Behavioral Science Classes

Every year at about this time teachers begin to think of the end of the school year. One more month, one more week, 4 more days and counting. Why do teachers feel that way? Probably because they are tired. Children have so many needs to be met and teachers are expected to meet them. 

Years ago teachers taught reading, writing and math. Now teachers teach all those things but add on social development, nutrition, stranger safety, anti-bullying and on and on it goes. Try to get all that in to 6 hours a day and teachers are exhausted after 180 days. 

So is there a way to help teachers? How about taking courses to energize your career? Have you thought about a online courses for adults that you could take while hanging out in your yard? Check out the offerings at Granite State College for online classes. You might just find a course to help you with all those extras you need to teach. Try the behavioral science classes, or maybe just a good science or history course for the fun of it.

If you are saying, "I am so tired of teaching." Don't give up. Check out Granite State College and plan on treating yourself to an online boost to your career.

Finally it seems that winter has left us behind and spring is giving way to summer. The flowers are in bloom and everyone wants to be outside. For me, that sunshine is also calling me to read a good book, whether in traditional book form, or on a computer screen.

Did you know that Granite State offers courses that allow you to experience the out of doors? There are science classes that allow you to travel to the Isles of Shoals. There are art classes that allow you to paint the landscape. These are some of the adult education services available to students at Granite State College.

The college also offers distance learning classes that would be perfect for you to get involved in while sitting in that warm spring sunshine. You can take online courses for adults at Granite State and enjoy the spring weather at the same time that you are studying science, math, behavioral science or early childhood education. So when you grab that good book and settle into the summer sunshine, grab a Granite State College catalog, and enjoy the weather.

Wouldn't it be nice to say, "I think I will be a teacher, or a scientist, or a writer," and then go out and get a job doing exactly what you want? The idea is nice, but the reality is often very different. You may know what you want to do but the jobs may not be there. Or, you are not sure what you want to do so you try a few things, but none of them seem just right. Unfortunately, with our economy the way it is, any job is difficult to obtain, and even more difficult without the proper education.

This is where Granite State College comes in. Did you realize you could take courses at Granite State while still earning money at that job that isn't quite right? Courses are offered at night, on weekends, or totally on line for you to do whenever your schedule permits. You could take courses in early childhood or elementary education, math, or behavioral sciences, to name a few. Granite State offers assistance in planning for your future job. They can help you figure out what that perfect job might be, and what training you would need to get there. Granite State College offers affordable college study without giving up your present income. 

The job market is tough right now so if you are thinking of starting or changing a career, get the adult education services you need to guide you in that direction. Check out the courses offered at Granite State and beat that tight job market.

Two months before I was to turn 50 I made up my mind to now go do something that I had wanted to do for a very long time.
It was scary walking into the Conway campus that first time but everyone there made me feel so welcome! Nancee couldn't go out of her way enough to calm my nerves and my anxiety about what I was going to do.
I took the application home, along with the catalog of courses. The very next week I went back and enrolled as a college freshman!
It has been two years since that fateful day and I do not regret one single moment of it! I will be graduating in June with my Associates Degree in Behavioral Science and have already committed for the next two years. I want my Bachelor's!!
I will be 54 at that time but am looking forward to the rest of my life!

Name: Karen Hildreth
Graduated: 2011
Location: Conway
Degree: AS

Do you know what it means to be a lifelong learner? Hopefully you are one. Maybe you graduated from high school 40 years ago, or maybe you are just about to graduate. Does that mean your learning is over? Do you stop learning just because you are no longer a student? A lifelong learner is one who is interested in knowing more about the things in their world. A lifelong learner is one who is excited by the many things they come in contact with each day and they want to know more.

Granite State College has so many programs for lifelong learners - after all, it's a lifelong learning college. Whether you are someone who just wants to take a course, maybe in environmental or behavioral science because that interests you, or you are someone who is thinking about finishing a degree in Early Childhood Education or taking Foster Parent Classes or online college English classes, you are a lifelong learner.

Granite State College has campuses around New Hampshire that can offer the lifelong learner opportunities for growth and understanding. You can take online college classes, or come to one of the campuses for a face to face experience. Either way, being a lifelong learner is what life after high school is all about.

