Practical vs. Educational Experience: What Experienced Professionals Should Consider When Going Back to School
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To sustain oneself as a competitive employee in a tough economy, many people consider going back to school. For some this means getting their masters or doctorate and for others it means individual coursework to sharpen skills in an ever evolving communications industry. Join us Thursday, Nov. 21 at 1:00pm EST as Dr. Amber Marcu and her colleague, Courtney Grose, discuss the special considerations of experienced professionals returning to school. This webinar will cover: • How to approach education, internships and core education-related experiences as an adult learner • How to navigate the challenges of getting an education AFTER starting a career • How to leverage your work experience in the classroom
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Practical vs. Educational Experience: What Experienced Professionals Should Consider When Going Back to School
- 1. Practical vs. Educational Experience: What Experienced Professionals Should Consider When Going Back to School
- 2. Center for Accelerated Learning (CAL) at Lincoln College-Normal Dr. Amber D. Marcu Courtney Grose Director of Faculty Development 18 years in Higher Education 4 years in industry and not-for-profit 18 years as a student 11/21/2013 ABE Admissions Counselor 7+ years in Higher Education working with non-traditional students 20 years in workforce AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 2
- 3. Purpose and Objectives Considering going back to school? 1. How to approach education, internships, and core education-related experiences as an adult learner. 2. How to navigate the challenges of getting an education AFTER starting a life. 3. How to leverage your work experience in classroom. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 3
- 4. How to approach … education, internships, and core educationrelated experiences as an adult learner. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 4
- 5. Education / Schooling Why return to school? Career advancement Self-actualization Mastery or Specialization Improved opportunities Higher pay (sometimes) Networking Recognition 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 5
- 6. Perform a “gap analysis” Where am I? (Current situation) What is my goal? (Desired situation) What marks progress? Identify milestones What marks “the end” or success? Individual freedom? Advancement? Modeling behavior? A “piece of paper”? 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 6
- 7. Where am I? What is my goal? What is required? Connections, Resources, Opportunity Desired Experience, Time (seniority) Education, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities, Resources Current 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 7
- 8. Know thyself as an Adult Learner Andragogy (Knowles) Transformational Learning (Mezirow) Experiential Learning (Kolb) Adulthood as Social Construction (Pogson & Tennant) 11/21/2013 Adult Learning and Liberation (Freire) Adult Learning as ConstructiveDevelopment Model (Kegan) “Faculty are companions in the learning journey … True learning challenges the adult’s perception of self, community, and worldview.” AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 8
- 9. How to navigate … the challenges of getting an education AFTER starting a life. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 9
- 10. Challenges of getting education AFTER starting a life Sum of our experiences, successes, challenges and roles Work-life balance Family support Employer support Finding long-term value in process Degree/certificate 11/21/2013 is a “piece of paper” AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 10
- 11. Work-Life Balance My roles … My hobbies … Mother Partner Sister Daughter Caregiver Volunteer Community member Employee Supervisor 11/21/2013 Exercise Reading for pleasure Cooking/dinner parties Traveling Career focus is least of roles AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 11
- 12. Poll What do you perceive to be your primary role? 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 12
- 13. Family Support Absent from responsibilities – will they be O.K.?! GUILT! Employer Support Flexible schedule Research programs that are a good fit for my needs 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 13
- 14. Long-term value in process What is the goal? More than just a “piece of paper” I want to make meaningful contributions! Contribute to my industry Continue my education 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 14
- 15. Graduate (Masters) Balance My roles … Partner Caregiver Daughter Sister Friend Employee Supervisor 11/21/2013 My hobbies … Exercise/Athletics Reading for pleasure Cooking/dinner parties Arts/Crafts Traveling All above rotated as 1st role. School was always 2nd role. AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 15
- 16. Graduate (Doctorate) Balance Someone once said to me, “getting your Ph.D. is the most selfish thing you will ever do.” They were right. Career/Partner/School shared 1st role. School was also always 2nd role. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 16
- 17. Family & Friend Support Cheerleaders Partner became head-of-household. But missed weddings, showers, & parties. Denied sister’s request to be her Maid-of-Honor. Employer Support Flexible schedule & tuition waiver! Researched programs that were a good fit in interest, but not for my needs. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 17
- 18. How to leverage … your work experience in classroom. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 18
- 19. You are NOT alone 21 million students enrolled. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 19
- 20. You are NOT alone 21 million students enrolled. 8 million students are part-time. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 20
