Adult Education in America - Term Paper Example

? Adult Education in America of the Education of the Concerned December 4, Most of the life being busy as asingle mother and a full time professional, I tend to understand the relevance of adult education for the individuals unable to access the regular routes to education, being engaged in other important aspects of life. Adult education as a concept had undergone a systematic evolution in the history of education in the United States of America. The adult education programs are made available to the interested populations through varied avenues and are designed in consonance with the academic background and the language proficiency levels of the specific adult learners. Technology has made adult education more accessible in the current times. I am interested in the field of adult education, because it is in consonance with my personal philosophy and vision pertaining to education. Adult Education in America Since I have been actively engaged as a single parent and a full time executive, and that at present I am student pursuing a Masters in Education with a specialization in Family/Community, adult education is a concept that has always been close to my heart. It goes without saying that since I joined the 1st Class; I have emphatically come to the realization that my previous experience as a full time employee and a mother has aided me with ample insights as to the relevance and value of adult education in the contemporary societies. I have a deep seated conviction that in case of the adults dealing with family and professional responsibilities, adult education is sometimes not merely a viable option, but rather a chance to excel and move ahead in life. While I was pursuing my undergraduate level degree in social work, back in the early 80s, it was my innate passion and zeal to be able to help others. Now, my resolve as to pursuing a career oriented around working with families and communities, while aiding an empowering the individuals and groups through enhancing awareness pertaining to adult education has strengthened and bolstered with each passing day. Both in a present and past perspective, in the United States of America, adult education are the most potent and feasible tool to augment and upgrade the quality and potential of the local human resources. Enabling people through the medium of adult education manifold enhances the possibilities as to what they know and what they can do with that knowledge, information and skills. The people who are not educated and skilled are increasingly finding it difficult not only to earn a decent living, but also to navigate their way through a system that increasingly requires them to engage in complex paper work and formalities pertaining to healthcare, social security, and everyday finance and retirement benefits. Besides, the United States of America being an immigration friendly country, with the changing demographics, things could get more stressful, if the programs oriented around adult education are not encouraged and pursued with ample zeal and commitment. Going by the fast changing technologies and the high frequency, with which people tend to change jobs, adult education is an issue that could be expected to accrue much importance, not only to enable the adults to seek access to and succeed in the national work force, but also to empower them to serve as the worthy and well informed members of the society. Just because in the present context, so much stress is being laid on the education of children and teenagers, people often do tend to ignore the fact that most of the illustrious personalities in the Western history, be it Jesus, Socrates or Benjamin Franklin, happened to be the teachers of adults. It was way back in 1826, when the first lyceum at Millbury, Mass was organized by Josiah Holbrook, that envisaged the organization of the local adult study groups (Knowles, 1994). In 1911 America witnessed the setting up of The State Board of Vocational and Adult Education in Wisconsin (Knowles, 1994). In 1912, the US Department of Agriculture set up the Cooperative Extension Service in consonance with The Smith-Lever Act, offering up a program aimed especially at the adults (Knowles, 1994). In 1918, South Carolina appointed full time supervisors of adult education for the first time in the history of America (Knowles, 1994). In 1924, The National Education Association formally established the Department of Adult Education, first primarily aimed at the education of foreign born, while later extended in its scope and responsibilities to include programs aimed at varied segments of the society (Knowles, 1994). With the aid extended by the Carnegie Corporation, The Association of Adult Education set up and organized the A.A.A.E, an endeavor that brought the concept of adult education for the first time on the American center stage (Knowles, 1994). In 1952, the Organization of the National Association of Public School Adult Educators was set up. Title II, Part B of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 made arrangements for the provision of funds for the adult basic education (Knowles, 1994). Title I, of the Higher Education Act of 1965 arranged funds for the Colleges and Universities to help them actively engage in community service (Knowles, 1994). The Federal support aimed at the adult education and learning was further augmented and enhanced by the Adult Education Act of 1966 and 1970 (Knowles, 1994). The 1976 Lifelong Learning Amendment in the America constitution was one other landmark in the field of adult education (Knowles, 1994). It goes without saying that the concept and notion of Adult Education has evolved and metamorphosed into a pivotal provision and arrangement over a long period of time. The funding allocated to the provisions for adult education under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), flow directly to the states, which allocate it to the local programs (Policy Evaluation & Research Center, 2008). The onus for the administration of adult education programs varies across states. In some states it is the state education departments that administer the adult education programs while in other states this responsibility lies vested in the community college systems. The task of extending the adult educations is allocated to varied agencies. