Why should we facilitate a conversation on facilitation?
What? A vital difference in K-12 learning and much of adult learning, specifically non-formal adult learning, is the voluntary role they play as students. Adult learners may be required to take courses or attend seminars for maybe a job or volunteer role, but they play a larger part in decision making where their lifelong learning journey leads. It is because of this overarching ideal that they tend to need to feel more involved in their learning. In a sense, it is simpler to tell a small child that their teacher has this knowledge and experience to bestow upon them, whereas an adult will have their own experiences to draw from and possibly different points of view to connect their new knowledge too. Evolving from a “traditional” teacher dynamic to a facilitator dynamic can work to foster this relationship. So, what? While teachers can be facilitators, the teaching and facilitation have many differences from one another. For starters, in teaching, the learning is controlled...