- 21. You are NOT alone 21 million students enrolled. 8 million students are part-time. 57% of part-time students are female. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 21
- 22. You are NOT alone 57% of part-time students are female. That’s nearly 6 out of 10 part-time students! All balancing work/life + school. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 22
- 23. Your Strengths Think of a life experience you believe to be a success. For 2 minutes, write: • How the success came about, and • Why you feel it was a success. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 23
- 24. Strengths you bring to learning Use your skills in and outside of the classroom: Rich work/life experience Problem-solving Understanding Observation Applied knowledge or theory Time management 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 24
- 25. Long-term value in education What is the end? There is no end, but there are MILESTONES! Achieving balance Critical thinking/problem solving Time Management …BETTER 11/21/2013 IN MY ROLES! AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 25
- 26. Best Practices for Success Assess “the gap”: Current vs. Desired Identify challenges and supports Self-Assess: What kind of Learner are you? Knowles, Mezirow, Kolb, Pogson and Tennant, Freire, Kegan, etc. Research schools and programs Find a good fit. “Recognize that graduate school is a second job.” 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 26
- 27. Recommendations Use these tips to ensure your success once you are committed to returning to school: nd Be a student 2 . Attend an orientation session. Identify ALL costs. List ALL student services available to you. When in doubt, reach out. Buddy-system. Find a mentor. Use a calendar. Make a list. Stay on track. 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 27
- 28. Thank You Visit ABE in the Center for Accelerated Learning: http://abe.lincolncollege.edu/ Dr. Amber D. Marcu Courtney Grose Director of Faculty Development Center for Accelerated Learning amarcu@lincolncollege.edu 11/21/2013 ABE Admissions Counselor Accelerated Bridge to Education Program cgrose@lincolncollege.edu AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 28
- 29. References & Resources Brennan, S. (2010, September). An open letter to part-time graduate students, ProfHacker blog. Chronicle of Higher Education. http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/anopen-letter-to-part-time-graduate-students Gomez, C. (2013, September). Return to college provides important lessons about how to help adults succeed. Recruiting and Retaining Adult Learners, 15(12). Grose, C. (2013, November). My journey as an adult learner. CAP Connected, 11(3) newsletter. National Center for Education Statistics. (2010). Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by attendance status, sex of student, and control of institution: Selected years, 1947 through 2010. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d11/tables/dt11_198as p 11/21/2013 AWC Webinar: Practical vs. Educational Experience ... 29
Editor's Notes
- Knowles: Andragogy assumes that adults are independent agents who use learning as tool to advance toward their goals. They learn for a purpose, they are autonomous, they want to immediately apply their learning in problem-solving or real-life programs, and wish to increase their job satisfaction, self-esteem, and quality of life.Mezirow: Transformational Learning is the process of life-altering insights that result in the individual perceiving themselves and the world differently.Kolb: Experiential Learning is a cycle of concrete experience, observation and reflection, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation with no beginning or end. They may be activists, reflectors, theorists, or pragmatists.Pogson and Tennant: Adulthood as a Social Construction is where the individual’s cultural self-identification influences their approach to the content and the profess of learning.Freire: Adult Learning as Liberation is when the learning has the potential of social transformation grounded in a belief that adults have the capacity to reflect on their experience and to initiate change in small and big ways.Kegan: Adult Learning and Constructive-Development Model is understood where reality is constructed by how the individual meaning of self and the world. Each and every experience creates an opportunity for “meaning-making” and through this adults take ownership of their beliefs, values, experiences, and relationship and understand how these elements shape their perspective (making them open to some ideas and blind to others).
- Brennan, S. (2010, September). An open letter to part-time graduate students. http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/an-open-letter-to-part-time-graduate-students
- Attend an orientation session: Find out if there is an orientation and whether or not it is on-campus or online. Become familiar with the student services available to you and how to use the learning management system and/or student information system.Identify ALL costs: Textbooks, software, hardware, workbooks, “excursions,” etc.List ALL student services available to you: Make your own list of services if one is not provided to you. List the admissions counselor, registrar, bursur, advisor, faculty contact (dept. head/chair, or Lead Faculty) for your program, graduate student office/dept., etc. Include hours of operation, email addresses, and phone numbers. You will need this list at some point many times over your educational pursuits.When in doubt, reach out: When you do not hear from a faculty member through one medium (i.e., email), try another method of contact after 24 hours. Also, pick the appropriate mode of communication for the type of communication you need. (Email is good for non-urgent questions that may require a “paper-trial.” But questions that require an immediate answer may be better answered through a phone call or text message.)Use a calendar. Make a list: Get a calendar or a planner to help keep you