OK fans, I moved to Michigan and was expecting lots of snow. Well, it was a sunny day today and around fifty-two degrees. I went for a walk with my neighbor and we surely enjoyed the day. It was January and in Michigan, this was not suppose to be a nice day, it was suppose to be cold with about a foot or two of snow!! One just never knows, maybe I brought up the warm weather with me when I moved from South Carolina, or maybe it is just luck. If it is luck, well I feel pretty lucky in Michigan. I have felt lucky before in my life and that is when I went to Portsmouth, NH to take my Nutrition class that I just loved. I learned so much in that class that was held at the Portsmouth NH College. That class was so beneficial to my life and my well being. Learning about Nutrition was interesting and with the obesity rate soring, it is so important to learn what to eat that keeps you healthy. Granite State College has so many good beneficial classes. Whether you are going to just learn about something that interest you or if you are working to obtain your degree, it is a great school.
Michigan is a great place too. It is the place I remember as HOME, where I grew up and now live once again. I hope the snow is nice to me this year, so far it has been. But if it does show up one of these wintery mornings, I know it will pass and summer will be here again before I know it. Summer, to enjoy my bike rides, kayak adventures and some hiking. It is no different than classes. They pass and before you know it, you have earned your degree. Just remember, you can do it. I did and am so glad I did.
Since December 2010 when I graduated from Granite State College, I have been considering the possibilities of what I might do next. As a result of achieving my Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts, I have gotten involved in a writing project that is very important to me.
As a way to learn more about the book-writing process, I attended a Writer's Workshop at the University of Southern New Hampshire that was facilitated by Mary Carroll Moore, a published author.
Since the termination of my adults college classes at the Rochester NH and Portsmouth NH college campuses, I have missed the collaboration with my peers very much. I am transitioning to the next level of my educational journey. During my weekend workshop I once again felt the connection of being with like-minded individuals who were sharing my path. I think this is an important issue to address sooner than later, once the initial cessation of college classes sets in.
When I graduated from Granite State College in December 2010 I very much wanted to join a writer's group. I was vetted and accepted into the Seacoast Women Writer's Group. Still, something was not quite right. Then I realized what was wrong ...
I wanted a writer's group of my own.
So, while I work on my NH Teaching Certification, I am also accepting new members into my writing group called The Write Ideas writing group which meets every other Tuesday morning in Portsmouth at Barnes & Noble.
I have been inspired by every wonderful writing Instructor I have had the opportunity to work with in Portsmouth, Manchester, and Rochester through Granite State College.
Adult education and training has taken me further than I ever dared to dream I could go. But I do think it is important to give enormous consideration to the Institution you are joining and whether or not you fit in.
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.
I have got a week ahead of me that would make anyone's head spin. I am so thankful for my good friend in New Hampshire that I met in my Economics Class at Granite State College. We took many classes together even weekend college classes (called "weekend intensives") over at the Portsmouth NH college campus. We had fun together, learning and experiencing college life. She has been there for me when I needed to vent this week. I have my daughters shower on Sunday and I am so excited about it but as everyone knows, it is a lot of work and planning. Of course my 40-hour work week is still part of my life while I am trying to cram in all the other "stuff" I need to do. My daughter's happiness is so important to me and I really want it to be a happy time in her life and our life. I am going to do the best to make her shower a happy one and memorable one. Memories are good, good for the soul. I have many fond memories, not only of my daughter growing up through the years but also of my time at college. Good times!!
I went to college long ago... in the dark ages... before online education became an accepted way to get an education. I often wonder if I would have liked going to college in my own living room. I think about people interested in going to college in Berlin NH, or Littleton NH, or Lebanon NH, or taking Manchester NH Classes or Portsmouth NH Classes or Rochester NH Classes and I think.. wow.. if people from all over New Hampshire decided to go to college at Granite State College they could all be going to the same class at the same time right in their own homes. Maybe that is one benefit of online education. You would come in contact with people from other areas of the state that you might never have known. It wouldn't be the same in some ways, because you would not be going out to coffee before class with online friends, but, think of the possibilities online courses present. Maybe the idea of online education is really catching on, especially at places like Granite State because people are so busy, but they still want the benefits of making connections while getting career college training and affordable continuing education without the constraints of a particular time to be sitting in a classroom. I think I would have liked online classes when I went to school. How about you?
