Welcome to my very first blog. My name is Beth McKenna and I am on the faculty at Granite State College. I teach classes for Early Childhood Education students, usually in the Rochester, NH college.
I have been teaching young children for over 30 years. Does that make me old? Actually I tend to hope that working around young children keeps me young as well. I have worked with children from the age of 2 up to the age of 12. I have worked in day care and public schools. I have worked with regular education students and with those with special needs. I also have 2 children of my own. I enjoy learning along with the children I teach.
I feel privileged to also learn along with and from the adult students at GSC. I hold degrees in Speech Therapy, Early Childhood and Elementary Education and Educational Leadership, but it is my experience in the classroom that I share with the students at Granite State. In the evening college classes I teach at Granite State, I enjoy getting to know the individuals who also love teaching and learning about children. Our conversations are hopefully opportunities for everyone to learn from each other.
Career Plans
Saturday, September 4, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
Do you have career plans? Do your plans include college education courses? Have you thought about obtaining an Associate's Degree or a Bachelor's Degree or maybe an Adult Education Certificate or an Adult Education Diploma?
Granite State College may be just what you are looking for. Did you see the September 2010 issue of "U.S. News and World Report?" It compared the best colleges in the country. One of the criteria was class size. Another was availability of the faculty. Affordability and the availability of grants and loans was another criteria. Granite State College has a low student to faculty ratio. Many courses only have 10 to 15 students in them. This allows you to really get to know your professors. The professors have a chance to get to know you as well. And, what you may not know, most Granite State professors are working in the field that they teach in. This means that what you are learning is current and what you need for your career. Granite State also has a wide range of available student financial aid.
As you consider your career plans, whether you are right out of high school, or an adult interested in adult education programs, consider Granite State College.
Granite State College may be just what you are looking for. Did you see the September 2010 issue of "U.S. News and World Report?" It compared the best colleges in the country. One of the criteria was class size. Another was availability of the faculty. Affordability and the availability of grants and loans was another criteria. Granite State College has a low student to faculty ratio. Many courses only have 10 to 15 students in them. This allows you to really get to know your professors. The professors have a chance to get to know you as well. And, what you may not know, most Granite State professors are working in the field that they teach in. This means that what you are learning is current and what you need for your career. Granite State also has a wide range of available student financial aid.
As you consider your career plans, whether you are right out of high school, or an adult interested in adult education programs, consider Granite State College.
Teaching and Thinking
Thursday, August 19, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
I am fortunate enough this summer to be working as a mentor for a student interested in teacher education at Granite State College. She has been thinking about teaching and learning. She recently wrote a paper on critical thinking. Hmm.. you are saying.. so what? What is that and why would it be something on a blog about adult college education?
Well, it is important because it is all about how you learn. Do you think when you have to read text books for an evening college course or you read the books late at night when you are hurrying to get to bed so you just highlight everything without really thinking about it? If you do, you may have just missed out on a great lifelong learning college experience. When we think about what we are reading and apply it to what we already know, then we remember the new information and can use it in the future.
So while you are planning on taking courses at Granite State College this fall, also plan on really thinking about what you are reading and hearing in each course. The experience will be so much more meaningful for your career goals.
Well, it is important because it is all about how you learn. Do you think when you have to read text books for an evening college course or you read the books late at night when you are hurrying to get to bed so you just highlight everything without really thinking about it? If you do, you may have just missed out on a great lifelong learning college experience. When we think about what we are reading and apply it to what we already know, then we remember the new information and can use it in the future.
So while you are planning on taking courses at Granite State College this fall, also plan on really thinking about what you are reading and hearing in each course. The experience will be so much more meaningful for your career goals.
Thank you!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
I want to post a thank you to a great class in the teacher training education program at Granite State College in Rochester. It was a great semester filled with lively conversation, great questions and some fun activities.
We started the semester in the Child Development class learning a little about our own learning and thinking styles. We watched some great videos on prenatal and infant development. We learned all about the way kids learn as they grow. But what really made the semester was the conversation. Members of the class shared their experiences with children of all ages. We learned a lot about growth and development from the stories classmates shared with us. And finally, we ended the semester with our own version of Jeopardy. The class members created great questions and a fun competition followed.
It was a great semester and I hope to see many of you again in future classes. Thanks for making it a great semester.
We started the semester in the Child Development class learning a little about our own learning and thinking styles. We watched some great videos on prenatal and infant development. We learned all about the way kids learn as they grow. But what really made the semester was the conversation. Members of the class shared their experiences with children of all ages. We learned a lot about growth and development from the stories classmates shared with us. And finally, we ended the semester with our own version of Jeopardy. The class members created great questions and a fun competition followed.
It was a great semester and I hope to see many of you again in future classes. Thanks for making it a great semester.
Expectations and a New Campus
Monday, June 28, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
Have you ever waited for something? You imagine what it will be like. You weigh the pros and cons of what it might be. You may even form preconceived notions of what this new thing will mean for you.
