What are you doing today? Maybe you are an early childhood educator. You go to your job, which you love, but you wish you could do more. Maybe you are a paraprofessional and you wish you could take on more responsibility. Then you think of how you could do more. That would mean going back to school. School?? AHHH!! Then come the excuses. I am too old. I am too tired. I work all day. I have my own kids to worry about at night.
But have you thought about online education classes? Maybe you knew that Granite State College had online college english classes and online classes for criminal justice. But did you know that many of the classes for Early Childhood Education are also online? Just think, you could come home from work, have your supper, get your kids to bed, put on your pjs, climb into bed and go to school.
Wow! Wouldn't that be great. Just think, you can take
online classes at Granite State College in so many areas. You could get your whole Associate's Degree without ever leaving your room. Or maybe you just need a course or two. Check it out. The online courses at Granite State are designed for working professionals just like you.
Now that you have eaten the Thanksgiving turkey and all of those pies, you may be thinking about enjoying December and then making the regular New Year's Resolution to go on a diet. Well, how about something more lasting this year? A resolution that will really change your life?
How about enrolling in Adult Education classes at Granite State College. You have debated taking a class, finishing a degree or maybe getting an Adult Education Certificate. Now is the time. Granite State College has face-to-face and Online Classes in many areas. Maybe you are interested in an Adult Accelerated Degree Program, or Online Classes for Criminal Justice. Maybe you are interested in Childhood Education Classes or Behavioral Science Classes. Check out all the offerings at Granite State College and then make a New Year's Resolution to further your education. Classes at Granite State are offered in the evenings and people like you are coming from work to learn more and further their careers. The people are friendly and ready to learn. So, make a move and make a New Year's Resolution that you will enjoy keeping. You can register on line today. And, as for that diet, just watch that third piece of pie!
What are you thankful for? We hear that phrase a lot each November. And people respond with things like family, friends, health. Those are all such important parts of our life. But sometimes we are also thankful for the opportunities we are given in life.
I have to say that in addition to my family and friends, I am thankful for the opportunity I have to teach Early Childhood and teacher training education courses at Granite State College at the Rochester NH college campus. I have met so many wonderful people at Granite State. College I have met students who are excited about their work with young children. I have met people who have been in the field of childhood education for many years, but need a course or two to maintain their professional position. I have met people who have had a career in business but have always wanted to teach.
One man comes to mind. He was nearing retirement in the business world but had always wanted to teach. He was working his way through a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. He has since graduated from Granite State College. He called me recently to tell me that he was now almost through a Master's Degree in Education. Another woman was pursuing a degree in Behavioral Sciences. She wanted to work with special needs children. Now she is in a position where she can impact the lives of young special needs children. Yes, when I think about the opportunity I have had to play a role in the further education of so many people who are now teaching young children, I am very thankful.
Did you read my last post about Online courses at Granite State College?
Did you think about how being an older adult, maybe this online adult education idea is not for you?
Well I have good news for you. I am an older adult. (Not that I like how that sounds!) And as an older adult involved in the Early Childhood and Teacher training education programs at Granite State College, I have found out that managing the online education system really isn't all that difficult. I have almost finished putting an entire course online. I have had excellent help from faculty at Granite State College and I have also used the online tutorials. I have overcome my fear of this new system for the younger adults and I actually am having fun mastering an online course. So I want to encourage you, if you are interested in an adult education diploma, or online college English classes or any form of online education courses at Granite State (and check out all the offerings) and you are an "older" adult, I am telling you that you can do it. Go for it! You will find that it is lots of fun.
If you are thinking about taking a course online, but you are not sure you know how to navigate a whole course online, just realize that as a student at Granite State College, whether you are looking for online classes for early childhood education or online classes for criminal justice or online college English classes, you are not the only one who has to learn to navigate the online system.
I am currently creating my first online course and I will tell you it was a bit of a challenge at the beginning. My first look at the Blackboard system was almost enough to scare me away from online classes at Granite State forever. I thought, there is no way I am going to be able to put a whole course onto the computer. But with the patience and assistance of the Blackboard resource people at GSC, I have almost finished writing my first online course. I have been teaching for a long time, at Granite State and in other places but I guess I am still not too old to learn new things and neither are you.
