Adult Learner Narrative

Adult Learner Narrative
“I knew that it was time to get my life together when I saw my oldest daughter talking to her sister about how important it was to go to college. My youngest said, “Well mom didn’t go to college and she took care of us so why do I have to?” It was then when I decided that I refuse to be that type of example for my daughter and I knew what I needed to do….go back to school.” J. Richardson
While the conversation her daughters had was a driving point for Richardson to go back to school, shifts in her career had a big impact on that decision as well. Her family, the prospect of a better position and pay, and setting a great example for her family and peers are all things that motivate her to learn and become a better person.
(1987, p. 16) and the third category of self-directed learning through Grow’s (1991, 1994) Staged Self-Directed Learning model. With the Jarvis’s learning process, we see the importance of utilizing the five senses when it comes to the student learning. As she continues to learn more and more about her field, it changes her as a person and through that change she changes her social world and so continues the “continuous nature of learning”. (MCB p. 102) Richardson resembles the third category of self-directed learning through Grow’s (1991, 1994) Staged Self-Directed Learning model by going through the four stages of learners. Currently, she is going through the first two stages. She is a freshman within her program and although she does have work experience in the field, she relies on her teachers telling her what type of things that she needs to do within the class and in regards to her learning. (MCB p.
My family and the goals that I want to achieve in my life are what motivate me to learn and take part in activities that help me towards my goals. Beginning my Master program is the leading thing that changed my thinking towards learning and learning methods. I consider myself to fit within the Aslanian and Brickell (1980) study that focused on life transitions as motivators for seeking out learning experiences. (MCB p. 62) I realized that in the past, going to college was something that changed my life and my thinking about “learning” and that has had an impact on my learning in the present and my career in the future. Career and family transitions, matching 56 percent of the learners within the sample, were also big reasons for me to return to school. Focused Learning activities involving content, critical thinking and reflection support my learning development. I consider myself to be a visual, verbal, and logical and a solitary learner and the use of these focus learned activities help me retain the information. Assigned readings, flashcards and PowerPoints help me with my learning which channel the content activities. Constant logical researching, responses to assignments and self-study and reflection on the learning are also things that help me when I learn. I learn both within a formal setting and also online learning. I enjoy having the structure that comes