Chapter 6 or Nine Routes, Five Philosophical Conceptions, Four Abilities, Three phases of Critical Reflection, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

This chapter focused on the relationship between life experience and learning as interpreted by several researchers and educators. Despite the number of definitions and terms crammed into these few pages making this relationship seem complicated, one only need to consider his or her own experiences to make sense of this chapter. For example consider your first experience cooking. Hopefully, you started out simple, learning to make eggs or pancakes. Mastering these simple breakfasts probably gave you the confidence to tackle more difficult dishes. You probably reflected (whether you called it this or not) on your experiences, deciding what worked and what didn't. Perhaps the skillet was too hot for the first two pancakes or you were overzealous in scrambling your eggs. The next time you went to make these dishes, you learned from your reflection and applied what you learned to make even better food. Dewey would say your fruitful experience in the kitchen allowed you to continue in your culinary pursuits building off of that basic knowledge. However, if you jumped right into the kitchen and decided your first dish would be a soufflé chances are, it did not turn out like the cookbook picture because souffles are difficult to make even for the experienced chef. In this case you might have been hesitant to try another dish because your experience was lacking.

How does this reciprocal relationship between learning and life experience affect us as educators and as students? As educators we need to consider where our students may be on Kolb’s continuum of learning styles. We need to plan experiences for students who are “doers” (AE) as well as for those who are “watchers” (RO) and for those who prefer “thinking” (AC) over “feeling” (CE). As students we should try to see what we are learning and how it applies to the big picture. Life experience cannot be discounted when we step into a classroom. I like the constructivist approach to this topic outlined by Fenwick where learning is make possible through reflection on past experiences (113). Since our unique experiences make us who were are, how can they be separated from our learning? What are some other considerations you can think of as educators or students?

Fran. (N. D.). [Cartoon. Retrieved February 24, 2015 from http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/l/life_experiences.asp].

Merriam, S. B. & Bierema, L. L. (2014). Adult learning: Linking theory and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.