So be brave, step out of the familiar and into the new and exciting world of online adult education classes at Granite State. See you online!
Have you ever thought about teacher training education? Have you wondered how people become teachers at the early childhood or elementary levels? Childhood education classes are what makes it possible for teachers to become teachers. If individuals do not take education classes they are likely to just copy what they saw in school themselves. So look back at your own learning career. You probably had some great teachers and some ordinary teachers. Unfortunately you may have had more ordinary teachers. Yet if you want to teach, you want to be one of the great teachers. And that doesn't just suddenly happen. You need to become involved in childhood education classes that challenge you to think and to expand your knowledge. You need to be equipped to change with the times.
Classes at
Granite State College make that possible. The classes are scheduled in the evenings so you can work during the day and expand your skills at night. You can enroll in just one class, at a local campus such as Portsmouth NH classes or Rochester NH classes, or you can take online classes.
Recently a student at
Granite State College observed in an elementary school classroom and saw the teacher handing out worksheet packets while students got into trouble. She decided that the lesson was a good lesson until she was challenged in her evening class at Granite State to think about what could have been done differently to reach the many needs and learning styles in the classroom. Her thinking was challenged and with her classmates she discussed other options. Now and in the future her own students will have the benefit of her learning and experience. That thinking and reflecting is what makes ordinary teachers great.
Recently Harvard University announced that it was doing away with final exams. They stated that students do not really learning anything by taking final exams. They are better off showing what they know in projects, quizzes and hands on experiences.
This announcement raised an interesting discussion in the Early Childhood Assessment course at
Granite State College, Rochester. Should students take final exams? The class members recounted their own experiences at
Granite State College. They reported that in most classes in the Teacher Training Education department faculty relied on projects and papers to assess understanding. Most of the students had taken few final exams at
Granite State College. They agreed that using projects and papers assessed their understanding of the material they were learning. They realized that final exams were appropriate in some courses but they felt that the faculty was responsive to the material being taught and they were happy that final exams were not always the only way to assess learning in the classes at
Granite State College. What is your opinion of final exams in college?
The college years of students--younger or older-- in the age of technology abound with opportunities to succeed at Granite State College. Websites are available--every baby step of the way-- to guide students along but only if they choose to investigate them.
I have attached a link about Career Advice that may be helpful to students who are undecided about which course or academic direction they may want to take, whether they are attending classes in Rochester NH college, Concord NH college, Claremont NH college, or Manchester NH college campuses.
It is necessary to have a sense of what direction to take. Perhaps the use of a website like this one could help students decide whether they have a better aptitude for the Behavioral Sciences offered through Granite State College or maybe they are more inclined to pursue Early Childhood Education Classes there. Either way, the technology abounds to provide information when college Advisors are not available at the end of a telephone line. At least this website gives students someplace to start.
http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/Getting-Started/Try-This-4-Year-Career-Checklist/article.aspxAdult Education is all about independently acquiring information, skills, and success. Technology is available to also help students form questions they need to ask of their Advisors.
Why not click on this website, dip your toes in and get yourself organized for the the Fall Semester. Granite State College empowers students to ask questions and achieve answers.
A prospective student finished her accuplacer assessment and was anxious to know the results. The scores were not easily interpretable. At a quick glance, however, I noticed that the placement recommendation was for Contemporary College Math -- which is one of the required courses for a degree at
Granite State College. I pointed this out to her and we both practically cheered because she was so pleased to discover that she knows more than she thought she knew!
This particular student, let's call her Miranda, works in a local elementary school. While she enjoys her role as a para-educator, she really wants to pursue Teacher Training Education. As a former high school dropout, Miranda didn't think she was equipped to go to college, but once she attained her G.E.D., she realized that she was thirsty for more. She decided to apply to GSC, the New Hampshire State College that offers Affordable College Study, and she's eager to start her Childhood Education Courses this fall.
Miranda wants to work with children that have special needs. At GSC, she will pursue a B.S. in
Individualized Studies: English Language Arts -- which will enable her to meet the federal Highly Qualified Teacher requirement, and the
Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification in General Special Education. The reason Miranda chose GSC, she told me, was because she could continue to work in her chosen field while taking Evening College Classes. I'm willing to bet that she will also find, as I have found, that taking classes with other adults of all ages provides a rich educational experience. GSC is the college in the University of New Hampshire System that specializes in Adult Higher Education.
