Life Long Learning

The saying ‘you cannot teach an old dog a new trick” is not true.  In fact the human brain is capable of changing and growing throughout a person’s life due to the brain’s neu­ro­plas­tic­ity or brain plas­tic­ity which refers to the brain’s abil­ity to change. The brain has the amaz­ing abil­ity to reor­ga­nize itself by form­ing new con­nec­tions between brain cells (neurons).  Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive theory about the nature and development of human intelligence which reinforces the notion that humans can truly be lifelong learners.  Before going back to school I had a fixed mindset, I felt that higher education was out of the question for me, and when I started to go to school I said to myself I will keep going until they kick me out; I expected my educational venture was going to be a waste of time.  Contrary to my beliefs I started to see some encouraging results which gradually began to change my mindset from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Positive feedback on tests, exams, and assignments made me feel that I could be successful; my hard work was paying off.  As a chef / teacher I had a certain level of respect, my students looked to me as their leader, mentor and guide, however this all changed when I went back to school, suddenly I was the old man in the class which was filled with classmates that were the same age as the students I taught the previous year.  Robert Sternberg stated “behavior that in one cultural context is smart maybe, in another cultural context, stupid” (210) this resonated with me due to the fact that in the kitchen environment I felt like a king and in the academic realm I felt inadequate.  Swallowing my pride and admitting I had a lot to learn helped me to adjust to my new reality of academic life.   I realized that age does not matter, other students soon accept you as part of the class; what really matters is the amount of effort that you put into course work. My extrinsic motivation for going back to school was the fear that I may not be able to teach much longer without a teaching degree, however as I progressed through my university courses I began to relax and therefore transitioned into being intrinsically motivated and enjoyed learning for the sake of learning.  I felt empowered by the new knowledge I was gaining.  Achieving good grades acted as motivational reinforcement by validating the fact that I did belong in the academic environment.

Social and emotional development as I understand it provides the foundation for how we feel about ourselves and how we experience others. This process begins at birth and continues to develop throughout our lives.  I can honestly say that going on my educational journey as a middle age male has been a humbling experience, one in which I had to look deep into myself and reflect on my approach to education.  As a student in elementary and high school I struggled and did not do exceptionally well academically, my academic confidence was low and I did not know that I could be successful in school.  After high school I started my apprenticeship in cooking and was able to thrive; I worked lots of hours, went to college, and competed in various culinary competitions, I started to feel better about myself and realised that not all students are academic learners and success may come in a hands on tangible way.  The first university course I took was an English up grading, I remember coming home after the first class and saying to my wife that I did not think I could do it, I felt disheartened and wanted to quit, slowly things got better and I learned how to play the academic game.  I learned that social emotional learning refers to “ the process of acquiring competencies to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging learning situations effectively”(282).  I realize that some of the points are geared toward younger learners, nevertheless, many of these points do apply to me and my situation, the five areas featured in the text book which include: “self- awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision making”(283) could be used and explored in any one’s life at any stage.  True growth in a person’s life can come from interpersonal examination of ourselves, through soul searching, and self-reflection. For many years psychologists have used the term self-actualization to mean “the desire for self-fulfillment, namely the tendency for [the individual] to become actualized in what he is potentially; to me this perspective links nicely with SEL, I believe the end goal is to develop a high level of citizenship. The personal growth I have experienced in terms of my motivation, cognitive development, and social / emotional development have all changed as well as my perspective on life, this is in thanks to the educational journey I have been on for the last four years.  An instructor once said to me “do not worry about what and how other students are doing run your own race” this piece of advice has help to keep me going through my academic endeavors.  I realize that an education does not guarantee a person employment but it can build self-confidence, knowledge about the world, and open doors once closed.  If my educational pursuits is an example for my two children, I will feel my schooling was worthwhile, also if they realize they can pursue their educational goals too, and if they see the importance and value of their own education now and in the future I will be very pleased to know I guided them. Competition for good jobs in the future will only increase therefore a higher education is a necessity.  A person is never too old to learn, today’s society is one in which people of all ages have become lifelong learners to stay competitive in an ever changing marketplace and to be current with technology.

To day I would like to reflect on the topic of  learners in traditional shop programs (wood, metal,auto)  are quite varied in intelligence, personalities, behaviour issues, and English maybe their second language. Anxiety and stress around the theoretical and test portion of technology programs can be crippling for some students. They can do the practical work, but the theory is a challenge  do to the fact that translation from head to page is a daunting task.  My Inquiry question is there a better way of assessing non-academic learners? Perhaps with the aid of current digital technology students and teacher could communicate in a different way; maybe video taping student’s demonstrating  a certain technique or procedure in stead of writing a test. Students take shop program for a variety of reasons.  Most do not want to pursue a career in the trades, nevertheless, the skills students learn in the programs are transferable skills they can use in many areas of their lives.  Every year there are a few students that desire to take their technology education to the next level. It is these students that I especially enjoyed working with and mentoring, as I found their enthusiastic and passionate energy invigorating and it stimulated my own creative juices. The purpose of any school is to prepare students for their future however, this does not mean exclusively academic pursuits, it can also mean trades related knowledge. Skills learned in a hands on-work environment can help prepare students for the work world by teaching a healthy work ethic, how to work in a group/team, responsibility, time management, and leadership.  After high school  some students move on to apprenticeships and skill based learning; ultimately earning more than some university graduates. Through my Inquiry I hope to discouver new evaluation and assessment tools in which to aid my students.