Professional Documents
Culture Documents
L2: Assignment
Adult Learners
Constructs: Intrinsic Motivation, Autonomy, and Self-Directed
Learning
Name: Emily Bourne
Date: April 2, 2017
Your Assigned Facilitator: Foulger
NOTE: Please bold all your responses so nothing is missed when your work is assessed.
This activity will help you realize where your innate abilities lie with respect to being
autonomous, so you can make good use of opportunities to be self directed. It will also help you
to realize your weaknesses, and to set goals to be mindful about improving your ability to be
self-directed.
The process is based on research by Tassarini (2012) related to the distinct but interrelated
dimensions the author believes are supportive to autonomous learning.
Before you begin, please read the following article about assessing language learners
autonomy.
Tassinari, M. G. (2012). Evaluating learner autonomy: A dynamic model with descriptors.
Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 3(1), 24-40. Available at
http://sisaljournal.org/archives/march12/tassinari/
Following this model, the desire to manage my own learning is superordinate to all other
components, and thus is required in order to address any other component. In essence,
learners can decide to address any component at any point in time, and move freely from one
component to another without following a given path, thus improving their abilities to be
autonomous.
For this lessons activity, the Tassinari model will be used, with adjustments made to eliminate
the need for a facilitator.
Dealing with Your Feelings. It is important to recognize feelings that come up when learning,
and to process your feelings in order to organize learning effectively.
Planning. It is important to recognize ones needs, to formulate these into realistic learning
objectives, and to structure these into steps that create a learning plan. In addition, one has to
be flexible enough to change the learning plan if the situation or needs should change.
Choosing Materials and Methods. The ability to choose and work with suitable learning
materials, methods, and strategies is acquired and developed bit by bit.
Completing Tasks. The ability to complete tasks is reliant upon access to any necessary tools
and resources, organizing time to learn, completing individual or multiple tasks, and employing
appropriate methods and strategies.
Monitoring. The ability to reflect on topics, tasks, the learning process, and to observe oneself
helps learners to identify their strengths and weaknesses and to structure or re-structure
learning activities accordingly.
Evaluating. The ability to review what you have learned, how well you have learned, and what
progress has been made toward competencies is the hardest part of autonomous learning. It
requires practice and normally occurs through an exchange with other learners or superiors.
Cooperating. The ability to cooperate extends learning from an isolated and independent activity
to learning in association with others. Cooperation can support learners to complete tasks,
realize a project, negotiate resources, evaluate the outcome, etc.
A METHOD TO REFLECT
Reflection can occur using a variety of different techniques. To comprehensively reflect on your
learning for this activity, you will use this thinking routine in the next phase of this activity.
What?
What do you do, when you are not so mindful (or maybe when you are stressed)?
Describe how you are now. What thoughts and behaviors challenge you? What environmental
factors, personal patterns, beliefs, etc. exacerbate your challenges?
So What?
How do you want to be?
Describe how you would like to be. What thoughts and behaviors would you like to change?
What environmental conditions (that you have influence over) would you like to change?
Now What?
What would you like to learn?
Describe whats in store for the future now that youve learned more about yourself. What you
are going to do to continue your professional development in light of this learning. What future
learning opportunities will help you grow in this area? What new experiences or situations will
help you grow in this area? How will you engage in them differently now? What mistakes do you
want to prepare to avoid?
REFLECTION
Of the factors from the Tassinari model, pick 3 deficit areas that, if strengthened, would create
the most impact in your ability to be an autonomous learner.
Reflect ONLY on those three, using the thinking routine as outlined above. To attain maximum
points, provide relevant details and examples from your life in your reflection.
Factor #1:
Structuring Knowledge. The ability to structure knowledge, sometimes disparate
knowledge bases, is a component that plays a role in all autonomous learning phases
and activities.
What:
Currently I am able to understand that knowledge is important and allows one to grasp
what they are learning and retain it for later use. With structure knowledge I think that
mastering this will give me the opportunity to have the confidence to share my
knowledge with others. I am challenged by confidence. At times I am to nervous to share
my knowledge at times because I am afraid that I might say the wrong thing. Or, someone
might ask me a question and I might not know the answer. I am a Christian and having
the faith to believe in something that is not physically there can be hard at times. I strive
to discover ways to jump out in faith in regards to the knowledge that I have and want to
share with others. My environment is very motivating which helps. My husband is always
telling me how proud he is of me and how great of a job I am doing. He encourages me to
not stress and worry and doing things with the hope and assurance it will all work out.
So what:
I want to become a strong autonomous learner. I want to do so for my future career so I
can be a role model and mentor to my students. I want to walk with my head held high
and be ready for any moment to arise for me to speak out and share the knowledge that I
have learned and continue to learn about. I want to teach my students that failure is
actually a good thing. It allows each and every one of us to evaluate the reason and to
depict what we need to change to try again. I just do not understand why I want to teach
my students the importance of failure but I get so upset with myself when I fail? It seems
that I will be continuing my time in grasping the fact the failing is good not bad.