If you are in the beginning stages of choosing your major, coursework, and the ultimate goal you hope to acheive when you graduate from Granite State College, I hope you will consider the following tips as you browse through the Granite State College catalog, whether you discover this important tool online at the Granite State College website or just happen to pick up a hard copy in one of the nine class locations around the state:

1. Try to be as certain as you can be regarding your adult college degree outcomes. Are you taking courses at Granite State College for the purpose of completing a degree?  Or, are you planning to complete your degree as a means of making a living?

2.  As an adult higher education student there is little time to waste.  Find an advocate in the wonderful faculty, advisors, and administrators surrounding you from day to day, who can guide you along.  Achieving your degree can sometimes mean the difference in not only the jobs you qualify for but also the money you are preparing to earn.

3.  Research, research, research.  Know for certain what your degree means to you.  Find out what the  difference is between a BA and a  BS.  Know where your Behavioral Science Degree or your Language Arts Degree will lead to in the work force.

As a graduate now trying to get my sealegs in the workforce, I see how valuable this information is to obtain ahead of time.

One of my adult college degree students wrote the following on the Discussion Board in one of my online courses (and gave me permission to use the words, though not the name):

"I too had a hard time in high school. I wanted some sort of identity. Somehow I got the idea that I wanted to rebel against the establishment. I wore a black leather jacket and smoked cigarettes. I hung around the "cool people" who were also rebels. I graduated high school with a C average. My self esteem was low and my self concept was of a rebel. I did what I wanted when I wanted. This led me to getting in trouble with my mother and I finally moved out when I was 21. I wasted away years of my life until I decided to go to college. My self concept is of a level-headed person with a goal to graduate and become full time employed in the field of behavioral science. I really changed my life around." 

This is the kind of story I hear so often from my students at Granite State College.  You don't have to have had a hard time in high school, of course, but if you have, you may appreciate the benefits of working on an adult college degree because of your earlier experiences.  I love hearing their stories, and, as I may have already admitted in my blogs, I always cry at graduation.  It's a moving sight to see all these elated graduates. Each one has a story too.  

Classes are over! This was one of the harder terms that I have encountered here at Granite State College. New experiences and new ways of taking classes (example: 5 week online intensive class) doesn't always mean that it will make your life easier. On the flip side, taking a chance on a new way of taking classes could change the way you complete your program. I have never considered taking an English class online, however the online college English classes that are offered here are many, and the way they are set up seem to be pretty well constructed. Not to mention, I'm on my computer ALL the time so this is another excuse to take my computer everywhere :) 

I am relieved to be done with this term. That means I am that much closer to finishing my teacher training education! And...behavioral science. It's a day by day, step by step, class by class, week by week (etc, etc, etc...) in finishing my degrees. Some days it feels like it will never end, and at other times it feels like time is flying. Don't get me wrong: my adult education is a ride that I don't want to have pass by me, but I can be a little impatient...

For everyone who has finished their classes, congrats! 12 weeks is an accomplishment. You should feel very proud of yourself! 

Tonight, in my child development class at Granite State College's Portsmouth NH college campus, we were talking about cognitive development of high school students. We discussed how during the high school years, children are transitioning to adulthood, not only in their size, but also in their thinking. Students in high school begin to analyze things from a variety of perspectives. They start to think of themselves as part of a larger world and they start to make moral judgments based on an understanding of right and wrong. You might not think that education classes at Granite State College would touch on world issues, but as we discussed thinking and reasoning, we also talked about issues facing not only today's teens, but also issues facing our country and our world. Should we be concerned about the fate of people half way around the world in Japan? Should we care about how the United States is responding to the crisis in Libya? There are many classes at Granite State College that will allow you to think more deeply about world issues. Think about registering for online classes or face to face classes. These might be behavioral science classes or critical thinking or an online class for criminal justice. Try registering for an adult education class. Many of the classes will encourage you to think and offer you a chance to discuss your ideas with other people who are also interested in world issues.

"If you want to go quickly, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together."  --African proverb.

I recently saw the above quote from my Granite State College Social Psychology textbook, "Social Psychology" by David G. Myers.  There is something about this quote that really seems to resonate with me.

