Learning as a Continuous Process Devoided of Age Limit and with Respect to the Mental Nature - Essay Example

Your name School affiliation Date Reflection on VET and industry context Introduction Teaching and learning assessment practice is a time when new information is gained both by the teacher practitioner and the students. In the context of education, learning experience borrows from a wider spectrum that is beyond the room a teacher and students are stationed. For a fruitful learning process, ample engagement between the learner and the trainer is given utmost priority(Schmidt, 2010). In the process of engagement between the student and the teacher, the experiences of past life act as a crucial factor that shapes the effectiveness of the learning process. This paper would therefore purpose to provide a reflection on a vocational education training and a past industry context as a developer to the progression of teaching and learning assessment practice. Context reflection It would be interesting to introduce this life experience study by highlighting that reflection is the process whereby an individual steps back on the experience and analyses various mechanisms with which a certain challenging task would have been done. Nevertheless, reflection does not entirely provide a means for transforming how things could have been done, but also offers an opportunity to appreciate a manner with which a successful task or a challenging event was maneuvered(Hong & Choi, 2011). For this paper, I would outline a reflection on a past vocational training and how the circumstance has affected my current teaching practice and assessment. I happened to have undertaken my vocational education training in Photoshop and software industry. The industry was full of learning experiences and challenges with equal measure. In order to attain a learning and competitive edge in the dynamic field that is full of new methods, it necessitated a constant engagement with research materials to keep abreast with the developing technology. Maintaining effectiveness in the industry would thus necessitate a revision learning approach on the previous lessons for the development of future modalities of perfecting the art of Photoshopping (Romeo, 2014). Photoshopping is the application of techniques for image editing to a photograph with the intention of creation of an illusion and deception after the original photographing process had taken place. Mastery of Photoshopping requires a good mastery of techniques with which the shopping process is to be done. Like most of other professions, I came to learn that Photoshopping technique operates under a strict guideline of ethical principles. In an instance, the production of an image portraying an individual in a manner other than in the nature with which the individual took the photo requires a technician to seek a consent from the owner of the image otherwise an individual would be liable for the damage caused by the Photoshopping process(Choy, 2012). Photoshopping as a work based learning approach required me to interact with multiples of environments in the collection and analysis of photographs to be worked on. The process engaged interacts with nature that offered many opportunities for rediscovering my talents and hobbies as a naturalist and nature conservative. I enjoyed an interaction with the physical world taking photos and developing them to achieve a more unique form that could aid in changing the worldview on nature and its conservation principles. Software that permits Photoshopping is one that requires a lot of carefulness, patience and determination in order to produce a quality work that would meet the standards that are market focused and realistic. Grasping of these techniques, therefore, require constant practice coupled with trials and errors for achievement of a perfect result. In achieving, the desired result mind engagement on the best process on which the techniques are undertaken would thus necessitate me to have a constant reflection practices. The vocational education training thus offered me some of the best strategies in reflection and development of an effective approach with which alternative means of achievement of results could be attained(Hong & Choi, 2011). Keeping a formal reflective practice in a practice enables the trainee to develop an effective way of mastering the procedure. From the software industry, I come to understand that by keeping a journal as a formal reflective writing would help me to remember some of the critical aspects of the study and integrate them to the field experience. A journal being a formally written material provides the user with the must know information of the literal perspective of an exercise and allows the user to compare the ideal practice to the intended practice. With the two in an easy comparable manner, I would be able to develop effective mechanisms with which to use irrespective of the limited resources and dynamic technological advancement. Keeping recorded journal work enabled me to remember some of the key issues that were performed in the course of the day and would have been forgotten in an instance that written documents were not kept. After several times following a recording of a journal, I would note that a new dimension of tackling a problem emanates that makes the whole situation more understandable and easily manipulatable(Tse, 2007). Critical incident analysis is another of the reflective approach that I learned during my vocational education training. In this reflective approach, the key incidents that happen during the day and in the whole training program are analyzed and evaluated. Analysis of critical incidents involves both positive and negative incidents that happened within a day and during the framework of the training. This enables the trainee to appreciate self in the instances that the undertaking was successfully manipulated; alternatively, the exercise gives a trainee an opportunity positively to criticize the negatively performed areas thus providing an avenue for improvement. Mind mapping is another of the most important aspects of reflection techniques that i acquired during the vocational education-training period. In this approach, the trainer makes a mental diagram surrounding a particular concept. Making of a mental diagram of the progress to be achieved allows the trainer to devise an alternative way with which the problem could be solved. In my Photoshopping training, I often made mental pictures of what were the most probable outcomes of a photographic work could be. With the aid of technology and software, I could find it easier to operate within the guidelines of a primitive idea to be able to make a more concrete and visually appealing product. Nevertheless, the training in vocational education imparted me with the knowledge that enable me to understand that the process of education and training rarely achieves its desired outcome if it is based on a solitary approach. The process of learning will thus be more meaningful and challenging if teams are in cooperated into the system. A learning model that in cooperates a peer review involves the utilization of other learners to observe the learning process and give their feedback. A criticism by fellow peer members enables a learner to get an intrinsic idea on the nature with which the operation would be undertaken(Forneris & Peden-McAlpine, 2007). Through the process of mentoring, a