Perspectives on Applying Learning

My name is John Ford and I am one of the proverbial "life long learners" that are active at Granite State College.  Truth be told, as an adjunct faculty member teaching in an adult higher education environment, I never thought about blogging, but this is a great way to communicate to other people in the lifelong learning college community.  My area of interest and expertise is in organizational development including behavioral science classes and business management.  For the past 25 years I have been involved with various adult and continuing education programs and bringing career opportunities education programs into many national and international firms.

One things that always amazes me is the amount of hidden "tacit" knowledge contained within the people in various organizations.  Often times we don't even know that we have this knowledge at our disposal.  Once people discover this knowledge, they get excited about returning to or, in some cases starting their own education and career advancement program.  It may be through night classes or weekend college classes.

Currently I am a vice-president at Bruce Mast & Associates in Portsmouth, NH, a firm focusing on organizational and personal effectiveness for leaders in today's challenging business environment.  Developing individual and organizational leaders has always been fascinating to me.  It is my philosophy that everyone CAN lead at any level as long as they understand the parameters of the work and the critical outcomes.

My favorite quote is by Naguib Mahfouz, who said:  "You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers.  You can tell whether a man is wise by the his questions."

In this blog, hopefully we can explore the questions and together continue on our adventures as members of the lifelong learning college and work communities.

Recently I've had a few opportunities to talk with some recent high school graduates about their plans for the summer and beyond....including continuing education.  I found it rather interesting listening to them talk about the pressures of attaining good grades to get into good schools to try and get good jobs (the typical parental mantra to motivate kids through the high school years - it didn't work on us when we were kids yet we try it on our kids and they will try it on theirs as well - maybe some things are genetically coded.....).

Anyway what struck me is the attitude of some of these young people.  They are not "buying in" to the college right after high school tradition.  As a matter of fact many of them are looking at ways to get involved in the global community for a year or two before going "back to school" to earn a degree.

Some are looking at AmericaCorp, Habitat for Humanity, and other global service opportunities.  They are seeking ways to expand their experiences as a world citizen, gain a better understanding of how the world works, meet some people with similar values and aspirations and concerns, and share their passion for giving back.  Some want to be able to use this time to get to know themselves better.  Many are considering smaller, less well known colleges or universities.  Some are pursuing their own interests distance learning universities and online classes.  And yes, the truth be told, some just don't know what they want to do, but they know that the traditional path just isn't the right thing for them now.

Some are looking at the experiences that their parents have had both in academics and in the business world.  Many think about deferring college to enlist in the military.  Some are considering adult education certificate programs or getting into an adult education diploma program that allows them to go to school while pursuing a job or their passion.  They've seen their parents working while getting their degrees (undergrad as well as post grad work).  They've seen their parents go back to get a second degree or certificate and start a new career.  They have learned that education is the key to their future, but it doesn't have to be down the traditional path.

For all of the caterwauling about today's generation (every generation past has complained about the one they created), there are a lot of bright kids (okay, parents, you can acknowledge that you did a great job with your kids....there, feel better?).  I came away from this conversation feeling pretty good about the next generation of learners.  They are taking charge of their own education.  They have challenged the system, the teachers, the parent, and even the business world.  They have options that we never heard about, they are courageous, they are afraid of the future, but not paralyzed by their fear.  It feeds their desire to get outside of their comfort zone.  They know that you can hit the reset button and recover if you make a mistake.  They are not afraid of doing something they haven't done before.  They create opportunities, they create their future, they create our future.

They will change the way education will be delivered in the years to come and they will complain and be overly concerned about the next generation.....and somewhere down the road, some one will have a conversation with a group of the next generation and find out that this new generation, like the ones before it, will create a world of new knowledge and opportunities for living, for working and even for learning.......

They are using online courses, accelerated undergraduate programs, and distance learning  in ways that create opportunities for those in academics to create the future of colleges and universities.  They are creating new careers and new technologies that are creating opportunities for colleges and universities to grow and evolve faster than ever before.