The excitement Miranda expressed -- when she saw evidence that her abilities are indeed college-level -- is one of the reasons I love working at
Granite State College. It's such a great feeling to watch someone's face light up at the realization of their possibilities! Our students are so invested in their education, because many of them already have real-world experience, and they are incredibly motivated to do well in their studies. They want the most out of their education. And we at GSC are here to cheer them on!
I can't say enough about the classes for Early Childhood Education that we offer at Granite State College. Not only is this
Bachelors Degree available in the form of evening college classes or online classes focused on adults, we have such wonderful Faculty as well. I'm thinking for example of Catherine Yeaton, who is currently teaching EDU 553,
Creative Arts in Early Childhood Education, which we are offering this Summer at our
Rochester NH College. Catherine runs the well-know
Building Blocks School - located in southern New Hampshire.
But here is the key detail that might surprise working childcare professionals looking for career advancement programs: Granite State College has a program that will jump start your Early Childhood Degree. If you are employed at least 20 hours a week in a NH licensed or license-exempt child care center or family child care program, GSC will pay for half the costs of your first class, or even the full cost, depending on the class. Click this
link for details.
Let me be specific about
Fall Term, because registration is open right now. Here are two classes that you can sign up for using the ECE Tuition Assistance Program:
PSY 508, Child Development, 4 credits
(GSC Rochester, Tuesday nights, starting Sept. 14th)
EDU 601, Observation & Assessment in Early Childhood Education, 4 credits
(GSC Rochester, Monday nights, starting Sept. 13th)
You do NOT need to be enrolled in a degree program to take these courses - but if you ARE interested in career advancement education, give us a call (603.332.8335) or register
online.
Are you an early childhood professional, a paraprofessional, or a classroom teacher about to be out for the summer? Have you thought about what you are going to do? Maybe you are going to sit on the beach and read a good book, or just sleep late and relax. Have you thought about taking a course at
Granite State College? Maybe you are interested in furthering you teacher training education, or maybe you are just thinking about improving your skills or pursuing an area of interest with a fun course or two. Well, I may have an answer for you. Try an online college course at Granite State College, or maybe a classroom course in Portsmouth, or Rochester or Concord. So many choices. So don't just sit on the beach with any old book, instead get college credit for all that reading you will be doing anyway! See you in class!
Ashlee Swasey in her essay "Cut" describes for her readers her dreams of "a life that was perfect." (p.1) She "dreamed of college" (p.1) and she set her sights on making her dream come true. It was also the plan her parents had put in place for her and she did not want to disappoint them. But Ashlee lost her way academically as a Freshman in high school when she "stopped trying." (p.1)
"Cut" goes on to describe the tormented life of a young girl trying desperately to escape those difficult high school years; the sad memories of feeling invisible so many of us have also stored away in our hysterical archives of youth.
And then, like a gavel slamming down on a bench the rejection slips from colleges begin to roll in and with them the devastation of shame no child should bear. The verdict was in according to them: "Not good enough" was the message.
Although many would have thrown in the towel at that point, Ashlee did not. Instead, she discovered a future of possibilities. Granite State College was the beacon as Ashlee moved slowly but surely toward the light. Through Granite State College she has achieved her Associates degree as she diligently presses on with her studies to earn her Bachelor Degree in Early Childhood Education.
At twenty-one years old Ashlee is one of the brightest and the best in expressing herself in my American Literature class. It is an honor to have the privilege of knowing her and her story of perseverence. I am proud of her for never giving in to the negativity, choosing instead, to press on.
For now she is manifesting her own destiny. We could all learn a lesson from her.
We, at Granite State College embrace her as one of our own for she has learned at a very young age what many of us don't learn until we are much older: Our dreams are important. They really do matter. We can make them come true.
General Education Requirements - GenEds - are a part of every college degree be it associates or bachelors, Management or Early Childhood Education. English, math, computer, communications, and Critical Thinking are the 5 core GenEd courses required at
Granite State College. Other requisite GenEds are in the areas of Arts & Culture, Literature & Ideas, History & Politics, Science, Global Perspectives, and Social Science. Why are students required to take these courses? What purpose do they serve the major? How quickly can they be taken to just get them out of the way?