team could mentor its members. Through the use of another person who is more experienced. A trainee would be able to get an expertise opinion on the nature with which a particular learning process would be achieved. Mentoring by an experienced member of the team enabled by learning experience to be more fruitful as the mode of communication is cheaper and happens in a friendly atmosphere. Through exploitation of the modern technology, I found the online training community to be of much value in sharpening the learning experience. Using a community that is composed of personalities that are drawn from different regions of the world, I was able to get a wider picture on how different people in different regions of the world manipulate the environment to achieve the desired outcome for Photoshopping and software technologies. Application of the VET learning experience to the teaching and learning assessment practice. Basing on the previously learnt information acquired in the VET and industry context, I have found some of the relevant aspects that would be applicable and boost the learning outcome of teaching practice. Environment has been one of my favorite learning issues. Manipulation of the environment to suit an appropriate standard would make the learning process more meaningful and enjoyable. Being a teacher of digital image manipulation, I find an appropriate environment quite of significant in taking a quality image for purposes of study. In this regard I have been at the forefront in encouraging my students to have an association with the environment, both for learning and practicing purposes. It would be easier to grasp a learnt information if the study materials are read in an ideal environment that offers mental peace and allows ample time for concentration. After the learning session with my student in adobe Photoshopping classes, I have found a reflective practice of mind mapping to be of great favorite that I often passed the same information to the students. The process of mind mapping allows an individual to make a personal and more intrinsic decision on what to so and which approaches to give to the study experience. In an instance that an individual has already made a conclusive decision pertaining to the desired outcome of the process, it would be easier to share the information with others of equal peer who would aid in reshaping of the project(Tse, 2007). Talking of sharing information with the peers, I often noted to the students the importance of participation in interpersonal developments. A person may have an alternative approach with which a difficult and challenging task could be performed. Nevertheless, the troubled party can only acquire this approach if the trouble is shared out. It would thus put a team approach learning modality that I acquired during my vocational education training at the forefront of events during my teaching practice and assessment. When students of the same age group interact in an ample environment that encourages education, the objectives of the learning process would be achieved basing on the fact that these students shall have reflected on the mechanisms with which their challenging tasks could be solved. Another of the chief ingredients that make the learning experience among a group of the same peer members to achieve its objectives is the fact that communication would be easier(Choy, 2012). People of the same age group and age rank tend to employ a more horizontal mode of communication. In this mode, communication is passed from one person to another with devoid of commands. This mode of communication, therefore, encourages the learner to seek clarifications from one another, therefore, enables learning in a suitableenvironment. Other than the fact that keeping a personal journal as a mode of reflective learning is more academic and accurate, it would consume time in making a mental decision based on the written manual ant it encourages a more intrapersonal approach of learning. Keeping of journals for personal reference is an effective learning way, but it may not be entirely beneficial as compared to mental mapping and engagement in a teamwork. Journals would not encourage seeking of second opinions from expert individuals who would give a positive criticism of the project. Nevertheless, I have often encouraged my students to first seek an individual opinion based on the project before sharing it with a team and other parties. Due to the changes in technology and dynamic operational environment, photography and Photoshopping has taken an entirely different dementing that warrants an effective mastery of the software project and its contexts. Adobe Photoshopping system is a direct and easier to achieve exercise. Nevertheless, I have often encouraged my students to be open minded and be able to accommodate new knowledge and information as pertaining to the changing technological advancement. With equal measure, I would like wisely appreciate a fact that I have also been able to learn from the students who give valid opinions on how different products of Photoshopping could be done(Coltman, Devinney, Midgley, & Venaik, 2008). Keeping an open mind is beneficial both to the students and the teacher as it offers a learning session for both parties wherever in the classroom, project laboratories or in the field. Owing to the nature of my students, adolescents are unique groups of learners due to their sensitive ability. Adolescents are capable of discovering and detecting minute details in a project that my be crucial and offer a different dimension in a manner with which the whole undertaking could be reframed(Jansen & Spitzer, 2009). Conclusion Learning is a continuous process that permits borrowing of information from one area and using the information in an entirely different system. The process thus is devoid of age limit and in respect to the mental nature; a person would never seize learning. Being a continuous process, a person should thus take the opportunity of utilizing the experiences through reflection and apply the same knowledge in a better manner to effect current and future circumstances. Facilitators of learning experience especially for the youth and adolescents should be drawn from the experience of the teacher who equally should take the opportunity to reflect on the past mistakes and apply the same information to aid in their future avoidance. The vocational education training I undertook in Photoshopping has offered a reflective opportunity on various learning approaches with which I have found their application in the teaching of digital image manipulation to be of great importance in shaping how the youthful students learn. References Choy, S. Cp. S. O. (2012). Reflective thinking and teaching practices: International Journal of Instruction, 5, 167–182. Coltman, T., Devinney, T. M., Midgley, D. F., & Venaik, S. (2008). Formative versus reflective measurement models:Journal of Business Research, 61, 1250–1262. Forneris, S. G., & Peden-McAlpine, C. (2007). Evaluation of a reflective learning intervention to improve critical thinking in novice nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 57, 410–421. Hong, Y. C., & Choi, I. (2011). Three dimensions of reflective thinking in solving design problems: A conceptual model. Educational Technology Research and Development, 59, 687–710. Jansen, A., & Spitzer, S. M. (2009). 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