The adult learning community is listening and responding!  Never before has there been so many options for today's learning community to access education.  Never before has there been so many options and academic programs to purse so many unique and innovative degrees.  Never before has the academic world been more ready to serve and support the adult learning community.

So, graduates (high school, tech school, community college, college and university grad, and even you post-grad learners) when you get ready to turn to the college and university community to continue and support your education and career advancement goals, we will be there, ready to give you the education you need to continue your journey as a lifelong learner......

See you in class......

Well, another semester has come and gone with yet another group of adult learners moving on....some to other classes......some onto graduation and new adventures.....the rest hoping that their new knowledge and capabilities makes them move valuable to current or future employers.

Everyone one of them has a story but not many stop to think about the role that the "teacher" plays in these stories.

I firmly believe that throughout our lives we encounter friends and acquaintances; co-workers and colleagues; coaches and mentors; instructors and teachers.  Some of us aspired to actually become teachers, some of us ended up being instructors.  Many of us aspired to be something all-together different yet we ended up "teaching."

The difference to me is that many can be an instructor - you have a knowledge you can share with others and help them make that knowledge their own.  There are fewer people who can actually "teach" and by that I mean make a lasting impression on an individual and actually help them learn how to engage knowledge; how to tease it out of text books, and peers in their classes; people they work with; and yes, faculty members. 

With this passing semester I have had it brought to my attention by several of my students that I was the first faculty member they encounters several years ago when they started (or restarted) their academic adventures.  They said it was appropriate that I was also the last "teacher" they encountered on their journey at Granite State College.  

As I stopped to reflect on the number of people who have crossed my path as a faculty member, or even as a "corporate trainer" I started to wonder how many of these people I had actually been able to "reach."  Not just had them in my class, but left them with something tangible that will stay with them for their lifetime.  It isn't a degree, it isn't a class, it isn't a textbook.  It's a desire to not "unlearn" the lessons they have internalized and now see their own worlds as something different than it was last semester, last year or will be next semester or next year.

Adult education services and adult accelerated degree programs are sometimes viewed as simply about coming to evening or weekend intensive classes and getting through them while balancing life, family, work, and the occasional quiet moment for the harried student.  We forget simply that we (faculty and students alike) share a brief moment of discovery and either we mark that discovery or we eventually lose it.

I've had students come to me and thank me for helping them gain a new perspective about their careers.  They've given me a hard time about making their work environment a terrible place because that can't go back to accepting things as they are, things they know can and should be changed, and in some cases, things THEY can and should change to make their work environment more effective.  Some of my students have thanked me for helping me get them re-engaged in their work or careers; some have thanked me for helping them make the choice to pursue something different, something closer to their heart and soul.  Some have cursed me for long writing assignments that are akin to holding up a mirror and being asked to tell the truth about what you see.  Sometimes knowledge, or the responsibility that comes along with it, can be overwhelming.  It is our job, as faculty to work with you, the adult learner, to challenge your thinking...and it is your job as students, to challenge our thinking so together, when you graduate, you and the faculty you leave behind, can continue to make your make in the classroom as others follow in your footsteps.

I'd like to close this piece with two things: 

First, a thank-you to the students that have honored me with their presence in my classrooms over the past 6+ years.  You have taught me lessons that I will never forget and I will share them with others as long as there are new faces hungry for ideas walking through the doors at the college.

Second, for the students who have yet to walk into my classroom.  You have big shoes to fill, ones left behind by other students who one walked into their first class.  Bring every part of you to every class in which you enroll and I can guarantee that you will have the time of your life....learning lessons that will never leave you behind!

Every time a student enters the classroom they should do so with the excitement of being able to discover something new about themselves, about the subject, about how they learn and finally, about how they can use the knowledge they are gaining in the real world.

I've been teaching adult education courses for the past 5-6 years now, and have taught adult learners for the better part of almost 30 years.  The ones that are most successful are the ones who explore how they learn and what could happen when they apply their learning to real life situations, either at work, within the community or at home.

A current group of students are getting ready to graduate soon and are wrapping up their education.  They are being tested by their final lessons to apply much of what they have learned over the past several years.  This is new to some students and they stuggle mightily with the concept of "bringing it all together".

