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Essay / Andragogy and pedagogy - 565
If the general population were asked to explain andragogy or pedagogy, many would struggle to accomplish this task, while most have been exposed to both, these are two topics that are usually left to educators to discuss. The general public, however, would have a lot to say about how children and adults should be taught. Should adults be taught differently from children? How are the best practices for Andragogy and Pedagogy different? Where are the teenagers? These and other questions are being explored by educators around the world. With the increase in technical and computer learning, both in K-12 and postsecondary education, the gap between pedagogy and andragogy is narrowing. In A Paradigm Shift: Teaching Adults As Children And Children As Adults, Earl Harewood describes adult educators: "They allow the adult learner to have more autonomy in the learning process, recognize the content of the life of the learner and provide for the fusion of life experience and teaching modality.” Anagogic learners bring a greater capacity for experience to the classroom. They are often as much a resource to each other as the instructor. The anagogical learner is autonomous, self-directed and self-evaluated. Adult education is most effective when it focuses on the learner through experiences. The instructor must find ways to make these experiences personal for the learner. Principles of adult learning; Autonomy, life experiences, goal orientation, relevance, practice, and respect are all things that students of all ages would benefit from. The educational learner is dependent on the instructor for all his or her learning. As education has changed, modern educational ideas suggest that the learner finds their own understanding, much like the techniques used in andragogy. The teacher or instructor takes full responsibility and is held accountable for the learner's performance and growth. In Andragogy vs. Pedagogy: the Tutoring Difference, Bob Lasiewicz explains that although anthology methods are incorporated into K-12 classrooms, "class size, time constraints, curriculum requirements, and the overall structure of the course K-12 are more conducive to educational development.” approach.”Teaching adults can be very similar to teaching children or adolescents. However, instructors of adult learners appear to have a built-in advantage. Adults usually participate in a course, training or workshop because they want to participate or because they are paid to participate. The topic is also almost always related in some way to something that interests them or is of obvious importance..