For many years, I believed that working hard would alone get me to the goals and ambitions that I had hoped for in my life.  In many ways that is true, because without hard work, I probably wouldn't have gotten far.  My choices were very much "I" choices and what "I" would do by my own steam.  How much more fulfilling it has been to expand and be active in my community, being a volunteer in several organizations, and to continue my education.  I find that college life has expanded my knowledge in many areas, has helped me to "think outside of the box," and has that advantage of being surrounded by many like-minded people who enjoy their degree choices.  For me, that degree choice is a bachelor's in Behavioral Science.  Granite State College's online adult learning courses has been my primary method of "attending" classes and has really proven to be much more fulfilling than I could have imagined.  I'm on class discussion boards almost as much I'm on Facebook!  :)

I also find that being in a course at Granite State College doesn't mean that I "go it alone," since there are so many helpful people that I meet up with as I pursue my educational ambitions.  I will be continuing on to graduate studies after I complete my bachelor's in Behavioral Science in June.  I've put in a lot of individual work that will help me to go quickly, but the quality of the journey is from working with others at Granite State College that has made all of the difference as to how far I will go. 

Trying checking out some of the courses that are available at Granite State College and you'll see that together we'll go far!

Dear Mother Nature, 'nuf with the snow!  I am ready for Spring!

For me, Spring is the best time of year.  The temperature becomes a perfect mix of cool and warm, people are outside more, and nature starts to wake up.  Every Spring day brings along something new; new buds on trees, birds I haven't heard for awhile and didn't realize that I missed, and flowers beginning to bloom.  I love the feeling that it gives me of new and hopeful beginnings.

One more semester to go before I graduate from Granite State College and start my "new and hopeful" life outside of GSC.  The feeling is both satisfying and also a bit scary.  It's not always easy trying something new that will be outside of my comfort zone however positive it may be.  There was a time when I am sure I felt the same way about entering college.  All of the "what ifs" creep up... what if I don't do well, what if I can't find the time, what if, what if, what if.  All it took though was one class at a time and now, with the help of GSC's affordable continuing education options and class formats (classroom, online, and weekend intensive), the one class at a time has become a bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science.  How exciting!

Continuing my education was the best thing I ever did.  Give Granite State College a call and see what "new and hopeful beginnings" are waiting for you!

Have you read all the news stories lately about the Tiger Mom? The topic certainly has received a lot of press and caused many people to think about child rearing practices. Do you agree with what you have heard? Were you raised by a strict parent or one who was very permissive? At Granite State College, in a child development class, the discussion about child rearing has been an interesting one.

Students enrolled in Early Childhood degree programs and Behavioral Science classes and degree programs have engaged in a discussion about what aspects of parenting are important. In Foster Parent Classes at Granite State College, the conversation is similar. Research tells us that parents who are accepting of their children, and encourage exploration, while providing stability and love can help children to develop into healthy adults.

It's certainly an interesting discussion to be a part of in our adult and continuing education classes here at Granite State College.

We had a great discussion the other night in my Child Development course.

Think for a moment about an infant. What adjectives would you use to describe a baby girl? What about a baby boy? Did you use the same words? Did you know that gender differences start right at birth with parents and others describing boys and girls differently? Research has found we use words like "sweet" and "petite" for girls and "strong" and "robust" for boys when describing infants. The discussion brought up lots of interesting things about gender differences. It was a fun discussion.

To participate in great discussions like this one, you should think about taking an Early Childhood Education course at Granite State College. There are many different Early Childhood, Teacher Training Education, Behavioral Science or Elementary Education courses to choose from, all with great discussions to get you thinking. And when you are picking course titles, think about whether they sound like courses traditionally for boys or girls.

Are you a busy person? Most people would say yes! Are you an ambitious person? Again, most people would say yes! Are you an adult who thinks college is something kids do after high school because they don't want to go to work, or they don't know what they want? To that, I hope you answered no.

What if I were to tell you that many of the people who come to classes at Granite State College are a lot like you? They are adults interested in adult education courses. They may have found a program they are interested in but most are not going to school full time. They are taking part time classes or even online adult education classes to further their education. That is pretty ambitious because they are working during the day and coming to class at night.

But classes only meet one night a week. So, just think, one night a week you could come over after work to a campus in Portsmouth, or Rochester, or Concord, or Manchester, or Berlin or Littleton and take a class instead of crashing in front of TV.  

