I too, Learning along the Way
Xin Wang
Not long ago, I read Peripheral Visions: learning along the way, the author Mary Catherine Bateson demonstrated her lifelong learning experience and stated that learning does not only take place in formal school settings, but that it is a lifelong process that takes place from birth, and happens though self observations and participation in a given cultural context. I felt such a strong connection with Bateson and her book because what I have experienced echoes that “Education is less and less a preparation for life and more and more a part of it (Bateson, p176)”.
I was born, and spent most of my life as a student and teacher in China. I taught Chinese from 1999 to 2008 in several cities within China. My husband and I moved to New York in 2009, and I have been teaching in New York since. During my teaching years in China, I was quite confident that I was an excellent teacher because I understood my students very well, thus knew how to satisfy their learning needs with my efficient teaching methodology. However, when I moved to the states, I realized that I lacked profound understanding of American schooling as well as American multicultural history and this shortage was actually affecting my effective teaching. Thus, I applied to the M.A.Ed. program at Michigan State University, a well-recognized school with a high reputation graduate program. I expected to learn what I was lacking, such as how the American history shaped its schooling and the fundamental systematic insights of the education in the US. I was also expecting to learn and master more effective mythologies that I can implement into Chinese teaching.
By earning a Master’s of Arts in Education, I have completed in ten intensive courses that included a variety topics from the American multicultural education history on how to use effective strategies in helping students, such as ESL and adult learners. Honestly, these courses helped me to further comprehend the historical, pedagogical and administrative perspectives of multicultural education in K-16 educational settings. I now have a fuller understanding of the roots of multicultural pedagogy and have examined many historic and current educational contents in a global context.
As for my future goals, by finishing up the Master’s degree, I realize that I still want to explore and study in more depth research in a particular topic – how to implement applied Chinese linguistics to help Adult Chinese Language Speaking (ACLS) learners with more effective learning. In other words, I have been thinking about pursuing a Ph.D. that is focused in Applied Linguistic Chinese to ACLS.
Not only has the content of the classes been beneficial, but the format of online learning has thoroughly expanded my horizons. Though the program is ending soon, my learning has just begun. Being able to earn my M.A.Ed. online at such a school as MSU has made me understand the importance of being able to fit my education into my life, now I don’t have to give up my life or my work in order to pursue my degree. Secondly, I have also been exposed to the digital and technological world that is a part of this age. I will be able to use these resources to teach more effectively, as well as to assist future colleagues in this effort. Technology is not going away. It is only becoming more and more incorporated into our society. Knowing how to use it is imperative.
More importantly, this learning process has helped me to understand my students in a more profound context. The ultimate goal is the learning result. It doesn’t matter where you learn, or when you learn, only IF you learn.