of all-having to work well with others.
References
Capps, R. (2012). Supporting Adult-Student Persistence in Community Colleges. Change: The Magazine Of Higher Learning, 44(2), 38-44.
Galbraith, M. W., & Jones, M. S. (2008). First Things First in Becoming a Teacher of Adults. Journal Of Adult Education, 37(1), 1-12.