CU Philosophy

The Philosophy of College Unbound
Assignment from the reading
The Big Picture. Education Is Everyone’s Business
By Dennis Littky

The Learning Project:
Students like me who work full time and run households really benefit from a program like College Unbound. I am able take what I know from my life and apply it to my college experience. I value the flexibility that College Unbound has to offer and the support I get from the staff. It has opened up doors for me that would not have ordinarily been offered to me. College Unbound is a place where I can have a dream of finishing school and actually achieve that dream. With the Learning Projects I am allowed to focus on my real job,  tie into what I do each day with what I’m learning with CU and get credit for it.  I feel that I am learning more about what it is that I want to do with my current career because CU helps me to visualize 10 easy goals to keep in mind.

The BIG 10 .
With goals one is able to set their sights higher and focus on the future. CU has sort of forced me to look at these goals as part of my learning plan. I was asked to read several pamphlets on the goals and to pick a few to write about. Creativity, Reflection, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking were some of the goals I focused my learning on. Taking the time to step back and think about the person I am, the teacher I want to be and the learner in me took reflection. I think the creative aspect helped me to see that I have value and something to offer my students. These goals are designed to help people from Middle school to college level want to learn. They want you to feel like you can do it and so you do. Self motivation. It’s strong in me and through working with The Big 10 I can see for myself my own worth.

The Reggio Approach:
I feel I work best when I am allowed to study the things I want to study. The Reggio Approach that CU offers is an avenue for learners like myself to fully understand what the world is trying to convey but at my own pace. I am not your average learner. I can see now that I am not alone in this feeling. I can see from the success of Doc’s journey, that there are millions of people like myself who would benefit from a college program that allows it’s learners to pick and choose what it is that drives them. I have the same ideas for my own preschool students. My mission is to open the doors of learning up to them. I am so lucky that CU has the same philosophy in teaching that I have, and that I am a part of it. I noticed that in the book this kind of thinking is what motivates the students today in high school. This kind of teaching, free thinking, self motivation teaching is what is missing in many public school systems. If all schools functioned like The MET and CU, students would feel like they drive their own learning wheel. Not with the teacher’s interests but the students’. It should be the other way around but unfortunately it’s not.

The Advisors:
The job of advisor to me is someone that is their to give good advice. This person can be a teacher, fellow student, parent, church affiliate and boss. The job of advisor for CU do much more than give advice. These people are fired up for YOU. They call on YOU and check in with YOU! They want to see you do well and often they are there for you even at the end of a very busy day but you would never know it. I feel the advisors at CU all have a small little Littky in their back pocket pushing them to feel the drive and love of education that he has in his heart. That energy inside Dennis radiates from the hearts and minds of the people who work with him. Along side him. I dare not say FOR him because these people are just as pumped and excited to teach, support and motivate as Dennis is. They are a great team and I am lucky they are on my side. They helped me feel like this is the place for me, that I could do anything. They pushed me when I didn't want to be pushed and moved me when I didn’t think I had enough strength. The advisors at The MET and CU help you to see The BIG Picture. Education is the key to a better life. Once you get the bug you must pass it on. Because of the advisors at CU I am now an advocate for learning. College Unbound as made me a life long learner. If you can dream it it can be done.