I hear similar questions frequently from the students I advise and do not always know how to respond. I cringe however when I hear myself saying "Intro to Sociology is offered in
Portsmouth this term. You could take it now to get your social science GenEd out of the way." Ouch! Does that mean if you aren't a Behavioral Science major and don't need Intro to Sociology for your major that it isn't an important class? Of course not! So I am trying not to say that any more and instead encourage students to use their GenEd choices to take classes that sound interesting or subjects they have never studied before. I want to tell students to use these classes to enrich their lives, gain understanding of topics outside the focus of their degree, find interests and talents that they never knew they had and, most of all, savor the learning experience. GenEds round out any degree and enable us to pursue subjects that are sometimes outside our comfort zone or to enhance the degree in creative ways. GenEd courses should be chosen thoughtfully and not taken just get it out of the way...
More on this topic in future posts.
Did you ever wonder what type of people make up a class at Granite State College? Of course I am talking about Early Childhood Education because that is what I teach, but the students in the evening classes at Granite State as are varied as the faculty. In my present class the youngest student is right out of high school. She is just starting her career and is interested in Early Childhood education. On the other end of the spectrum there is a mom with 4 children. She is a para professional working with special needs children. In between there are mothers with young children, one person interested in the behavioral sciences classes, young women who want to finish a bachelor's degree in elementary education, and several students who are just interested in adult education classes and taking a course to see if returning to college is right for them.
Starting a new term is always an exciting time at Granite State College. There are new terms for fall, winter, spring and summer so if you are thinking of taking an evening course or an adult education course there are lots of options. This semester I am teaching Child Development. There are people in the course who are enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program, the Elementary Education program, Behavioral Science and those who are just taking a course but are not enrolled in a degree program at all. That is part of the fun of a new semester, getting to know a new set of students and finding out about their backgrounds, and interests. So, as the new term begins, I am excited by the energy and enthusiasm of a new set of students, and I am also glad to reconnect with my students from past semesters.
So you say to yourself what am I going to do sitting in a classroom at Granite State in childhood education classes or teacher training education classes all evening. Will the professor lecture all evening? Will there be anyone there to talk to? What if I fall asleep after working all day?
Well hopefully it will be better than you might imagine, after all, 4 hours is a long time to sit in a classroom after working all day.
For me, classes need to be active, even in a class where there is a lot of material to cover. Imagine being part of a discussion about a new special education law, or trying to budget to build a new day care center. Think of pretending to be the parent of a child who is struggling in school, or the teacher who must tell the parent what is happening. Imagine trying to identify your own learning style and then meeting with others who have a similar learning style. Maybe you are working on a computer, or even watching a video of children in a play setting.
Any of those things are possible in an childhood education classroom at Granite State College. Sure the teachers will need to lecture some of the evening, but you can be sure that with a full evening on class, it will not be 4 hours of straight listening. After all, I can't even talk for 4 hours even if you could stay awake that long.
I am planning to teach a new course at Granite State in Rochester for next term. It is not a new course to the college, or to me, but it is not one I have taught before here. So as I am gathering notes, media and information for the course I stop to think about the students I will have. These are students who are looking at career advancement programs, or adult education courses, adult continuing education courses, or classes for early childhood, or elementary education. What does that mean to me as a course planner?
Well, I want to meet the needs of my students. If they are taking a course to advance their careers, they will want practical knowledge that can be applied to what they do all day. If they are taking the course for continuing education, they may want a wide knowledge base but not the day to day focus. So, for all the students about to take a course, I want to make sure the course is meaningful and worthwhile.
The planning for my new course will take all these things into consideration so that on any given day the course will include a wide knowledge base and the hands on applications that students need.
Meeting new people is one of my favorite things to do! And I seem to be doing a lot of it through my career training education at Granite State College. During one of my evening college classes I arranged a meeting with Mike Sullivan, a local children's book author, Librarian, Storyteller, and Instructor at Simmons College.
Because Adult Higher Education manifests itself in many different capacities, I thought it would be a bonus for my class if we could meet with Mike and pick his brain a bit regarding boys and their reluctance to read. Many of the students in my class are either taking Childhood Education classes or Behavioral Science classes so I thought a discussion with Mike would be of interest to them.