Every time I begin a new semester, I wonder about the kinds of students that will come through the door at Granite State College. I wonder about ages, past educational experiences, work history, reasons for coming to class and I wonder if I will be able to meet all the various needs for attending Adult Education classes at Granite State College.
This semester was no different except that I was teaching at the Portsmouth NH college campus, where I have always taught at Rochester NH college campus. I entered the Portsmouth NH campus for the first time and was greeted by a work study student. She welcomed me, assuming that I was a student. She asked if I was ready to begin classes. I smiled and thought how much fun it would be to be taking one of the many continuing education classes at Granite State College. For a moment I envied the adults that come to do an Adult Education Certificate or an Adult Accelerated Degree Program. I love teaching the courses, but what fun to take one.
I felt so welcomed at Portsmouth and so excited about the new semester. So thank you for welcoming me to my "new" campus. Come and visit yourself and see all the course options Granite State has to offer.
I wanted to share news about a recent addition to the faculty ranks at the Portsmouth NH college campus here at Granite State College. Teaching two courses this coming
Winter Term will be
Dr. Rachel Rogers. Rachel holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and will be teaching the following Portsmouth courses:
PSY 609, Cognition and Learning on Monday evenings
PSY 608, Social Psychology on Tuesday evenings
Granite State College is thrilled to have Rachel's talent in our classrooms, and as she notes:
"My primary goal for teaching is that the students will be excited about learning and about how the things they learn in class can inform and be applied to other aspects of their lives." Granite State: Portsmouth NH College Students
It has been my privilege to be a part of the second official cohort of
Leadership Rochester. We have a diverse group of members from the community, who hold a variety of roles for the town of Rochester, all coming together for the purpose of building a stronger community and to support the idea that leadership is a choice, not a position.
The Granite State College Rochester NH college campus will host the February 9th session at our new location and students from our Portsmouth-based Organizational Behavior course will join us to hear firsthand from leaders in our community about their experiences moving forward for positive change.
It was a sunny Saturday morning September 26, 2010 when over 3,000 people came out to run a 5k, 1k or walk the distance for breast cancer. I was one of them. They raised more than $500,000 for the cause. I had a great time at Race. My boss, Jim, and friend, Jana, all ran the distance. None of us beat our times but we did finish. There had to be ten or more hills; hate those hills that wind through downtown Greenville, SC., but, we got the t-shirts and had a good day.
All three of us learned that so many people have suffered with breast cancer, had families that suffered, lost loved ones from the disease. Learning is something that takes place in all forms of life, school, work, friendships and even races. We learn how to deal with things, how to improve our times in the race, how we deal with loss of loved ones. Whether it be by experiences through our life or at college.
Granite State College gave me such insight into the world, to life, to be able to think outside the box. Whether it was online adult learning classes or face-to-face classes in Manchester NH college campus or the Portsmouth NH college campus, I learned so much. Just like I learned so much entering this fundraising function for Breast Cancer.
So many people had names of loved ones pinned to their backs of their t-shirts. So many had Survivor t-shirts on, how wonderful, others went because they had daughters whom they cared about with hopes of finding a cure for this disease. It was a great day and a great learning experience.
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.
It is Saturday evening, just got home from work and what a crazy day. I deal with Ohio dealerships and needless to say, when the football game started today on TV, there was not a deal come through for me to look at. It is an exciting time of year. Not many people are thinking about going to buy new cars the first day of football season. Lots of guys love to sit on the couch for the afternoon, watch the game, drink a few beers and have a few laughs. Some of my girlfriends love to do the same from time to time. I am not a huge football fan but do like the excitement of it and I love to watch the Super Bowl at the end of the year.
Fall is my favorite time of year, the wind is cool and we are all winding down from a busy summer. Whether that summer consisted of vacation, seeing family or taking a class at Granite State College in one of there many locations like Portsmouth NH College, Concord NH College, Claremont NH College, Manchester NH College or onine classes for college. Lets not forget about that unforgettable experience to take a class on the Isle of Shoals. We are all winding down and thinking about the fall, maybe fall classes or just what the next year may bring our way.
Football kind of starts that all off; friends, new beginnings, expectations and goals for the year to come. Go Team!! Whatever that team may be.
