Learning: A Life Story
Learning doesn’t end when the bell rings. You never leave class on the last day of school and tell yourself “that’s it, that’s all the learning I need, I’m done”. Learning is a lifelong process that grows and evolves as we do. As our goals in life change so does our need for the mastery of new information. As my journey through the Master of Arts in Education Degree (MAED) program at Michigan State University (MSU) culminates, I find myself entering the professional world newly equipped with a compendium of knowledge and diversity of skill sets necessary to succeed in the professional field; however the learning will not stop there. In addition to the information and skills acquired from the MAED program, I would like to learn more about fund acquisition for non-profit organizations, corporate organizational structuring, and public interpretation of institutional discoveries.
I have devoted my professional career to educating students and the public about the intricacies of the natural world, my focus of the aforementioned skills therefore will remain within the context of the conservation education field. This advanced degree not only allows me to progress professionally within conservation education, but it also opens a doorway to professional endeavors that I once thought unattainable, until now. While the opportunities seem endless, I will make this a little easier and narrow my future goals down to three topics: professional grant writing and proposals, curriculum development and implementation, and public translation of scientific information.
In the world of non-profit organizations, program funding through grant proposals is a necessary commodity. Grant writing is in itself a delicate art form. Not only does it require intimate knowledge of the proposal material, but the author must keep in mind the specific intended audience and cater the content to suit their needs. Grant writing is a precise mixture of writing efficiency, exemplary salesmanship, and psychological intuition. While there are many resources available in order to gain proficiency in this discipline, I prefer to continue my MSU experience with the grant writing workshops offered through Michigan State University. Throughout the many classes that I have taken within this university I have gained invaluable technical writing skills and styles that will undoubtedly bridge the gap between academic learning and professional success.
Education and curriculum are topics that go hand-in-hand. Successful educational delivery relies on the proper direction and planning of content material in order to create a structured rhythm of knowledge in an otherwise chaotic informational melody. It has been an indispensable asset to me through my MAED program that MSU offers so many classes and opportunities in curriculum development which created a proper foundation that I can build off of in my professional future. While I now have the skills to build a class from the ground up, I am hoping to develop those even further and build a school from the ground up. While not yet popular in North America, Forest Schools have gained traction and commanded quite a following throughout parts of Europe. This idea of an academic institution built off of the core values of environmental stewardship and proper land ethics is in need now more than ever, especially in areas of rapid economic growth and development such as the US.
Finally, the delivery of information is only effective if it is truly understood by its audience. We came into this world seeking information. From our very first moments we have been on a constant quest of knowledge acquisition in order to survive, advance, and adapt to our environment. As we change and grow so does the level and complication of information we receive. But not everyone takes the same path in life or is exposed to the same level of education. Therefore not everyone has the same degree of comfort with information regarding topics such as technology and science. The proper interpretation of this knowledge is essential to the appropriate understanding to changes in our environment, health and well-being, and global economic markets. Without efficient scientific and technological understanding many people are subject to the opinions and translations made by others; effectively being forced to “take the word” of those who interpret the information to the public, despite their political or institutional affiliations. My goal is to create understanding; to teach people how to ask the right questions and decipher complex topics in ways that make sense. One avenue that I would like to gain more familiarity with and utilize as both learning and teaching tools for myself and the general public is organizations such as the Open Education Consortium. Many people do not have the means or availability to further their education through traditional avenues, but that doesn’t mean that they should go without the opportunity to advance their knowledge. Many of the classes that I have had the chance to take here at MSU have opened my eyes to the avenues available to people in order to advance academically and professionally. All someone needs is that first step. As an introduction to this level of understanding (and a very good read) is Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks by Ben Goldacre. It is a stepping stone that will hopefully grab people’s attention and create opportunities for self driven inquiry. In order to truly succeed, we must truly understand, and it’s amazing how much understanding we really don’t know.