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) involve the districts and public schools that provide the adult education to all the interested members of the community (Policy Evaluation & Research Center, 2008). Then there are Community Based Organizations (CBOs), which includes the social service and religious bodies, libraries, volunteer institutions and organizations, community groups and public and private not for profit organizations interested in extending adult education (Policy Evaluation & Research Center, 2008). There also are Community Colleges, which are higher education institutions extending undergraduate courses or certificates in industrial skills and applied sciences (Policy Education & Research Center, 2008). Correctional institutions like prisons are also allocated funds to extend adult education programs to the interested adults serving prison terms. There also are many other affiliated institutions and bodies like varied public departments engaged in human and community service and institutions for the disabled that participate in the adult education programs. In the context of the curriculum and instructional services, adult education programs offer a range and variety of instructional services designed and programmed in consonance with the skill levels and language proficiency of the specific adult learners. Adult Basic Education (ABE) provisions for instruction are aimed at those adult learners, who lack proficiency and competence in requisite language skills like reading, writing and speaking, numeracy and computation skills and abilities deemed necessary to perform at an optimum level in a domestic, social and professional scenario (Policy Evaluation & Research Center, 2008). Adult Secondary Education (ASE) system of instruction tends to target those adults, who do possess ample numeracy and language skills to enable them to function well in the society, but are not optimally proficient or do not have a certificate of graduation or some equivalent from some secondary school (Policy Evaluation & Research Center, 2008). English as a Second Language (ESL) system of instruction is designed to help those adults who are not proficient in the English language (Policy Evaluation & Research Center, 2008). These courses help these adult learners to achieve competency in the English language. As far as the staffing of adult education programs and institutions is concerned, it primarily comprises of a mix of full time employees, part time employees and the interested volunteers that tend to be responsible for multiple roles oriented around counseling, support, administration and instruction (Policy Evaluation & Research Center, 2008). Most of the times the attached staff tends to have ample experience and expertise to run and manage the adult education programs. The recruitment of this staff in some cases is dependent on requisite minimal educational achievements, while in other cases it may also necessitate certain program particular credentials. The use of technology in adult education programs is becoming common place. Such technological aids include audio visual devises and gadgets, computers and the compatible adult education oriented software programs, and of course the internet widely resorted to for assessing the needed information and data and also for running distance learning programs (Caffarella, 2001, p. 197). In addition, the adult education programs also exploit a wide range of educational technologies like instructional software programmed for and aimed at particular adult learning segments of the society, varied educational technologies and online learning portals and platforms. In fact, IT has really revolutionized the scope and potential of the adult education in the contemporary context. Many adult education courses do resort to video series like ‘GED on TV’, ‘Crossroads Cafe’ and ‘Workplace Essentials’ (Caffarella, 2001, p. 176). Today there is available specialized software to instruct and support the adult learners interested in attaining proficiency in language skills, numeracy or GED preparation. The adult learners in the current times widely resort to gaining access to learning opportunities both at the program sites as well as off site, when they have access to a personal internet connection. In some states the adult education programs are also using on site cable or satellite television broadcast to instruct and counsel adult learners. In the contemporary times it is almost literally impossible to come out with an adult education program sans a commensurate technology plan. It goes without saying that the adult education tends to face multiple challenges today (Merriam & Brockett, 2007, p. 9). The biggest challenges before the concerned institutions and policy making bodies are to improve the quality of adult education in the United States of America (Merriam & Brockett, 2007, p, 23). There is no denying the fact that a majority of the adult education programs were envisaged about a century ago, which tend to be totally averse to the contemporary economy and citizenry (Merriam & Brockett, 2007, p. 242). Varied states are not only facing the immanent structural shifts in their economies, but the composition and nature of their demography is also drastically changing. Today, a fast augmenting number of adults need access to the quality adult education programs so as to be able to acquire the essential literacy and numeracy skills to be able to participate successfully in the job markets. Besides the funding of the adult education programs many a times fails to synchronize with the nature and composition of the populations for which such programs are designed. As the demand for pragmatic adult education programs continues to grow, putting a severe stress on the limited resources, there is a dire need for adult education experts and policy makers to find out new ways to be able to deliver their services more efficiently and appropriately. Being away from a formal academic environment for a very long time, I well understand the importance and relevance of adult education for those segments of the society who are too engaged in their professional and domestic life to be able to access the viable education opportunities. I believe that education is a lifelong endeavor, and nobody should get debarred from apt educational opportunities because of being engaged in or involved in other important aspects of one’s life. Besides, the existent educational technologies have made it more possible than ever to acquire education, without resorting to the traditional or regular routes or not being able to educate oneself at the age one is supposed to do so. America is the land of opportunity and the concept of adult education translates this hope in a very practical and relevant context (MacKeracher, 2004, p. 21). That is why I am so interested in the field of adult education. Now that I have the requisite opportunity and time, I want to dedicate my abilities and efforts to working with families and communities, extending to them the much needed hope by enhancing their awareness regarding the existing adult education programs and by supporting and counseling them on the road to enlightenment and freedom. Most of the adult education programs extend proficiency in basic educational, literacy and numeracy skills, thereby enabling individuals to be more worthy members of the society and an asset to the national economy. Besides, they extend the requisite skills and proficiency to the adult learners thereby allowing them to engage in higher education. References Caffarella, Rosemary S. Planning Programs for Adult Learners. New York: Jossey-Bass. Knowles, Malcolm Shepherd. (1994). History of the Adult Education Movement in the United States. New York: Krieger Publishing Co. MacKeracher, Dorothy. (2004). Making Sense of Adult Learning. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Merriam, Sharan B & Brockett, Ralph G. (2007). The Profession and Practice of Adult Education. New York: Jossey-Bass. Policy Notes: News from the ETS Policy Information Center. (2008). Policy Evaluation and Research Center, 16(1), 1-12. Read More