Education and career advancement opportunities are what you make of them.  Teachers must create the environment where learning is possible for all participants, themselves included.  Every time I get in front of a group of students whether I am in a corporate setting or a classroom or even using on-line teaching tools like Blackboard, I have the opportunity to create something where learning occurs.

I encourage students to think about the process of learning, not just the content they are reading or discussing.  Process matters.  Process matters alot.  If we understand the process we use to learn, we can better educate ourselves to seek the learning in whatever we do.  Rather than becoming robotic about the routine of class, students who engage in the process of learning will take so much more from each and every learning opportunity.

It's not about attending it is about being present!

It's not about doing assignments, it is about testing the limits of your knowledge!

It's not about completing classes, but combining knowledge and skills together!

It's about seeing every opportunity to learn as if you were in a laboratory....what can you experiment with and what do you think the results will be.........

With each passing semester I reflect back on the lessons that I learn, as a "student" of the students in my classes.  I have learned something from every one of my students in the various iterations of courses.  Students in the evening college classes have a different "feel" than the ones who take the weekend college classes.  While there are many who do both, or prefer one type of adult education classes over the other, the "personality" of the group dynamic is quite different.

Maybe it is bring a small group of people together for 6-8 hours per day (in a weekend class) that makes the bonding a little bit easier.  It could be the style of the class itself, I know that my weekend sessions tend to be much more conversational in their feel, not so much "lecture" (although I must admit there is a fair amount of that at times).

This past semester I used the "harkness table" method for the group.  We pushed the tables together to form a large rectangle and each student (and myself as well) sat facing the entire group.  While I had a well planned schedule for each day, I found that we were able to cover more of the course materials using conversation (noting that people had made the commitment to read the text materials due each day) and discussing different perspectives.  Each person was more able to get involved in the discussion and the "spotlight" wasn't on them in terms of "speaking in front of the class".  I noticed a few other striking behavior differences.

Suddenly, students were talking to each other rather than answering my question directly to me.  They were getting into exchanges of ideas with their peers.  They were drawing each other into the conversation.  Everyone was getting involved and in some situations the discussions were so lively I had to intervene to keep the classroom sound down to a "dull roar" so we didn't disturb other classes in the building.

What started to occur was that every student in the program, and there were 11 (12 if you count me as the instructor) had 11 instructors.  It was amazing.  I looked for snippets of conversations that I could use to stimulate more conversation.  I kept track of areas that were being discussed and when they were critical success factors for the class (part of the learning objectives) I had the class get into small discussion groups to explore more ardently, the topic at hand and bring their discussion results back to the larger group.  Everyone was highly engaged.  The time flew by and the students were amazed at the depth and breadth of the materials we covered in the class.  They discussed and challenged each other and myself.  They pondered how they would work their new found knowledge into their every day environment.  They wanted to  engage outside of the classroom and each weekend brought new insights, from their application of knowledge to their work, back into the class.

Maybe this is the new deal of the "Adult Continuing Education Programs".  Everyone walks away changed by what they learned, brings their knowledge to the field, and continues their education through their career opportunities.

I'll be using the "harkness table" model in other classes (including ones that meet evenings every week) and see if there is a difference in how the group bonds and if small group exercises and projects have similar results.

I'll keep everyone posted.....

actually lead.

It seems that the best leaders are often the ones who are thrown into leadership positions with little or no preparation for that particular situation.  The truth be told, the most effective leaders are the ones who embrace opportunties as opposed to those who try to control the situations.

Leadership is about collaboration and communication.  It is where we apply everything we ever learned (and learn about what we didn't) in our past - whether through education or experience, we all have an inventory of knowledge, skills, experiences, lessons learned, etc. that we can apply to just about any situation we may be facing.  The interesting thing about all of this is that good leaders know how to get people to collaborate and bring ALL of their tools and knowledge with them to create solutions.

Education, through whatever means you choose, online classes, adult education programs, weekend intensives, seminars, etc. provide opportunities for you to practice your leadership skills in the classroom with peers who can provide feedback, instructors and teachers who can provide coaching and present new perspectives.