Well, that is what happened with the new Granite State College campus at Rochester, NH. The new campus opened two weeks ago. We were told from the beginning of the spring semester that Granite State College would be moving to a new location. It was a bit further from the seacoast, but it was a building all of its own. It was the former Cabletron building, if you knew what that was, which I didn't.
So in my head I imagined a college campus in an older building. I imagined the extra travel time. I imagined getting lost the first time I went there.
But I was so amazed! My preconceived images were so wrong. The new campus is only about 8 minutes further from the seacoast than the old campus. (So commuting is still easy for those of you from the Portsmouth area.) The building is large, very new and set out on the top of a hill like a college campus should be. The classrooms are large and have all the latest technology available. There is even a large entry area with computers available for use!
The new Rochester, NH campus is a beautiful site. It gives the feel of a college and it is a place worth visiting!
So, if you are looking for a great college experience, stop by the new Rochester campus of Granite State College.
Well, that is what happened with the new Granite State College campus at Rochester, NH. The new campus opened two weeks ago. We were told from the beginning of the spring semester that Granite State College would be moving to a new location. It was a bit further from the seacoast, but it was a building all of its own. It was the former Cabletron building, if you knew what that was, which I didn't.
So in my head I imagined a college campus in an older building. I imagined the extra travel time. I imagined getting lost the first time I went there.
But I was so amazed! My preconceived images were so wrong. The new campus is only about 8 minutes further from the seacoast than the old campus. (So commuting is still easy for those of you from the Portsmouth area.) The building is large, very new and set out on the top of a hill like a college campus should be. The classrooms are large and have all the latest technology available. There is even a large entry area with computers available for use!
The new Rochester, NH campus is a beautiful site. It gives the feel of a college and it is a place worth visiting!
So, if you are looking for a great college experience, stop by the new Rochester campus of Granite State College.
Mentoring
Thursday, June 10, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
Did you know that there are teachers at Granite State College who will help you get the courses you need? Even in the summer, faculty at Granite State are willing to mentor students who might need a course that isn't offered.
Did you realize that opportunity existed?
In addition to online classes and face-to-face classes, you might do an independent study to meet your requirements. So are you wondering what that might entail?
You figure out the course you need, check to see if it is already offered, and if not, meet with your advisor to help figure out what faculty member might be able to help you out. Then you talk to that person and find out what to read, and what assignments you will need to do. You work on your own and check-in weekly with your advisor. It is a great way to get to know a faculty member and to complete your course work.
Did you realize that opportunity existed?
In addition to online classes and face-to-face classes, you might do an independent study to meet your requirements. So are you wondering what that might entail?
You figure out the course you need, check to see if it is already offered, and if not, meet with your advisor to help figure out what faculty member might be able to help you out. Then you talk to that person and find out what to read, and what assignments you will need to do. You work on your own and check-in weekly with your advisor. It is a great way to get to know a faculty member and to complete your course work.
What are you doing this summer?
Thursday, June 10, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
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!
Success Is Important
Friday, May 21, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
Faculty members at Granite State College want students to succeed.
I bet you didn't know that. Maybe you never thought about that before.
In some New Hampshire colleges, and in fact colleges throughout the United States, faculty members expect students to fail. They create impossible tests, assume that most of the class will fail, then scale the test on a bell curve. This creates frustration and fear in students. But at Granite State College this is not the case. Yesterday a student went to a math professor concerned about a test he had taken and not done well on. The professor immediately said, "you may take the test over if you like." The student persisted and said he needed to take the test out of the classroom, and again the professor agreed. This is encouraging success rather than failure.
As a group, faculty in all disciplines at Granite State want students to be successful. After all, you will be heading out into the working world and your understanding of the work you have done in college should help you to be prepared for your career goals. Your success matters to the faculty at Granite State.
I bet you didn't know that. Maybe you never thought about that before.
In some New Hampshire colleges, and in fact colleges throughout the United States, faculty members expect students to fail. They create impossible tests, assume that most of the class will fail, then scale the test on a bell curve. This creates frustration and fear in students. But at Granite State College this is not the case. Yesterday a student went to a math professor concerned about a test he had taken and not done well on. The professor immediately said, "you may take the test over if you like." The student persisted and said he needed to take the test out of the classroom, and again the professor agreed. This is encouraging success rather than failure.
As a group, faculty in all disciplines at Granite State want students to be successful. After all, you will be heading out into the working world and your understanding of the work you have done in college should help you to be prepared for your career goals. Your success matters to the faculty at Granite State.
The Ethics of Genetic Research
Friday, April 30, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
Have you ever thought about genetic research? Well the students in my night college course of Child Development class at the Rochester NH college campus hadn't really either. We were studying the development of the embryo and began to discuss genetic disorders. The genes that determine who you are can become mutated and cause problems at birth or later. We also discovered that people are studying genetics to see how traits like eye color and hair color are determined. The question of whether individuals should know that and be able to choose the traits they want for their child arose. Can you imagine if you could shop for the characteristics you wanted in a child, what the world would be like? Do you think it would be a good idea for people to decide what characteristics were right for the next generation? The discussion was very interesting. It is always amazing where discussions lead in a classroom at Granite State College.
