Looking forward on informal learning in adults

This morning, I opened Facebook as I typically do on a leisurely morning. I scroll through my homepage of news items until I find, "Ten Shockingly Absurd Facts about Society that We Accept as Normal." The article is published by a left-leaning organization, Collective Evolution. I choose to follow this group... why? To reinforce my self-view. To reinforce the ideas and views that I believe need to be out there. To find my people.

I cannot resist reading this... why? To see if it is true. To see if I can find an argument. To see if someone else shares my views. To see if I can set someone else straight (to my beliefs).

It is this routine many others are engaged in each morning. With coffee. With their self-view. With their beliefs. To find their people.

In them or me, the brain is gathering and sorting the opinion from fact. We are making new impressions, setting out new connections in our brains. We are reinforcing and making deeper those earlier impressions and connections.

We are learning. From ourselves and from others. And we are making choices. The decision to read, to consider one thing and not another, to agree with one opinion and not another, to comment to one person and not someone else, to say something supportive or degrading... all self-directed.

What is the impact of these choices on our self-view? Are the choices constructive, combative, politically motivated, socially motivated, or environmentally motivated?

Are the choices we are making responsible?

Are we making enough new connections to keep our brains alert?


Ten minutes later... "Someone liked my comment!" What does this mean to me? Does it confirm what I see in myself? Do I still mean the comment I made?

Final Review Week

What did I do?

This week, I completed my final writing, leaving an extra day to read over one last time. Also, it was a privilege to read two of my incredible peers' work. It is wonderful to experience learning the process alongside two people who I consider to now be partners.

Why was it important?

The completion of writing is important of course because it's the assignment. It's the peer review process that was ultimately both critical and forgiving. I developed understanding from a partner that I have some way still to go, but it was delivered in such a way that it did not seem punitive. We were not afraid to be critical, but I do wan to apologize for any remarks that were offensive... 

Where could I use this again?

If we could have partners for our dissertation... can we??  :o) Developing leading sentences and closing sentences is still not my strong suit, but it's clear now that it is not so difficult to summarize the point. Just read the paragraph and say it. Basically.

Do I see any patterns in what I did?

Patterns... leading and closing sentences, maybe some in between to elaborate and connect even better. So, a little more time to do these things makes the review complete. 

How well did I do?

My strong suit is in the research. My weakness is in diverging rabbit trails... However, as +pj koltnow advised last week: just jot it down in the journal and keep it for later. Citations have greatly improved compared to last semester - There really are not so many different ways to include them. Italicize the volume number-learned that. And then leading and closing sentences. Why is that such a challenge? No more. As +Wanda Terral said, "you've got the meat of the sandwich, just add the slices of bread..." I don't eat sandwiches that often, but it makes sense!

What should I do next?

Next, at least for today, is to read over one last time, check notes from my review meeting with Dr. Weaver, and submit. I'll also take some time to revisit my journal and make any notes about diverging topics... organize the research I already have, and finally, to wish you all the best for the conclusion of the semester.

It has been so great working with this team... I am truly grateful.

Second Draft Week

What did I do?

This week, I completed my second draft. In the process, I did a little more research and thought more about my topic. And ran into a brick wall.

Why was it important?

This week was important because I realize that I'm still dancing around my topic a bit. Maybe what I want to find from informal learning in adults doesn't want to be found. Maybe there are parts of our informal lives that need to be left alone. So, this week got me thinking and I found self-doubt.

Where could I use this again?

Learning how to evaluate research, read and understand, and then classify research could be used with just about any topic of research. This course has been incredibly helpful.

Do I see any patterns in what I did?

The pattern emerging is reaching a brick wall. The choices are to go around it, through it, under it, or over it. I'm still considering the choices.

How well did I do?

I knew that my writing was not connected well, and that this belies my unconvinced self of my topics and inability to focus or stay focused. All the possibilities are still in front of me, with no choices made. After the second draft, there are now even more possibilities. Basically, I'm brain tired and find myself back at square one.

What should I do next?

Next, obviously, I will rewrite parts of my review and make sure that it flows as well as I can make it. The next thing I will do is just re-read other reviews out there online. Somehow the ability to write well must sink in eventually... 

Thoughts on the annotation process - Week 6/15 - 6/19

This week was a doozy. However, once the rhythm was established, finding articles and reading them became a much smoother process. So far so good grades...

This process because so clear that after explaining it to a friend, she remarked, "I'd like to try that with _____ (her profession)." So, I knew I did something right... At some point in my life, I will do this "for fun" as well.

What was surprising was that I uncovered an angle I had never considered before (learning in a prison setting), which sticks with me now. When I see other unfortunate people, such as those who ask for money on the corner, I wonder... how can their prior learning be captured and propel them into a state of self-sufficiency?

The important thing I learned was that there are others out there with the same interest who have found articles that supported their particular view of the topic. My view will be a little different from theirs. I'm getting by with a little help from my friends who are fans of Informal Learning.

Go Diesel!

One thing leads to another.

This week something amazing happened. I completed my first set of annotations. :o)

Seriously though, as I began the second set, I kind of got it... I find related articles to read from the first set and they become part of my second set—if they still make sense. Each article I read has a plethora of other articles from which to choose. Listing terms and concepts as they pop up has also been helpful in focusing in.

Learning what others think and borrowing from their resources has been useful in bringing focus to my topic. There's a check my brain goes through, to see if that's the right path for me. As to getting better, following the journals and authors as they keep popping up could be added to my routine.

This is how it works. I'm very excited to grow as a researcher and a writer. This method can be applied to researching anything.

Thanks Dr. Weaver!

Peter Pickled Pepper Pappas

Dear Gracious Reader,

Thank you Peter Pappas for your model of blogging.

After seeing PJ's photo this morning, I realize how lacking my blog has been this week. Since I love to sing, I've included a photo of myself taken during a performance. This should show you how much I enjoy reaching out and making connections through this technology we call The Internets.

In other reflections, my initial panic at being in a month long course has transitioned into calm. You all will be glad to not see twenty or so questions a day, which I then come back to answer after completely reading the instructions.

I enjoyed the flowchart exercise, but am jealous of PJ. He keeps popping up and challenging all of us. Creating this flowchart has helped me see the end of the course and visualize the Literature Review product.