People learn to lead from watching others, past managers and bosses, parents, coaches, teachers, etc.  However, they can only learn if given the opportunity to stretch their skills and competence.  They must have the chance to practice in a safe environment.  They must be a willing collaborator in their own development as a leader.

Now, this is not to say that everyone should be or even wants to be a leader.  Many people avoid the opportunity to lead for many reasons, some valid, some not.  It is always a personal decision for every individual AT THE TIME when the leadership opportunity occurs.  It is about being comfortable in one's own place and with one's peers or classmates.

I use group projects in every course I teach.  I watch people step up to lead the groups and create a plan to achieve a result.  I watch people gravitate toward individuals who they believe will take charge of the group and let everyone know what needs to be done.  I see groups that struggle because no one WANTS to take responsibility for the team performance.  Students approach me as the instructor to let me know there is no leader in their group and it is falling apart.  I challenge them to do what needs to be done.  It is their opportunity to try on the leadership role in a very safe environment.  Some say they don't want to risk their grade but if you are in a group without a leader for a course project is your grade not already at risk?

Leaders take advantage of opportunites to practice their skills.  Sometimes leaders learn by letting others take leadership roles and watch how others deal with situations. 

At some point everyone is a leader....maybe it is just in your pursuit of you education to better position yourself at work or for your future....you are taking a leadership role in your own education......take advantage or the collaboration opportunities in your classes and practice, practice, practice leadership every chance you get.......

You never know when the opportunity to lead will come up and change your life.......

Every semester thousand of people in the adult training and education communities try to balance their career development goals with their work goals and sometimes even family time is taken into consideration (hopefully family time is the first consideration and the rest is after that, but I digress).  We struggle with the daily demands of taking care of our jobs and our families, yet we also see the value and benefit to fitting in either some career advancement programs or maybe decide to enroll in one or more online classes for college credit or maybe to finish that elusive degree work.

Witih more and more challenges in terms of the economic environment, corporate downsizing, companies only hiring small percentages of what they need, it can become more and more difficult to balance all of our priorities and feel like we are still in control of what we do.

We all know that time management is an oxymoron as we all have the same 168 hours each and every week to accomplish whatever we deem to be important.  Typically, if you take sleep (a non-negotiable) into consideration (averaging 6 hours per night) we are now down to 126 hours.  If you are working the typical 40 hour per week job, you know that you are committing at least 55 hours per week to work (not taking into consideration the commute time), we now have 71 hours left in our week.  If we commit 24 hours per week for the people in our lives that we hold dear, we now have 47 hours left.  

What to do with those 47 hours.  Given that most college courses are about 3-4 hours per week with another 3-4 hours of homework per week, it doesn't look as difficult as it did when you started reading this blog.  Maybe you might even consider taking two classes (there goes another 8 hours per week) and you are down to a mere 31 hours of free time per week.

Now, those of you who are still reading this commentary are either laughing or wondering what cave I just walked out of to figure out how we all have approximately 30 hours per week of spare time.  Well that equates to about 4 hours per day.  Just pick any of the last 7-10 days and look at where your time went.....I'll be you have at least 2-3 hours per day that you can't really account for, right?  It's like having money in your pocket.  You may start the week with $100 dollars in your wallet and then before you know it you need to get more from the bank, simply because you don't know where your money went.....$3.00 for coffee, $10 for lunch, $1.00 for the paper, a quick run to the grocery store and "what did I buy" becomes the guessing game.  Same as "where did the day go?"  Ever been so busy at the end of a day you sit back and none of the things you needed to get done got done, but you were so busy you don't know where the time went?  We all have been there.

So, if you didn't follow the math in this thought process, Granite State College has online adult college courses in math and other business programs.  If you want to make a great investment, take some of those 30+ hours of spare time and enroll in an adult education college course or two and find out where your time goes!

I've been thinking a lot about leadership and every day life lately.  I have recently had several acquaintences diagnosed with cancer and each are dealing with this in their own personal ways.  Some better than others, but in an interesting way, it has made me reflect on each of us and how we take on "leadership" roles each and every day.