Right now I am teaching a child development course. Two people are taking the course for their Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood, one is taking it for a degree in Behavioral Science, another for an associates degree, and one person is taking it because he thought it would be interesting to know about the theories of child development. 

There are so many reasons to come to Granite State College. I hope you will find a reason and I will see you in a class next semester.

I don't know if I mentioned it in a previous post, but I am a volunteer as Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in NH (www.casanh.org).  CASA is a great nationwide organization that represents children in the court system who may not have had the best of circumstances in their young lives.  CASA has also helped me to see that working with/for others is something I wanted to pursue.  What better place or program, but Granite State College's bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science.

As part of being a CASA volunteer though, I'm able to take advantage of the foster parent classes that are offered at GSC.  I'm actually taking my first class now through the foster parent classes.  The class is Delivering Effective Training and is 12 hours over two days.  The class started Monday and will be finishing up tomorrow, Thursday.  There is really quite a bit offered in foster parent classes such as Caring for Children with Emotional Disabilities, Unlocking Children's Learning Styles, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (which is one I think I might like to try soon).  The courses are offered at the different GSC locations or can be workbook or online.

If you are or considering becoming a foster parent, a current CASA volunteer or DCYF worker, check it out.  It might be worth looking into.  The courses are non-credit, but might be well worth it for whatever direction you choose in life.  It's a good price... FREE!  :)

What a snow storm we've had here in southern New Hampshire today.  Lots of snow... unfortunately, lots of shoveling too!  But I wouldn't trade living here for anything!

What's nice about my online Behavioral Science classes in this weather is that I don't have to miss any class time because of all of this snow.  I went out, shoveled a bit, came back in, had a coffee, and did some homework.  I have a whole week to complete that week's assignments and the flexibility of an online class is that I can work on my studies throughout the week.  No traveling needed and my study hours are based more on the times I have available during the week.

And online classes for adults work out great for stay-at-home moms and those who work outside of the home.  You just can't beat the flexibility of online learning.

So if you think you may not have time, contact one of the GSC advisors and see what might be possible!  The only regret would be to have never have tried at all.  What have you got to lose? 

Hope to "see" you at one of the online adult education classes!

Stay warm everyone!

mary

Our Winter session has started.  I was really excited about the start of this new semester.  Part of the reason is that I only have five more courses (including this semester) before I graduate in June with my Bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science and I'm looking forward to my courses.

I'll have two online classes for college this semester and one in the classroom at the Manchester NH college campus.  I can't say that I'm very good at biology, but I am so looking forward to my class, "The Human Brain."  It will be interesting to learn more about different disorders and what parts of the brain are affected.  Cool stuff!

I'll also have my Introduction to Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences and Social Psychology - Hi Beth!  (Beth was the instructor for my Human Development class too.)

The Intro class is so interesting even though we're only about half way through the first week.  Lots of great online discussions as responses to a posted question from our instructor.

I can't wait to see how these classes unfold.  I wish in some ways that I had started at Granite State College earlier because they have so many interesting classes being offered through the year.  But I'm not complaining!  It's because of Granite State College's flexible class schedules and different formats (classroom, online, and weekend intensive) that's allowing me to graduate in June!  

I'll let you know how things progress!

mary

I watched a "60 Minutes" episode recently, where a half dozen people who have "superior autobiographical memory" were interviewed.  (The group included Marilu Henner, whom I remember fondly from a sitcom called "Taxi.")  The segment was called "The Gift of Endless Memory," and Leslie Stahl interviewed five people who didn't have just "great" memories.  They could remember everything that had ever happened to them, and when.  Given any date, each could remember tiny details of the day, and of course, the interviewers made certain to verify these memories.   

The researcher involved,  Dr. James McGaugh, is a professor of neurobiology at the University of California Irvine, and he's a well-known expert on memory.  He would ask these subjects (there are six known in the world), what would ordinarily be difficult or impossible for an ordinary person to recall, but could be verified by records, such as which days of a month twenty years ago, that it rained.  When they showed one subject being questioned about the weather twenty years ago, she not only recalled which days it rained, but the weather for the days before!

