Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

Students in higher education are being taught pedagogically. Moreover, pedagogy has long persisted as the basis for the entire educational system. Education is, however, discovering that adults learn differently than children learn even though they have been taught as children were taught. Students tend to behave dependently when they are in a structured, pedagogical educational setting. This dependent behavior may be because these learners do not know how to learn, they only know how to be taught. In pedagogy, the instructor is in charge and held entirely responsible for all learning: what is to be taught, how it is to be taught, when it is to be taught, how it is to be measured, etc. Adult students need to be taught how to learn in order to become life-long, autonomous learners. Research demonstrates that adult students being taught andragogically become engaged in the learning process. They are ready for learning, learn more, experience more meaningful learning, and enjoy learning. This paper presents a six point plan for promoting engagement for students in the college classroom: create a safe environment for learning; ask students what they need to know; explain why students are learning certain concepts, theories, skills, etc.; provide real-life learning opportunities; offer opportunities for collegial collaboration; and have students evaluate their own learning. Collaboration between educators on the six points will also increase the likelihood of engaging students. Student engagement leads to improved retention and ultimately to student success.

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert