A term in the Life / long Learning Process

For my seventh and final blog, I have decided to use this opportunity to review key components that I felt were invaluable take home messages throughout this winter term. The sources for this acquired understanding will be the three assigned books, the blogs I’ve read, and the discussions that occurred in class. Before going into detail about the specific lessons learned from each of these sources, I want to first express genuine gratitude to Dr. Plumb for his guidance, and extend further thanks to all those enrolled in GSLL 6206 this term. Without this shared supportive environment and the discussions generated thanks to everyone’s different backgrounds and prior experience, I would not have made the discoveries and connections that follow.

Tomasello’s Cultural Origins of Human Cognition reminded us that by understanding our closest relatives, we can develop a better understanding of ourselves through the examination of our evolutionary heritage. Personally, this appreciation was strengthened upon learning that humans strive to recreate the warm environment that we, primates, experienced long ago, in Africa. This is seen in the cultural traditions of clothing ourselves to be warm and keeping our houses at ‘room temperature’, the natural atmosphere of a country like Kenya. Tomasello provides us with insight into the uniquely human capacity to develop culture. Through joint attention, we share in a learning process that highlights the co-operative nature of learning. However, there are also competitive ways in which we learn, seen when someone improve upon a pre-existing concept, which Tomasello calls the ratchet effect. Whether studying our biological history through the similar genetic material found in primates or the evolutionary history of our shared culture, I’ve found that humans experience developmental processes through ongoing trajectories, complicated as they might be. Thanks to Tomasello, I have a better understanding of the development of my natural skills, such as balancing & walking and the acquisition of new skills, such as language & reasoning.

As Tomasello left me with a clearer view of myself as an individual human being, Wenger expanded the scope outward to include the notion of social learning, which is realized by negotiating meaning in a community of practice. It is through communities of practice that we create an environment of joint learning. The raw manner in which we experience life, by reading Tomasello, is given a method in which to process these experiences, by reading Wenger. In Wenger’s Communities of Practice, we are introduced to the idea of boundary objects, an outside factor that can influence one's state of mind, which in turn can influence one's actions. Thanks to Wenger, there is so much more to consider. My eyes are no open to the notion that our lifelong experiences are not only being affected by the people who surround us, but the multiple social circles to which we belong. Our actions are guided by the words we choose to use and by the ways we are held accountable. Life is action. We participate, we progress, we align ourselves with people or policies that we trust. With boundaries in place, we are enabled to acquire new information through a shared repertoire. I have learned that good teaching is more than just being efficient in a classroom setting. A learner is not someone who should be taught to, rather learning should be seen as a complex multi-layered interaction between people, objects, and languages.

If Wenger connects me, the human, to me, the co-operative collaborator in a community of practice, Bracher helps me develop a better sense of self. Bracher's Radical Pedagogy is a look into one's own identity. At first this creates a sense of vulnerability. However, once I was open to the different qualities of identity and registers of recognition, the path of my lifelong journey began to take shape. Encouragement to reflect on the decisions that I've made and the person that I've become, provides me with a clearer view of the path ahead. Furthermore, this act of self-discovery, gives me a more educated perspective on the identity needs of others. Bracher reminds us that identity is not only determined by what/who we choose to align with, but by what/who we choose not to align with as well. I can identify with Bracher. The ways in which he takes apart the potential negative affects of different teaching strategies shows a courage to question the status quo. This serves as a cautionary example to all who read his book. In my opinion, the awareness that emerges from his scrutiny is worth the breakdown of recognized practices.

Although I learned much from the assigned readings, I absorbed a great deal of insight and knowledge through classroom discussions and our shared blogging experience. This was the first of many firsts for me and many more in our class. Whether learning how to tie a bowline knot, from professor Plumb; finding out that sometimes we “crash into each other, just to feel something”, from the feature film; recognizing the value of the Head/Heart/Hands approach, from a classmate; or being inspired to examine lifelong learning in a variety of ways, thanks to all of the peer-created blogs, information was shared amongst a thriving community of practice. This course has shown me that as educators we should view education as a social construct with an ongoing need to be examined. If we imagine things as something different, and take note not to take things for granted, we create the potential for change. Being a responsible educator requires substantial conscious effort, as we are all involved in teaching and/or learning. As I conclude this blog, hours away from leaving for a honeymoon vacation, it occurs to me that the grade doesn't matter. The important part is the learning process, not the final outcome but the development that occurs getting there.

Desperately seeking self...

