PERSONAL STATEMENT
My capstone experience at Argosy University has allowed me to reflect and focus on the entire Master of Arts in Education in Adult Education and Training program. It has encouraged me to amalgamate facets of Adult Education and Training with important concepts from related disciplines. These disciplines include but are not limited communication, information, philosophy, and technical areas. This culminating, concluding educational experience has focused on use of methodology, skills and knowledge all the way through the curriculum.
The following is a list of the outcomes I have reflected upon, throughout my progress of assembling my electronic portfolio.
1. I am able to apply knowledge to new situations.
2. Clarify my own values and beliefs, to institute new ideas.
3. Make connections between learning and Adult Education and Training with other disciplines.
4. Assimilate knowledge from courses within Adult Education with real life.
5. Illustrate the skills of oral and written communication.
6. Illustrate the skills of critical thinking and problem solving.
7. Illustrate the skills of collaboration.
8. Illustrate the skills of self-assessment.
9. Illustrate the skills of leadership.
10. Illustrate the understanding of the associations between academics and service.
11. Connect theories to practice.
12. Employ the tools and methods of research.
13. Make connections between Adult Education and Training and the community.
14. Illustrate an understanding of the importance of multiculturalism and interacting with people of diverse racial, cultural, ethnic, and or religious backgrounds.
15. Use research and application skills.
I have reached my goal of knowing how to begin integrating, synthesizing, and applying the skills and competencies in the classroom and through my professional real life experience. The scope of the work that has been completed throughout my program, has allowed me to create the following electronic portfolio.
I have always wanted to make the difference in the life of an individual. As an educator I am able to do so by bringing to the table my motivation, personal experiences, recommendations and learning strategies. I am a compassionate person who loves people and working with them. My undergraduate major was communications. Fortunately I studied many aspects of communications and bringing messages to people. I can use this knowledge to make a connection in Adult Education and Training. I use my interpersonal knowledge of communication skills to facilitate the receipt of the message. I try to make people feel comfortable and able to learn. I make it clear to my students that the world is a learning arena in which they are suppose to be an active part of. I encourage active participation, investigation, inquiry and critical thinking from my students. I let my students know that it is okay to ask questions and wonder when no immediate answer is available. I tell them to use research as the key to uncovering many of the answers to these questions.
As an educator I think it is important to use your strengths for the benefit of your students as well as your colleagues. I use my self-motivation to prioritize, organize, and plan. I am a multitasker who can assume extensive responsibilities and duties and live up the expectations set to complete a project. I cope with past failures and use the experiences as learning tools. Many of these past experiences, have made me a more wise individual. I use my intelligence and self confidence to persevere. I recommend to my students many of these suggestions. Application of these strengths to my daily life, has made me a better mother, educator, and individual. I hope
my students realize the many different roles they plan in life and use their education skills to enhance them. Utilization of educational skills is the foundation of lifetime learning.
I consider myself a lifetime learner and plan on continually working on my personal weaknesses. At times, I can be a sensitive person who takes things to heart and I become greatly disenchanted when things don’t go correctly. I continue to remind myself and my students that imperfections have inspired many great minds. Although I like to be helpful, I’ m learning to try not to be overly helpful, as individuals have learning of their own to do sometimes. I don’t want to be too helpful, and transgress boundaries while trying to help teammates. Since I keep working until the job is done, I consider myself a workaholic. I would like to transform these weaknesses into effective management skills.
I have recently completed the capstone experience. I am looking forward to a career working with adults who want to continue to learn and grow. I get personal satisfaction when I see progress being made, whether it is my own progress or the progress of another. Encouragement and motivation are important factors in progress, personal development, and education. As an educator I would like to be known as the individual who appreciates a person’s differences and encouraged them. Diversity is an important element to recognize.
Traci Lynn Patterson Blake
