How Were ACOP Leaders Trained?

[Nate]

I have gravitated to more formal learning, which is evident through my time here at Eston College. I think that getting some form of formal learning is really important. Learning how to intensively study is an important skill to have and develop.

I found it interesting that many of the men from the A-team seemed to have some sort of formal training which wet the appetite to become life-long learners. That is encouraging to see. One of the goals of formal education should be to create people who don’t just know what to think and learn, but how to think and learn and I think FGBI/Eston College has done that!

[Sarah]

I think in the past I mostly leaned towards formal learning and I still have a huge appreciation for formal education and the value of the classroom. I love how formal education forces you to really set aside and dedicate time to a topic or focus and allows you to go deep quickly. However, in this stage of my life I think I am learning a lot more from informal and non-formal learning experiences as I walk out ministry in a full time capacity.

[Chris]

I have found that during different seasons of my life I have undertaken learning in all three forms and have appreciated them all for the various outcomes that they provide. When I was younger, I focused a little more on Formal learning, as the positions I was headed towards required a certain level of accreditation and recognition. I still find myself engaging in all three forms, for different reasons, however I would say that I now gravitate more towards Non-formal or experiential learning, as my learning is now less about employment, and more to do with acquiring knowledge, skills and abilities in areas that interest me and. I also engage in informal learning for personal growth.

[Taliya]

I have experienced all of these styles of learning in my life and depending on the season in my life I gravitate to one over the others. I think formal learning is a great environment to be around lots of people interested in the same field of study and dedicate majority of your time to learning. However, this style is a big time/money commitment.

Experiential learning is a great way to learn if you don’t have the ability to commit to formal learning. I love the training then learn from experience aspect of this style. There are so many things you can learn from practicing your field of study and shadowing others who live it out.

Informal or directed learning is a great way to continue your knowledge in a subject but I struggle with self motivation in this style. But I have enjoyed just casually learning something from informally reading books.