Our wonderful college for adult learners offers a particularly unique educational experience on the seacoast. Each year,
Granite State College holds two courses out on the NH Isles of Shoals. Students stay on
Star Island, and I thought it would be exciting to post photos from each of the days we are on-island. Despite the Hurricane over the weekend, we are enjoying incredible weather:
Leaving the harbor in Portsmouth, NH:
Smiling faces (Claude Caswell & Carrie Gendreau) as we arrive at Star Island:
An iconic image:
Every Thursday night she came to her evening college classes. We would talk a little bit, usually after class or during the breaks. She drives from Farmington to the Portsmouth NH university campus, which is about 30 miles one way. Now it's the end of the term. Tonight she told me how she does it. She started by saying she had baked stuffed haddock for dinner. I looked at her and said,
"You made baked stuffed haddock before you came to class tonight?!"
" No, I went out with my friend."
"Nice."
"Yeah, this is my time. I arranged with the place where I volunteer to leave early on Thursday afternoon. While my brother comes by to watch the kids, I can do some studying. Then my friend and I go out to dinner."
I could not help myself. I smiled as she told her story. She then gave a little, unapologetic shrug, smiled back and continued, "This is my time."
There it was the Granite State College marketing tagline: It's your turn! The motto that says after you work to impress the world come to GSC to do something just for yourself. Adult learners are goal oriented and come to higher education for a variety of reasons. Yet here is a woman, a mother of three, who has chosen to honor herself with an education. She carved out time, (which as we all know is a precious commodity,) to create a space for herself. She has included her family and friends in that plan too. This says to me that her designs are more than mere career advancement. It's just like the sign says. I couldn't make this stuff up-- it really happens.
I was a police officer in Dover, NH when I decided to go back to school for my degree, and I chose GSC and never regretted that decision. The instructors were all working professionals who brought the real world into the classroom, which is the ultimate goal for any educational experience. I got my Bachelor's Degree in Management in 1989 and immediately applied to the University of New Hampshire's graduate school, completing my Master's Degree in Public Administration in 1993. The tools and learning experiences I had at GSC held me in good stead in my master's program, and I look back now on my time at GSC as a dynamic transitional period in my professional and personal life. I later transferred to the Portsmouth Police Department and had a wonderful career there, recently retiring as deputy chief of police. I have recommended GSC to individuals seeking to further their education and I shall continue to do so. It was a great experience for me.
Name: Len DiSesa
Graduated: 1989
Location: Seacoast
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Management
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.
This term at our
Portsmouth NH College, we are offering a course entitled "Law and Society." This is one of our evening college classes, and for Granite State students, often adults, there is a great deal of relevance with this subject matter. Consider for a moment the impact of legislation and laws on all of our lives.
We have the great fortune to have
Stacey Bellabona, Esq. teaching this course for us. Stacey draws from a wide variety of experiences as a practicing attorney and former NH Supreme Court clerk. She offers students a practical, hands-on, and applied perspective on Law and Society. . .and to that point, she recently had a guest from her law firm visit class. I can only imagine the wonderful and enlightened conversation that occured this week with William "Bill" Shaheen, Esq, a seacoast attorney with 35+ years of experience which includes serving as the City Attorney for Somersworth, US Attorney for the State of New Hampshire, and a NH District Court Judge.
As the New Hampshire State College with a mission of access and service to communities, we live, work, teach and learn in our communities - so it is nice when community comes to our classrooms!
L - R: Stacey Bellabona, Bill Shaheen
Fosters had a wonderful article this weekend about teaching and learning at our Rochester and Portsmouth campuses. Click
here for the link.
This perspective really captures our NH State College, and what adult college education entails.
This week marked the end of Winter Term classes at Granite State College. That means no more weekend college classes, online classes or evening college classes (at least for a couple of weeks). What did I do with my free time? I hiked up to Tuckerman Ravine on Mt. Washington this Saturday, and did some spring skiing. A person mentioned to me that "there are days you don't go to Tuckerman Ravine; there are days you do go; and there is THE day to ski Tucks." I think it is safe to say that this was THE day this spring to motivate up to this unique place in New Hampshire. What an amazing day!
Pics below. . .but don't forget, you still have time to register for Spring classes at our
Rochester NH College and
Portsmouth NH College. I should also probably mention that you can take classes at our
Conway NH College. . .which is only 20 minutes down the road from where I started my hike!!
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