Who is in a class?
Friday, April 30, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
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.
A New Term
Friday, April 16, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
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.
A New President
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
I can't help but be excited about a new president joining Granite State College. Each president that comes through the college leaves an amazing legacy. So many new programs and initiatives are started under the guidance of the president. Granite State offers so many adult education courses, online courses and opportunities for career advancement and many of these began as the dream of the president.
So with a new president joining the college, it is exciting to think that Granite State will move ahead again in the field of education. Will there be new initiatives that we can all be a part of? Will there be additional programs offered? Our new president will lead us into the future.
I hope you will come along.
So with a new president joining the college, it is exciting to think that Granite State will move ahead again in the field of education. Will there be new initiatives that we can all be a part of? Will there be additional programs offered? Our new president will lead us into the future.
I hope you will come along.
Sitting in a Classroom
Monday, March 29, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
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.
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.
Planning for Continuing Education
Wednesday, March 17, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
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.
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.
Spare Time
Monday, March 15, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
What do you do with your spare time? If you are like most people, you probably don't have a lot of spare time. You are probably running from one thing to another. Maybe you have a job and a family and friends that you juggle your time for. But what about in the evening? Are you sitting in front of tv watching commercials for New Hampshire Colleges and Universities? Maybe an add for a Concord NH College, or a Manchester NH University caught your eye. But you say to yourself, "no way, not me, I can't go to college."
But why not you? Do you realize that you could be taking courses at home on your computer instead of watching tv? You could be enrolled in a course at Granite State College right now at home, or you could be in Rochester, Concord, Manchester, or any number of locations sitting in a classroom and learning new things.
Oh, I lost you again. You say to yourself, "I can't sit in a classroom. I am too ____," (old, tired, busy..) But what if you went to class one night a week? Everyone else in the room is just as busy as you. Even most of your instructors are working somewhere else during the day. They know what it is like to juggle responsibilities. So instructors give you work that is geared to help you in your profession, classmates support one another and suddenly, TADA! You have taken your first course.
Give it a try! Granite State is a place where adult learners can grow and learn and only by giving up a tv show or two!
But why not you? Do you realize that you could be taking courses at home on your computer instead of watching tv? You could be enrolled in a course at Granite State College right now at home, or you could be in Rochester, Concord, Manchester, or any number of locations sitting in a classroom and learning new things.
Oh, I lost you again. You say to yourself, "I can't sit in a classroom. I am too ____," (old, tired, busy..) But what if you went to class one night a week? Everyone else in the room is just as busy as you. Even most of your instructors are working somewhere else during the day. They know what it is like to juggle responsibilities. So instructors give you work that is geared to help you in your profession, classmates support one another and suddenly, TADA! You have taken your first course.
Give it a try! Granite State is a place where adult learners can grow and learn and only by giving up a tv show or two!
Afraid of Writing? Don't Let It Stop You
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
Some people love to write. They write poetry or stories or emails or blogs and it's the best part of their day. Other people get by with a single word email and avoid all other types of writing like the plague.
But some of those same people want to take Adult Education Courses. They want to further their education but they figure, no, I can't do that, I'll never be able to write the papers and do the written work required in college.
But Granite State College is the perfect place for you. There are supports everywhere to help you get through the writing and successfully complete receive your Adult Education Diploma or college degree.
In one of my courses, a woman was filled with knowledge and great ideas. She had worked with children in many different positions, but when it came to getting her ideas on paper, she was struggling. She wrote the final paper but it was hard to read. The information was there but it was disorganized and hard to read. After we talked, I agreed to meet with her over a cup of coffee. We sat down with the paper and worked on getting it into a final form. After a great cup of coffee and an hour of talking, we had perfected the paper.
Granite State is like that. Students and faculty going out of their way to make sure that your college experience is successful. So don't be afraid, give it a try.
But some of those same people want to take Adult Education Courses. They want to further their education but they figure, no, I can't do that, I'll never be able to write the papers and do the written work required in college.
But Granite State College is the perfect place for you. There are supports everywhere to help you get through the writing and successfully complete receive your Adult Education Diploma or college degree.
In one of my courses, a woman was filled with knowledge and great ideas. She had worked with children in many different positions, but when it came to getting her ideas on paper, she was struggling. She wrote the final paper but it was hard to read. The information was there but it was disorganized and hard to read. After we talked, I agreed to meet with her over a cup of coffee. We sat down with the paper and worked on getting it into a final form. After a great cup of coffee and an hour of talking, we had perfected the paper.
Granite State is like that. Students and faculty going out of their way to make sure that your college experience is successful. So don't be afraid, give it a try.
Juggling
Friday, February 19, 2010 by
Beth McKenna
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.
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.
Powered by Compendium Blogware