Transformative Learning : A Transformative Experience

I rushed over to check in and retrieve my boarding pass. Lately a lot of planes have been going missing, which is all I could think about the whole time. “Flight 23 is now boarding.” I carried my carry on baggage onto the plane. I looked down at my boarding pass and realized that I was already at my seat. There was a man sitting in my designated seat. I was too nervous about the flight to even question him. I sat down next to him. I looked out the window and noticed in the distance that dark cumulus clouds were being formed. There was a strong wind that hit my side of the plane, furiously shaking the whole aircraft. Having hope was the only thing that came to mind every time negative thoughts would

Mezirow (1991) states that a learner’s viewpoint is interrupted when faced with perplexing problems in regards to their Weltanschauung. He defines several steps and phases of transformational learning which gives the learner an adaptation of a new way of thinking (Mezirow, 1991). It’s important to know that transformational learning is based on our own reflection and how we interpret our experiences, ideas, and assumptions gained through prior learning. By looking deeper into ourselves we can reflect on the positive and negative outcomes of our behaviors.

Three summers ago, my family and I decided to fly to Florida for my dance nationals. When we arrived at the airport, we had to check in our luggage and then move on to the waiting area and wait for the call of our flight boarding time. While waiting, I thought about how I had my one carry-on luggage and my other two suitcases were somewhere, either on the airplane or on its way to be put onto the airplane. I realized that I had put trust in the airport (JFK) to get my luggage onto the plane safely and a guarantee that it will be there at my destination when I go to pick it

In the months, weeks, and eventually days leading up to my flight to Germany the panic was gnawing away at me. Despite the fact that this wasn’t the first time I was venturing out without my parents or even my first time on a plane, it was my first time for a myriad of other experiences in my life. My first international adventure, my first time living with a family that wasn’t my own, and my first time being surrounded by people speaking a different language; all of which began with a simple decision to cross the threshold between the jet bridge and the plane.

Transformative learning is basically changing the way one thinks, feels, acts, and sees life now, as opposed to the past. It can have a small or huge impact on the way they see different aspects of their life. The four stages of the transformative learning process are: Recognizing a specific problem – this is when one would decide if there is a need for change. They would recognize that there is a problem and specifically what it is. Confronting the problem intensely – They would then avoid apprehension and immediately confront the problem, while remembering to consider all possible solutions.

It was the 11th, the day that we arrived. My dad and my sister had already made it, and it was really late. My flight landed, and so had 16 others. We off of the flight, and headed straight for immigration. Last time we came, immigration took 5 minutes, but this time, it took 45! After the long immigration process, we went to the baggage belt, where we couldn’t find our bags. While we were walking to go and file a complaint, we found one of our bags off of the baggage belt. Others took our bags off of the belt, so we went around the belt to find the bags. After we found the bags, we headed out of the airport. It was 4 am, and as soon as we got home, we went to sleep. We got up at about nine and got ready to go to my aunt and uncle’s 25th anniversary

The clock stuck 3:45am and we packed up out makeshift bedding of carry-on items. With all the strength we could muster we gathered our bags, which seemed to weight a billion pound now. We had to get through security. Rounding the corner for TSA we could see everyone was already in line. Another 40 minutes later we were there. The first time we went through security check the day before they pulled Jamie aside to rip her bag apart. She had a camera and a bottle of perfume she forgot to take out that set off certain alarm...and I guess it looked like a terrorist. Just for fun, I took her bag and left the exact same camera and perfume in there, we had time and I wanted to see what would happen. We made it through security without any trouble. Feeling safe at the airport yet? Same objects in the bag, no security stopped us. Wow.

