Good Morning,
My name is Erin, I am currently completing my 8th and 9th MET courses. I work as a vocational trainer on the North Warning System. In the past, I have worked on curriculum development and program development for child and youth programming, specifically focusing on at-risk and homeless youth. Delving in to the adult learning side of things has been a very interesting experience, quite a bit more challenging then I had initially expected.
I am really excited to see what this semester brings, and look forward to meeting new peers as there seems to be a lot of names I do not recognize!
Hi Erin, nice to meet you! Great photo – looks like so much fun.
What have you found the most challenging in our transition to adult learning? I’m interested in heading in that direction as well so it would be great to hear your thoughts.
Best wishes for an enjoyable semester,
Laura
Hi Laura!
Most difficult in my transition to adult learning (specifically vocational learning/in the workplace) is that the learners are not always there because they want to be, and so there seems to be a real lack of motivation and initiative to learn. I believe and have seen that a lot of the learning takes place out of interest, participation and motivation to explore beyond the classroom and for the groups that I have specifically worked with, this is lacking and really challenging to foster. In addition, introducing new tools or resources (such as anything web-based) is challenged as the learners are not interested in learning anything more about the internet then what they are required to know (ie. email).
This makes me sound like I am pigeon-holing adult learners, and I do not mean to do that at all. This is very specific to my workplace, and the adult learners that I specifically deal with. I think it is one thing to choose to learn, and another to have a requirement held over your head for your job (which I think can be great, as it is free upgrading, continued learning etc but that is my perspective). It just really seems to change and challenge the intentions of the programming and the participants thus changing the learning atmosphere.
I found that when working with at-risk and homeless youth, learning was constantly occurring; exploration and dialogue were embedded and reciprocal learning opportunities ever present. There were always barriers and challenges to developing programming, but they were navigable and participants had a wider range of flexibility when dealing with change.
Thanks again Laura! I hope this makes sense.
Hello Erin, I second what Laura said, great photo. Sledding behind a quad looks like a blast! At risk and homeless youth sounds like a challenging area to work within, I wonder if there are any interesting entrepreneurial areas there that could help things? It’s an interesting thought. I look forward to hearing your experiences and ideas throughout the term!
Cheers,
Bobbi
HI Erin,
So nice to meet you! I’ve been working with at risk youth for the past five years now too, very rewarding. Love your photo! Was it taken near your home? I’m also from Ontario.
Cheers,
Leah