Life-Long Learning

Lifelong Learning

I am grateful for the knowledge I learned and the experiences I gained from my Education 455 Professional Development and Lifelong Learning course.

The idea that we all have a responsibility to embrace our identities as lifelong learners resonated strongly with me.

I also appreciated the segments of the textbook that talked about lifelong learning in the context of informal learning. As a Christian, I was excited to see faith-based learning experiences celebrated in our text. One of the authors spoke openly about her journey in embracing her faith in authentic ways. I was glad to find that speaking about faith-based learning was acceptable in the academic sphere. Therefore, I was able to write in my first paper about how my relationship with Jesus Christ powerfully influences my values, beliefs and purpose in life. Here is a short excerpt:

Grobles63. Tree Sketch [Painting]. Retrieved from http://grobles63.deviantart.com/art/Tree-Sketch-213824007

"Groen & Kawalilak (2014) state that, “Religious affiliations and engagements provide us with a sense of identity and purpose, a definition of sorts that can potentially guide our behavior and practice.” (p. 59). In accordance with this statement, my faith has profoundly impacted my personal and professional life.

...I now know with complete certainty that I am God’s precious child as Romans 8:15b says, “The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family.” (The Voice). Further, “[I] have been purchased at a great price” (1st Cor 6:20 The Voice) as my Heavenly Father sent His son to endure the consequences of my sin on the cross and therefore, my greatest desire is to walk according to His purposes and serve Him with my life. My personal faith translates into my professional work because my love for people springs out of God’s love for me. Therefore, my belief in God is intrinsic to the way I view myself and understand my purpose and vocation in the world."

Groen, J., & Kawalilak, C. (2014). Pathways of adult learning: Professional and education narratives. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press Inc.

Another aspect of lifelong learning addressed in the course was the importance of self-reflection. I believe that self-reflection is absolutely crucial because it is how we learn and grow from our experiences. Personally, I keep a journal, which I use to write prayers, express my thoughts, and reflect on myself. Professionally, I will use the Teacher's Effectiveness Framework to assess my instructional and assessment methods. In addition, I will seek out knowledge from my colleagues in order to continuously improve. This leads me into my discussion about communities of practice.

Communities of Practice

I absolutely love this little cartoon because of the immense amount of positivity and joy the workers are displaying. My last educational value is, "developing strong relationships with my co-workers built on positivity, care for our students' wellbeing, and a passion for learning." One of the keywords here really is positivity. Even when problems arise, I believe that the most proactive way to address them is to put our heads together and find a solution. This requires a positive disposition, a teamwork mindset, and a collective goal.

I loved working with my Education 455 Community of Practice. Although we didn't have the opportunity to spend a lot of class time getting to know each other, we worked very well together as we developed our metaphor presentation. Everyone was respectful when others shared their opinions and views, and we were able to create a presentation we were proud of.

I appreciated working in a group of people with unique and varied interests and ideas. It is always neat to see how different people think so distinctly. To access our Prezi, which creates an education-as-learning buffet metaphor, simply click the photo to the right.

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