I'd like to first reflect on doing the research project, I was able to gain insight
into my workplace. The opportunity to do that was the main reason in why I
chose the course. There were many unexpected challenges that I encountered
during the process of doing the research. One of the most difficult things was
narrowing the focus. My original interest was figuring out the reasons and
motivations for studying English at ALCC. I had planned on doing more personal
interviews with students from a variety of levels. Also, I had worked on a
student survey that I initially planned on distributing to students of Level 4.
I had chosen Level 4 because I believe it was the “bridge” level that connected
Beginner English to Upper intermediate and Advanced English. The reason for
this was reflected in the structure of the curriculum. In Levels 1-4, students
use ALCC content textbooks and from 5-8 students use textbooks from Cambridge
publishing: Touchstone and Passages. The shift in content is very apparent with
the first four levels being geared towards structured language practice, choral
drills and guided questions, and levels 5-8 focused on writing and advanced
conversation phrases and idioms.
In the end, I wasn’t able to distribute the surveys due to
time constraints from working full time and fulfilling school obligations.
Going through this process made me aware of how important pre-planning is when
doing a research project. It also gave me insight into what the role of an
ethnographer was. Working on this project was rewarding, challenging and
complex.
I became aware of my role as a student in the Language and
Literacy department and how important it is to understand our field that is
expansive and interconnected. All of these different contexts that we spoke
about in class were connected by their humanistic approach in teaching. I think
that is the most important ideal that separates adult education from elementary
education. Although elementary education is crucial in developing and rearing
students in their pathway to adulthood, adult education and adult educators
have to advocate more in order to get recognition and funding. The validity of
adult education is not something that is argued about in childhood education.
Everyone assumes that K-12 education is important in society and that is taken
for granted. Adult Education, as an important touchstone in education still
hasn’t readily taken root in the consciousness of the American public.
This is why it is important to openly advocate for our
positions and stances. Many of our teaching practices reaches populations of
students that are somehow disenfranchised, whether its prison populations,
undocumented immigrants or students in community colleges. In order to teach at
these institutions, we need teachers who are properly equipped with adult
teaching strategies and pedagogies and practical classroom experience. This is
why it is so important that there are more classes that teach Adult Education
theories in graduate courses like Composition and Rhetoric.
My final point of reflection comes from my role in the
classroom and the interaction with my peers. I feel at this stage in my learning,
I have become more comfortable becoming a facilitator of dialogue. I would like
to do that more in future classes. My knowledge in Adult Education theory and
practices are expansive and I feel like I can contribute to the discourse and
also offer unique insight from my own personal teaching experience.
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