Psychology courses often delve into how memory works.  At Granite State College we have a lot of psychology courses and behavioral science classes, both online and classroom courses (the classroom courses take place in one of our nine NH state college campuses), including some we call "five-week intensives," that are accelerated courses.  You'll read a lot, and become immersed in your subject, but at the end of five weeks, you'll be impressed with yourself, to realize that you've completed a whole college course!  And the only shortcut is the length of time it took to finish the course.  You'll still be learning the same things you'd learn in a full-length course!  (But we can't promise that, like the people I've described, you'll remember everything for as long as you live!!!)

At Granite State College, we find ourselves emphasizing "adult learning," but once you finish high school, it's true that all college learning is "adult learning."  And our learners range from just out of high school to senior citizens!  (The oldest student I've had so far was 71 years "young" and the youngest was 17!)

Oh, and back to that fascinating segment on "60 Minutes":  I loved when Marilu Henner said, "You know what I love? I love when people get so flattered, Like they go, 'Wow, I must've really made an impression on you.' And I go, 'No, no, believe me - I remember everything' '"  And the fact that these people seem to have just a little bit of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder):  they like to keep things in order and to collect things.

But the thing that's also stuck in my mind over the last week is that of the five subjects on the show, only one - Marilu Henner - had ever been married.  (And she'd been married three times.)  Is it possible that being able to remember everything (including arguments and hurt feelings) might make a long-term relationship more tenuous?  Maybe it's important for our social "grease" to be able to actually forget details.  (Ah, that's something that I should bring up in Social Psychology course, one of the online adult education classes that's coming up!)

So, I'm wondering if maybe that not-so-great memory of mine may have contributed to the longevity of my marriage.  (We just celebrated our 42nd anniversary.)  Well, there certainly aren't any proven "magic pills," but you never know...

Here's a link if you want to watch the "60 Minutes" segment.

Another twelve weeks has come and gone at Granite State College, and I am emerging on the other side of this term changed once again.  Perhaps 'changed' isn't the right word, as each class has enhanced or refined who I am as a person.  I don't believe that one can actively engage one's mind and learn new concepts without being impacted.  A truth, once learned, becomes a part of who we are.  Once our eyes are opened, it would be utter foolishness to close them again to what we have seen.

Learning doesn't stop at the classroom door.  Some people consider their educational career to have been completed upon receiving their high school diploma; others equate learning with adult continuing education programs, and "pause" between courses.  What I've found from taking my behavioral science classes, as well as the core and elective classes, is that the readings, discussions, and assignments throughout the terms have stirred my hunger for knowledge.  

I've often filled the between-times trying to learn more about the subjects I've already learned, or trying to satisfy my curiosity about thoughts and ideas yet to be explored.  A simple search for "behavioral science" on YouTube results in many videos illustrating the psychological concepts discussed in textbooks and classes.  Another favorite site of mine is http://www.sciencedaily.com, which I've used extensively both in my classes and for my own interest.

One of the many benefits of being a recipient of adult higher education at Granite State College is that it has prepare my mind to be a lifelong learner, not only in the classroom or through the online adult programs, but in the great classroom of life.

There is knowledge waiting to be discovered everywhere.  Whet your appetite and prime the pump at Granite State College.

Hi all.

Only a few more days until I finish these three courses of the fall semester.  I really enjoyed my Human Development class with Beth Benoit (Hi Beth!).  Beth is my instructor as well as a fellow Granite State College blogger. 

I'm finding my degree specific classes for the bachelor's in Behavioral Science to be so interesting.  I want more of it!  This may later prove to fall under the category of "be careful of what you wish for," but I don't think so.  Beth will also be teaching my online course for Social Psychology, one of the behavioral science classes, and I imagine I will enjoy that just as much as I've enjoyed this one.

It's so nice to get to this stage of my life and really know what I want to focus on and that is to help others.  Not that I regret the past, but now I feel more focused and ready to stretch myself to new experiences.  When I was in my 30s, going back to school wasn't even a blip on the screen for me, but now... I can't believe how many cool things I've gotten a chance to do in my 40s!  A few weeks ago, I received my GSC reminder to submit my "Intent to Graduate" form.  How exciting!  Two more semesters and I'll have my bachelor's from GSC, the center of adult education.  I can hardly believe it.

We're  capable of accomplishing so much and life can be so rewarding.  I have my ups and downs too, but, wow, life is good!

If I don't write again until after the holidays.  I hope your holidays are everything you hoped for and that you have a wonderful new year!