Describe any previous experience you have had with planning programs. You can use exercises 1.2 and 1.3 on pp. 24-26 of your text to help you to reflect on your experience. Then tell us what you hope to learn or be able to take away from this course.

            I have enjoyed planning education programs throughout my law enforcement career, whether informal teaching a co-worker a new skill or formal teaching a law enforcement course.  All instruction has been face to face. I have neither designed nor taught an online course. In my education and training programs, my approach has and probably will continue to be mostly in the realm of conventional or traditional followed by pragmatic or practical, then radical. I feel comfortable with a stepwise progression where I move logically through the planning process.

            My liberal learners receive a well-rounded education in my classes because the information I present is organized, discreet, and content-specific. My behavioural learners emphasize the external environment while taking an active role in learning. My progressive learners receive practical knowledge and problem-solving skills. My radical learners receive knowledge of the current local and world social and political views. My humanistic learners are taught to assume responsibility for their learning and that it is lifelong.

I believe in the power of questioning strategies to provoke critical thinking. There is power in asking ‘why.’ I have fun when I teach. By facilitating a teaching environment that is welcoming, nurturing, and respectful, I inspire enthusiasm for learning new and innovative knowledge. My learners can take that knowledge and immediately use it in real-life situations

            I treat every learner with respect, and it is in my best interest to treat everyone equally. Giving and receiving respect is particularly crucial with my adult learners, who range in age from 18-65 and come from a broad demographic and educational level.

            Most learning occurs through social interaction, and I structure the class so that learners productively collaborate and cooperate. These concepts transform the classroom into a forum for discussion, exchanging ideas, and debate rather than passive listening.

            I hope to learn how to develop and plan, in my case professionally, a College course that may or may not be placed online. I would like to take away the knowledge to put together this “puzzle” of course planning to design a course I will instruct at Okanagan College in Kelowna.

References

Caffarella, R. S., & Daffron, S. R. (2013). Planning programs for adult learners: A practical guide for educators, trainers, and staff developers (3rd ed.). Jossey Bass.