I also just re-read the book, "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, who, for those of you that may not recognize his name, was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.  He gave his "last lecture" and presented his thougts as an opportunity to leave something behind for his children.  You can use this link to watch his last lecture - www.youtube.com/watch - and do yourself a favor, take the 45 minutes or so and really watch and listen to what he has to say.

Now, you may be asking what does this have to do with "leadership" or adult education resources or career advancement education.  If you think the connection is that he was a professor at Carnegie Mellon, I faked you out.  Here's the connection, each one of us as opportunities to take on "leadership" challenges every day.  Some we can easily recognize - a new team, a new work assignment, maybe coaching a little league or high school sports team.  What we don't recognize are the hundred of moments where we use our leadership capabilities just to move through a difficult or challenging day.

It is about understanding outcomes.  It is about doing things that will ensure the results you want, not just going through a series of tasks, one right after the other.  It's about being in a particular place and space and being really present where it counts.  Leadership isn't about the what.....it is about the who and the why!

In his book, Randy speaks to how we should chase our childhood dreams, no matter what they are or how long they take to achieve.  He also challenges us to help others chase and achieve their childhood dreams.  To be an enabler of those around us to realize their goals.  To always be present and engaging.  

He uses his "last lecture" as a gift for his children, but it is wrapped in a present for each of us who has taken the time to listen to the video or read his book. 

A good education has been a childhood dream of almost every child at some point.  While many people will never recognize that their time in an adult education class, or weekend college classes, or using distance learning universities is a way of achieving their childhood dreams, it certainly is our way of helping many gain the skills and knowledge they need to reach out and make that dream their own.

Consider how many people return to college each semester.  They are using Adult Education Services, accelerated studies, evening college classes, adult online classes, enrolling in continuing education degree programs and career training education programs.  Some take classes from their home or office, some still walk into the classroom with other students and an instructor. 

Now, think about all the reasons they are doing this.  Some are there to finish something they started before work, family, life took them down other paths.  Some are there to start their educational journey now that some other responsibilities have changed or gone away and they have the time.  Some are there for the enjoyment of contuning to be a life-long learner.  The vast majority however, are there to gain new knowledge in their efforts to become more valuable in their current positions, prepare for a promotion or in some cases, a complete career change.  Either way the expectation is that whatever you learn will be something that you will be, and should be, able to apply in your daily set of personal and professional circumstances.

One of the key differences in educational experiences between students who enter college right out of high school and the adult learner seeking education and career advancement hinges on two elements:

1. Experience - the student coming directly out of high school really is limited
                             in the level of experiences they bring to the classroom.  Most of
                             their learning has to be more directed and often includes the use
                             of case studies.  Case studies allow all students to share a common
                             set of experiences, usually with a known outcome, where the
                             proverbial "what ifs" can be explored through a guided lecture or
                             or assignment.  In the case of the adult learner, often coming to the
                             the class with years of work/life experience, they ARE their own
                             case studies.  They bring a unique set of circumstances, good and
                             bad, successful and not so successful, to the classroom.  They can
                             and should use these experiences as a tool in their educational
                             journey.
2. Focus - while the typical college student just entering college from high school
                      may have desires and aspirations that they firmly believe their pursuit of
                      an education will help them achieve, the adult learner, returning for
                      their education and career advancement desires tend to be very focused
                      and will willingly share their experiences with one another as part of their
                      overall classroom experiences.  They are very focused on what they are
                      learning and how they can apply that knowledge immediately, not at
                      some time in the future.  There is a sense of immediacy.

Keep in mind that every student, regardless of age or reason for being in class, has their own set of expectations.  Some take courses that are required simply because they are required, others zoom in on what are the lessons that will help them achieve very specific career goals.  In either case, the student and teach form a relationship that should result in the student knowing exactly how the lessons learned in that particular class can be used in their current situation.

When you participate in adult continuing education programs, for whatever reasons, remember that you have an obligation to apply your learning each and every day.  The best way to keep your knowledge current and viable is to use it.  

Remember to flex your knowledge muscles each and every day.....they are yours to apply and hone so the next set of learnings have a strong foundation to build upon.