As part of my online graduate course in Adult Learning Theory at the University of Denver, I’ve been asked to share a little bit of introductory information about who I am and what I know—the classic introductions portion of a college course.
(Click here to jump down to see that introduction)
As I was preparing this assignment, I started to realize something. After college and dating, the question “Who are you?” comes up less and less, and when it does, we usually have ample time in an informal setting to get across our identity message.
As independent professionals, however, this exercise is essential to defining our personal brand. Just like that unspoken 3 minute time limit in class, or the 8 minutes you get when speed-dating, freelancers must be able to quickly and effectively convey who they are to potential clients.
It’s even more important to answer the “Who are you?” question for ourselves, because as time goes on, the answer changes, whether we realize it or not. It’s the first step at creating an effective business plan, and the most critical piece of information against which we make big business decisions.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Who am I? Who is my audience? Who is my client base?
- How would learning more about my audience/client base benefit my business?
- How much do I already know about my audience/client base?
- What do I know about myself that limits reaching my goals? What do I know about myself that helps me reach my goals?
- What do I want from my business?
Give it a shot—and tell me what you learned about yourself!
(Here’s the intro post I wrote for my course. I’ve listed the original questions asked of me so I don’t sound like an oddball when I start mentioning Piaget. 
What is your current professional position (student/job title/company) and how are you involved, or not, with adult learners?
I am a freelance writer, web designer and blogger—an independent creative for hire. I work with adults every day, albeit digitally, and must often educate them through service writing and technical support.
How do your future plans (career/personal/etc.) involve knowledge about adult learning?
I am working on a blog and book entitled “How to Ignore a Recipe.” This book will teach adults how to identify the defining characteristics of each step and ingredient in a recipe, thereby allowing them to make substitutions and modifications with confidence.
Before becoming a freelancer, I was a teacher and administrator for almost eight years at a small at-risk charter high school. Teaching is in my blood and I naturally gravitate toward it. What can I say, I love giving unsolicited advice! I am interested in teaching online courses at the collegiate level and I have also noticed that many non-tech creative professionals are eager to gain skills in web design, social media, and communications technology, so I would like someday to share my knowledge with them.
How would you rate your current knowledge of adult learning theories? What are some of the things you already know about adult learning theory (theories/theorists/general concepts)?
I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and I took many undergraduate courses in education, most of which touched on the topic of adult learning theory. I still feel, however, that I know very little about the topic when compared to the larger over-arching educational theories of Piaget, Thorndike, Vygotsky, etc. I know enough that I know I am a constructivist teacher, but I don’t know how to properly apply my chosen philosophy to the adult learner.
What do you already know about yourself, or not know about yourself, as an adult learner?
I pick things up as quickly as I did in my youth, but now sometimes I drop them—my brain is not the limitless sponge it used to be. As I grow older and realize that I can’t rely on memorization, I have shifted to understanding conceptual frameworks instead.
I don’t expect the instructor to be the sole source of information.
I would rather work twice as hard alone than suffer through a patchworked group learning exercise—but I know they’re good for me.
What do you hope to get out of this course?
A better understanding of how my own mind works, how learning theories evolve with the age of the student, and how these theories can be applicable to my own career. Yeah, I know, that’s one of the most common characteristics of an adult learner—what can I say, I’m a cliche.