Over the years, I have asked: “Who am I?” on a number of different occasions. This existentialist question has likely been posed by millions, if not billions, of people on the planet. Answering this question may incite one to develop a strong sense of self or core identity that many refer to as the ‘real me’, the inner self, or simply I. This core may give the impression that identity is fixed, remaining more or less the same, and therefore supports Bracher’s view that continuity is one of the qualities of identity. On the other hand, this contrasts the notion that identity can also be seen as an assembled list of characteristics and affections. This duality of identity is evident in Erik Erikson’s (1959) Identity and the Life Cycle in which he suggests that “the term identity expresses such a mutual relation in that it connotes both a persistent sameness within oneself and a persistent sharing of some kind of essential character with others” (p. 102). Reading Bracher’s (2006) Radical Pedagogy: Identity, Generativity, and Social Transformation has opened my eyes to how important the subject of identity factors in to our personal development and to what lengths we go to defend it. Identity becomes significant variable in our education, our interactions, and our impact on the world. In this blog, it is my intent to explore what I believe to be the fickle nature of identity; identity not as just a constant, but as a living, changing entity as well.

Identity is a topic of such magnitude that it seems as though the entire Lifelong Processes course has been leading up to the careful scrutiny of this subject. We began by learning through Tomasello's The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition how our bodies develop natural abilities to balance, walk, and associate with others. Next, we studied Wenger's Communities of Practice who helped us see how we learn together through shared interactions in different communities. We now put the mirror up to ourselves and examine the role of identity in learning and how it is registered through i) how we feel about ourselves, ii) how we see ourselves in the world, and iii) the words we use to describe ourselves. This path has lead me to see education as a forum for identity development rather than being synonymous with socialization. To assist in the development of students’ identities, the purpose of education, is to encourage learning and understanding. In order to foster this learning environment, one must have a firm understanding of who their identity. Like they say one cannot love another until one loves oneself.

The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology (1994) submits that in the quest for identity, there exists a division between two groups: optimists and pessimists. Optimists seek greater individuality, flexibility, and self-understanding as they have a wider range of identities. They are also more likely to discover their inner self without the imposition of traditions, culture, etc.. Pessimism allows for the rise of narcissism as they lament life, become more self-absorbed and selfish. This division, drawn from looking up 'Identity' in a sociology dictionary, is the inspiration for this easy test of character. See if your metaphorical glass is half full or half empty by reading the following to yourself.

OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE

In my opinion, whether or not you read the passage as ‘opportunity is nowhere’ or as ‘opportunity is now here’ does not define you as a pessimist or an optimist; but it can improve one’s self-awareness. I believe that circumstance has an equal part to play in establishing an identity. We wear different masks, put on different hats, and change the tone and pitch of our voice depending on the situation. This emphasizes the role that society plays in determining our individual identity. As Berger (1963) states: “Identity is not something ‘given’, but it is bestowed in acts of social recognition. We become that as which we are addressed. Identities are socially bestowed and socially sustained” (p. 99-100). It is for this reason that identity-bearing signifiers can interfere with learning. A connection resonated with me, as I pondered the possibility of someone hiding their acquired knowledge so as not to be seen as “abandoning their own heritage and identity” (Bracher, 2006, p.19). A student willing to protect their social stature will do anything to defend the appearance of a certain identity. This personality can, in effect, block the acquisition of knowledge, as in the idea of being ‘too cool for school’. Here is an example of one culture’s identity defined by its contrast to an established academic culture. If you are not familiar with the gangsta peace symbol, please refer to the following figures.

Essentially it is the adopted victory sign (two fingers in a V), but presented horizontally rather than vertically. I believe that it is possible that someone using the gangsta peace symbols is demonstrating an understanding of the basic mathematical principal of inequalities (namely greater than and lesser than). This ego-boosting, identity-affirming gesture, as seen in the facial expressions of those portrayed below, confirms that they see themselves as ‘greater than all others. It also implies that anyone else around is ‘lesser than’ them.

                               

Does this signify an individual with a strong number sense who also identifies with a particular sub-culture? Perhaps, or perhaps the individual is not aware of this display of numeracy or aware of it, but only subconsciously. I don’t think it is possible to concretely define any one individual’s identity. We can, most certainly, get a sense of person by taking in how they portray themselves; but as Miles Davis once said: “If you understood everything I said, you’d be me”. Do you understand everything that I've said?

References

• Anonymous. 2012. [photographs] retrieved from google image search for “gangsta peace sign”.
• Berger, P. (1963). Invitation to Sociology, A Humanistic Perspective. New York: Anchor Books.
• Bracher, M. (2006). Radical Pedagogy, Identity, Generativity, and Social Transformation. New York: Palgrave
• Davis, M. (n.d.). Retrieved March, 2012 from http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/54761.Miles_Davis
• Erikson, E. (1959). Identity and the Life Cycle. New York: International Universities Press.
• Marshall, G. (Ed.) (1994). The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Be the change.