Now what:
With the help of what and so what I am able to see what I need to continue to work on
in order to master structure knowledge. Each of my students will grasp the
understanding that the are different and therefore they learn different. As a class we will
be able to share the way that we accomplished the task at hands to demonstrate the yes
we all have gained knowledge in a certain area/topic but, we did so in our own way so we
could reach the our goal. I will continue to stay determined and focused on accomplish
and polishing my confidence issues so I can help my students do the same.
Factor #2:
Monitoring. The ability to reflect on topics, tasks, the learning process, and to observe
oneself helps learners to identify their strengths and weaknesses and to structure or re-
structure learning activities accordingly.
What:
I worry and stress way to much. With the help of my family, husband, and friends they
help guide me towards accomplishing and completing what I seemed to be stressed
about. When it comes to monitoring I had a difficult time in understanding academics in
middle and high school. During my sophomore year I did not understand what the
teacher was explaining. I raised my hand understanding that I would not get it unless I
told Mrs. Lavin I do not understand. So, I said, Mrs. Lavin, are you able to explain that
again. So she did but in the same words so I asked her to reword it or explain it in
another way. I could tell she was getting very frustrated and my classmates were
mumbling and looking around. She blurted out, Emily it is what it is, there is no other
way to explain it, you either get or you don't, tough luck. Worry and stress overwhelmed
me causing me to think of failure. I do not want may students to think there is one way to
understand something and that they might fail and that's all there is. Now that I am in
college I have discovered my way of learning and therefore I am receiving better grades
than I ever have.
So what:
I am so excited to be able to understand all types of students. I was a C student in high
school, one of my teachers my senior year told me I would make a great teacher because
I will be able to understand my students on an academic level. I can help those that are
struggling like I was and I will have to knowledge to push my A students with a challenge.
I am excited to teach my students in a way that they understand. Whether it is with the
help of assistive technology, hands on activities, audio, or group work. My students will
receive praise during accomplishments so they can feel inspired to continue their hard
work. I want to be able to be a model for all teachers. Just because I am teaching my
special education students in this way doesn't mean a general education teacher is
unable to help their students find out ways they can learn easier and become a better
version of themselves.
Now what:
As I am pursuing my career in special education I look forward to researching ways and
ideas on how I can present a topic to my different students. Not only will this help my
students work hard and reach their academic goals that are set into place but it will help
me become a well-rounded teacher understanding multiple ways to teach my variety of
students. I want to learn more about the specifics of their disabilities with the hopes of
better understanding them. I want help them transform their weaknesses into strengths.
Factor #3:
Cooperating. The ability to cooperate extends learning from an isolated and independent
activity to learning in association with others. Cooperation can support learners to
complete tasks, realize a project, negotiate resources, evaluate the outcome, etc.
What:
Currently I am working with others. Being a Starbucks employee we work with others and
we rely on others. We all have particular job during our shift. One must do that job right
in order for others to do their jobs right. They all intertwine. Unlike a desk job that works
with others, they might be able to take off due to being sick and they are only going to
put themselves behind and not harm the work of others. Well if I have a barista call out
due to being sick or something as a shift manager I have to find someone to take that
persons shift. Otherwise we will be down a person and that will only make our day more
stressful and chaotic. I am a true team player and I put others before myself. I get this
trait from my dad. We both enjoy making others feel good and we want to show them that
we appreciate them. My dad will bring a dozen bagels to my store for all of us. I grab
things for friends if I see something that makes me think of them knowing I will receive
nothing in return. My husband does not understand why I might buy a friend or two a gift
for Christmas understanding that there might be a possibility that I might not receive a
gift from them. My baristas and I all work together to achieve a successful shift.
So what:
I want to transform my mentality on others towards an educational view. I want to help
my peers and students succeed. I want to be sure that they are aware of how much they
mean to me. I want to change and become a teacher that does more than teach
academics. I hope to become a role model and a mentor to my students. This way they
can feel open with me to discuss what they are struggling with. This way we can then
work together to accomplish the assignment. Depending on the school district I am in I
might even be able to mentor the parents too.
Now what:
In my special education classroom I look forward to cooperating and working with my
students. I want to spend one on one time and talk with them about what they need help
with. We will partner together and work hard on the difficult topics to reach their overall
goals. Also I will be able to talk with the parents of my students. Here we can discuss
what might need to be worked on at home, what they are working on in the classroom, as
well as, what they have accomplished. The IEP will help guide all of us to reach the goals
that are set into place. Lastly I will have the opportunity to collaborate during inclusive
education and mainstream my students into a general education classroom. We will be
able to play of each others ideas and help these students reach their goals.