Glasgow University study
am very enthusiastic and excited about the prospect of studying at Glasgow University; specifically, the international master in Adult Education for Social Change. I believe this opportunity is an imperative step in furthering my professional advancement and empowerment.
I grow up in a country that has been affected by the armed conflict for more than 6 decades. However, I only knew this in a distant sense. I caught glimpses of newspaper headlines with phrases like "FARC attacked a military base in a rural area" or I heard the news on the radio about how people and our history had affected through the time. Although those always were interesting references, they were words, and they never felt like realities to me until I became a professional and I worked on unique areas related to education with children and adults mainly.
Before I became a teacher, that role only existed as an idea, in books of pedagogy like Maryellen Weimer's teaching or perhaps in movies like "to be or to have". But one day, that imaginary changed and I still remember that scene clearly: There was me, a young teacher of 22 years old in front of a group of adults with different but special characteristics like their different ages, towns and municipalities, their low level of education, and one thing in common...the desire of improving their quality of life through education. I felt very excited because it was an opportunity to encourage them to have a positive impact on their personal and future professional life. If I describe them, most of them were of the same age but older than me, as a result, their experiences permitted me to understand their needs better to create different and meaningful learning activities. Consequently, they felt motivated and encouraged by my classes, where they were able to develop their competences and achieving academic success.
After teaching 3 years the subject of English in the Language Learning program from Kuepa Colombia, and being the lecturer of English as a foreign language in the bachelor degree of Business administration, this program is endorsed by Corporación Unificada Nacional de Colombia, the next step in my academic and professional career is the IMAESC program since it will allow me to widen my knowledge and understand how adult education may influence in developing countries with courses offered such as international issues, practical aspects, adult education for sustainable development, or a social difference, theories and critical reflection, to get a better understanding in education to develop strategies that allow me to encourage academic processes to raise awareness, encourage and increase adults' skills and competences in the society and to have the best tools to assess myself during teaching processes.
Have studied a bachelor in basic education with an emphasis in English gave me the tools for developing adequate learning spaces, where we can have flexible opportunities for dialogue and learning that allow us to build knowledge. It also permitted me to be a better listener concerning their needs and to identify their skills and cognitive qualities to apply the best strategies and approaches to reach meaningful learning. To continue improving my profile as an educator, I studied a specialization degree in Education in Technology at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, where I acquired new strategies related to the use of technology in the fields of pedagogy, didactics, curriculum, and technological approaches. During the specialization, the best part was the opportunity of sharing experiences with other educators from different fields. Moreover, due to my interest in languages and education, during 2018 I had the opportunity to participate in the program of teaching Spanish as a second language, lectured at the Instituto Caro y Cuervo where different courses like Spanish literature, philology, and linguistics are taught exclusively to language educators such as high academic performance; working on my pedagogical knowledge within a group of different people makes me feel interested and curious. Based on that, I approached myself in the field of designing material for teaching English and Spanish to adults using technology to foster learning processes.
During my 4th and 5th semester of my professional studies, I participated in a program for teaching English in a population with social vulnerability in Bogotá. This experience led me to be immersed in a context where violence, poorness, prostitution, drug addiction, and forced displacement are presented, this allowed me to broaden my perspective and understand the problems that my country has faced. I reinforced my viewpoint when I did my preservice teacher education in a public school with youth students. During my academic studies, I was awarded two honorable mentions for my academic performance. Besides, I participated in two lectures with the research "project Work to Enhance Communicative Competence in EFL". Besides, during my specialization, I carried a project intending to teach English with specific purposes in a b-learning context for adults. This project allowed me to publish an article with the university and I got the recognition for having high academic performance in my postgraduate course. Thus, I truly believe that my professional experience and educational background are valuable assets that would enable me to flourish and succeed as a student, and positively contribute to your university.
Only who truly have experienced the problem can generate spaces for change and reconciliation. Living the experience of working with people with social vulnerability encouraged me to continue my studies in the field of education and social context. For that reason, the IMAEC's consortium is the best place to pursue my postgraduate studies because of their expertise in the respective field, which would give an appropriate and enriching educational context to expand my global perception. I live in a country that has been affected by violence and conflict during the last decades, as a result, people have experienced situations that forced them to leave their towns and begin again. I consider that it is important to allow those situations and establish strategies to improve our social context and personal relations.
Besides my academic skills and my experience working with adults set me in a position to contribute to a wide range of approaches in the Colombian context. I see myself working in this field in a national organization contributing directly to adult education and teaching English as a second language to generate an impact in the community and my country. Experienced the peace process of Colombia and seen the social vulnerability that people have lived, makes me wonder, how learning English can impact and improve the quality of life of adults immersed in a context of vulnerability. That would be the topic of my 2nd-year dissertation. Therefore, learning a second language is a tool that fosters the growth of a country not only economically, but also does educational and socially.
Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,