Reading Etienne Wenger's (1998) Communities of Practice - Learning, Meaning, and Identity was much like digesting a rather filling full-course meal. Inspired by his choice to illustrate concepts through a slice of the life of claims processors, as seen in Vignette I; for this blog, I will draw from his text and relate several ideas gained from his work to the realities of mine. These will include, but are not limited to: negotiation of meaning, preservation and creation of knowledge, spreading information, and home for identities (pp. 251-253) highlighting the impact of communities of practice. In the last five years I have witnessed first-hand the changing structure of a community-based learning network, as an Adult Learning Program (ALP) instructor, in a learning centre and work activity program. My employment as a math instructor to adult learners began as two communities of practice to which I belonged collided – the math man in me (academic success) and the teacher in me (Theatre and English as a Second Language). Despite not having a Bachelor of Education, I was eager to explore teaching a subject that I have always been quite fond of. However, as I did not have the formal training of my colleagues, I was able to connect with Wenger's words on how “practice is a shared history of learning that requires some catching up for joining” (p. 102). My first year as a full-time math instructor was spent adjusting to the written rules of the organization and the unwritten rules of the classroom. Fortunately, I was asked to review the newly drafted ALP Level II & III curriculum outcomes. After additional exchanges with experienced professionals, I began to acquire a shared repertoire with which to communicate ideas for further development.

One of the first identifiable priorities was to improve the poor example of reification in effect, in which graduating students were being supplied with identical copies of the chapters they had just completed. By simply redistributing replicas of what they had already finished, the learner is justified in feeling left out of their learning path. This was not the learning environment I wanted to condone. Throughout the years working for my current employer, I have inadvertently taken care to include the important factors within the social fabric of learning that Wenger reminds us of. In order to sustain a history of practice in the organizational design of my class curriculum, I created multiple units of study, designed specifically to accommodate the needs of adult learners, using an arrangement that builds upon previously acquired skills. Learners are also encouraged to participate in the process of owning the newly presented concepts. This is done through the maintenance of a math journal of terminology, hints, rules, examples, etc. that will also serve as a reference guide. Providing this continuity of learning and retention through a self-made resource are both examples of negotiation of meaning.

My experience teaching within Nova Scotia's School of Adult Learning (NSSAL) under the Department of Labour and Advanced Education has shown me that there is no short supply of adult learners who are eager to gain the skills needed to attain their Adult High School Diploma. To further meet the needs of our community, our organization submitted proposals for two new programs. Upon approval, we expanded our services to include Level I learners and an ESL class for newcomers to Canada. Each program was full with an ever-growing waiting list. Every adult’s decision to show up to school and upgrade his or her skills provides further proof of Wenger's thought that “learning is inherent in human nature” (p. 226). Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) is utilized on intake to acknowledge existing skills and previous experience. These efforts, as well as the latest trend to incorporate the essential skills needed for the workplace into our lesson plans, are examples of the preservation and creation of knowledge.

The spreading of information has been shared through the professional relationships that have developed within different communities of practice. This happens while networking at conferences, participating in professional development workshops and faculty working groups, and attending classes in a Graduate Studies program in Lifelong Learning. Topics of interest have included classroom management, teaching tools and resources, online learning, and methods of instruction for students with learning differences, to name a few. Until reading Wenger, I always felt that I had the power to control the method in which my classroom functioned. Furthermore, I thought that the more information I gained in the field of adult learning the better my class curriculum would be. When Wenger explains that “communities of practice are about content, not about form and that one can design a curriculum but not learning” (p. 229), I understand that as instructors we do not cause learning; we create a supportive environment in which the learning occurs.

I am grateful for the initial advice I was given to not view the classroom as teaching 15-20 students, rather to see the classroom as 15-20 individual classes. This approach made it possible to work within a program with ongoing enrolment. Learners move at their own pace without feeling bored or left behind. The structure of the class then gives way to groups, promoting shared learning amongst students learning similar material. These were the metaphorical building blocks used to create a community of learning, or rather a home for identities. Identities that learners would bring forth through the discovery of their own potential. Our organization's most recent initiative to include a public business under the same umbrella allows participants to put their recently acquired skills and knowledge in practice in a real life setting.

This blog does not afford the capacity required to list all the ideas found in Wenger's book that surface in the daily-monthly-yearly goings-on of a community-based learning network. The examples that could be discussed are perhaps too numerous and certainly always accumulating, which has led me to the realization that what Wenger says about identity of formation is also true about learning itself. It “is a lifelong process whose phases and rhythms change as the world changes” (p. 263). Whether a learner is on an academic or vocational path, I hope to continue to shape my classroom to provide both a curriculum and atmosphere that encourages and engages the learner to imagine themselves progressing through the program, connecting the content to their life choices, realizing their potential, and furthering their lifelong journey of learning. To do this, I will embrace change and relish in the adaptable nature of life, the growth of relationships, and the ever-changing communities in which we belong.

Bonus Blog

A novel, graphic example of non-participation.