Transformational Learning consist of four stages which are, “recognizing a significant problem; confronting it intensely; finding a solution; and integrating a new prospective” (R-Model, 2010, p.115). When making any major life transition you will probably use transformational learning. You will first recognize that there is a problem or that there is something in your life that you would like to change. Second, you will need to confront the problem. You will need to do so with great intensity, so that you may find a solution. Once you have gone through the third stage to find your solution, you will then start to integrate that solution into your life. Transformational learning is something that everyone will go through at some point

We planned on staying in Cancun for five days so we had to pack quite a bit of clothing. We all had our own suitcase of all the things we needed on our trip like soap, deodorant, cologne etc. It was go time, we loaded up the car with our things and we took off. We had to make a stop before we went to the airport which was the bank to get cash for our trip so we didn’t have to use any debit cards so nobody could steal it from us then we headed to the airport. Arriving at the airport we payed extra parking so we could park in a car garage. Getting out of the car all of us took a deep breath and said here we go. As we headed to the doors of the airport we all were extremely ready for this. We weighed our bags and off they went onto the plane. We went and found our flight number and waited for the plane attendant to tell to aboard the plane. As we were waiting exhausted and tired we finally got to aboard. We found our seats and looked out the window the whole time in a plane I call a “Puddle Jumper” it is a small plane for short distance flights. We were flying to Denver first so a couple hour flight so it wasn’t too bad. I closed my eyes and to sleep I went in second. Next thing I know when I awake that we were already on the ground landing in Denver and I thought to myself “Dang I was passed

Sitting on the plane alone, I wondered what the next three weeks would bring. The light hum of the plane’s engines seemed to go on forever and the dry stale air began to scratch the inside of my throat. My destination was The Netherlands, where the entirety of my family lives. Throughout my youth seeing my family was a rare occasion, once a year if we were lucky, but after my parents divorced, we stopped going altogether. It had been over eight years since I had last visited them and because of the many years of separation, I felt uneasy about it all. Throughout the flight I couldn’t help but to think to myself several questions like: What I might be able to learn and experience from these next three weeks? How I would feel when I would first arrive? And how different everything would be. Having been there only a

The theoretical framework for my research is adult learning theory incorporates the basic concepts of behavioral change and experience in learning. “Emerging theories of adult learning are based on the unique characteristics of adults as learners” (Knowles, 1970, section 1, para 1). There are two categories with respect to the theory of adult learning: how an adult processes knowledge, which in turn produces change for the individual, and how an adult processes knowledge to then become a change agent in an organization. Merriam & Bierema (2014) links these principles with Knowles’ andragogy theory (p.54).

My grandpa told me to be safe and his mustache tickled as he kissed my cheek. I hugged and kissed my grandma then walked to the line. A sign and security employee directed me to place my backpack on a x-ray conveyor then walk through the gate. On the other side was my escort who would take me to the plane. She brought me to the plane and I boarded before the other passengers. I relaxed until the first passengers arrived. I quietly listened to their conversations and waited for the passengers who would sit next to me in the center isle. The doors were shut and still my row was empty except for me.

The one thing that I should always guard my life with was somehow lost, my passport. Of course it had to be me to lose my passport on our typical family vacation to Europe. It was more of a stress enhancer than a stress relief kind of trip. After traveling around Europe for weeks on end, I was exhausted and ready to go home and sleep in my cozy bed with my cat snuggled up by my face. I was packing up my bags in the London hotel room trying to think what I was forgetting, as I am normally very forgetful. I was confident that I had remembered everything, even though in the back of my mind I knew that was not possible. I stepped my foot into the street pretending that I was a fashion model in New York trying to catch a taxi cab. My family and I hopped into the eight passenger van, and started reminiscing on the positives and negatives of our once in a lifetime trip. Soon enough we arrive at the airport three hours before our flight departs, plenty of time to get a snack and watch the humongous planes takeoff and land. I step foot inside and instantly see millions of different cultures roaming around attempting to figure where to go out of the chaoticness of the airport. Then a lady, that looks as if she hates her job, strolls up to my family and I and asked, “May I see your passport.” So, I started rummaging through my bags trying to find the little blue book, that was somehow so important. I have practically turned my bags upside down desperately looking for it,

“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” said David A. Kolb (1984, p.38).

My journey the day I left my home country in search of a better life was not as pleasurable or exciting as I expected. Although it was not a long flight, the accumulation of unexpected vicissitudes during the trip made my dream of traveling an absolute nightmare. Not only my sadness to be leaving my family behind, the uncertainty to fly alone and for the first time, or my inexperience with the procedures at the airport contributed to this calamity, but even my neighbor on the plane added his bit of sand in the affair. All this situation was such traumatic to me that I even considered never daring to fly again.