My course instructor, Heidi Zollman, my friend Marilyn and one other student joined us for a conversation. Mike is clearly vested in the topic of boys and reading, a passion of his condern for a long time. He articulately described brain function in girls and boys which is directly related to its development in both genders. We discussed the very real reason why boys brains develop slower which in turn causes a cycle of delay which then deforms reading into something boys think they are not good at or cannot do at all so they stop trying.
At one point the conversation turned to"No Child Left Behind." I have not read the philosophy behind this Act though it was described by Mike Sullivan as a way to educate the middle 80% of students while the top 10% were on their own to succeed and the lower 10% were expected to fail anyway.
Heidi has invited Mike Sullivan to come to Granite State College in Rochester to visit with our entire class. His visit will include the topic of Storytelling as a lost art form and Mike will tell us stories. He will also describe ways to promote literacy with boys, and answer questions.
I am so happy I took the initiative to contact Mike Sullivan. His knowledge base is an amazing resource as we continue to make new discoveries in our own educational process whether we are teaching, observing, or parenting our boys. What we know for sure is that boys must learn how to read. It is to their betterment that we find ways to help them enjoy forming the habit of reading over time.
Juggling is one of the things that adult learners are good at. It is also something that the faculty at Granite State have to be good at. For me, I juggle the course I teach at the Rochester NH college site, with a full time teaching job in the York, Maine Public Schools, and a family.
For my students, they are almost always juggling a job with the college evening classes they are taking. Many of them are working in day care centers that don't even close before they need to be in class. Often, they are running out of work, driving up to 40 minutes, and then coming in to class. They occasionally run in even a little late because the last child was picked up late from daycare.
One thing that all this juggling causes, is a lack of time to eat. Students and faculty come from one job to another and arrive at their early childhood education classes without having eaten dinner. Often they bring something to eat in class, maybe a sandwich, a bagel, or even macaroni.
Well, these jugglers are also resourceful. In a class I taught last spring, one week a student arrived, not only with food for herself, but she brought a huge fruit salad, enough for everyone. The idea caught on and a few weeks later we were treated to homemade lasagna.
The students at Granite State are jugglers, but they are also caring. It is amazing to see how quickly students become friends, and reach out to support and help one another as they juggle all the many demands in their lives.
I've been thinking a lot about leadership and every day life lately. I have recently had several acquaintences diagnosed with cancer and each are dealing with this in their own personal ways. Some better than others, but in an interesting way, it has made me reflect on each of us and how we take on "leadership" roles each and every day.
I also just re-read the book, "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, who, for those of you that may not recognize his name, was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. He gave his "last lecture" and presented his thougts as an opportunity to leave something behind for his children. You can use this link to watch his last lecture -
www.youtube.com/watch - and do yourself a favor, take the 45 minutes or so and really watch and listen to what he has to say.
Now, you may be asking what does this have to do with "leadership" or adult education resources or career advancement education. If you think the connection is that he was a professor at Carnegie Mellon, I faked you out. Here's the connection, each one of us as opportunities to take on "leadership" challenges every day. Some we can easily recognize - a new team, a new work assignment, maybe coaching a little league or high school sports team. What we don't recognize are the hundred of moments where we use our leadership capabilities just to move through a difficult or challenging day.
It is about understanding outcomes. It is about doing things that will ensure the results you want, not just going through a series of tasks, one right after the other. It's about being in a particular place and space and being really present where it counts. Leadership isn't about the what.....it is about the who and the why!
In his book, Randy speaks to how we should chase our childhood dreams, no matter what they are or how long they take to achieve. He also challenges us to help others chase and achieve their childhood dreams. To be an enabler of those around us to realize their goals. To always be present and engaging.
He uses his "last lecture" as a gift for his children, but it is wrapped in a present for each of us who has taken the time to listen to the video or read his book.
A good education has been a childhood dream of almost every child at some point. While many people will never recognize that their time in an adult education class, or weekend college classes, or using distance learning universities is a way of achieving their childhood dreams, it certainly is our way of helping many gain the skills and knowledge they need to reach out and make that dream their own.
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