In the past year, Granite State College has launched Graduate Studies and celebrated the newly formed School of Education. With these two exciting initiatives, GSC needed two exciting sets of promotional material for prospective students!
Where to begin? Like many other journeys GSC has taken, the process always starts with the students.
In our Graduate Studies brochure, you'll find two students from the Project Management Master's Program and you may even recognize their classroom at the Rochester campus! They are joined by the Dean of Graduate Studies and several other staff members from Granite State College that prospective students will actually see and interact with when they enroll.
Our School of Education photo shoot featured students from the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification program. We had a dynamic venue filled with energetic 3-7 year old children who are the same age as the students these future educators will teach!
It means so much to us to have real live members of the GSC community in these photos and we had a blast spending the day with the students.
Special thanks to Leslie Bowering, '10 ,B.A. Liberal Studies: Self-Design in Language Arts. She opened the doors of her business, The Reading Room for Kids, in Rye, NH, for our School of Education photo shoot.
In a recent class for the early childhood education major at GSC's Rochester NH college campus, we were talking about family strengths. One of those strengths revolved around encouragement and setting a good example. If parents are not only telling children that they care about how they do in school, but are also demonstrating the importance of school by taking a course they might need for work, or starting a new degree in an area that you have always been interested in is the prime way to set the example and encourage your children to value education. Consider taking courses in early childhood for your Early Childhood Certification, or maybe courses in project management, towards a Masters Degree in Project Management, or special education teacher certification. Try showing how much you value education, by getting involved yourself in either online adult education classes or face-to-face courses. Your children will learn from your example.
I remember not so long ago taking my required Technology course at Granite State College, hemming and hollering all the way; resisting the learning curve. I know I was torn between wanting to learn more about Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Windows while feeling quite nervous about not understanding the lingo in the commands.
Although my Instructor at GSC's Rochester NH college campus worked very hard to help me get up to speed, I always knew I was clearly out of my comfort zone. With my college Advisor's encouragement, I pressed on.
By the end of the semester my self-esteem kicked in with my adult learning process and shazam! I passed the course. Fast forward to present-day. Something I thought I would never understand about computer technology was how websites were created. With the help of Mic and her brilliant young mind, I now have my own website.
Career college training initiatives from course work for my Language Arts Degree build on success. From one learning curve to another you can experience more and more success which in turn becomes more and more confidence in academic achievement. The best feeling in the world is when I am able to translate what I have gleaned from academic studies to real life situations.
Sometimes we don't know how special a place is until we discover how un-special another place is.
Right after I graduated from Granite State College, with wonderfully positive outcomes, I was motivated and inspired to continue further with my education. Since I had already completed my Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts I decided to apply to a Masters Program at another Adult Program in a different University system.
Almost immediately I could feel the difference in the attitudes of the people I had to deal with. There was a time during my studies at Granite State College's Rochester college campus when the Administrative Assistants were always available to answer my endless barrage of questions. Or perhaps I was confused about cumulative GPA or certain credits required for my degree. Always, always my Advisor made herself available to me. Adjunct Professors were there for the sole purpose of educating me and my classmates.
During the very first class in my Masters Program I knew immediately that I was not in Kansas anymore. The director of the program was loud and abrasive. The instructor was also the Advisor for the entire group. She knew little about explaining the computer program that we had to learn in order to succeed in the course. I was utterly confused by the end of the class.
Granite State College has managed to combine their purpose of making money in the business of education with a finely-tuned group of people who really care about people. I will be forever grateful when I think back on those wonderful days.
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.
Applications at Granite State College are up nearly 40% over last year. This is wonderful news for the college, since it indicates that we are addressing higher education needs that are in demand. It also represents the college's ability to adapt and change in ways that impact prospective students. Granite State has taken a number of steps this year to make the college more attractive to working professionals and adult students of all ages, who are juggling job and family commitments.
Over this past year Granite State has streamlined its application process, significantly upgraded our Rochester NH college campus center and opened a new center at the Littleton NH college campus. Students are also gravitating to our online classes for adults and therefore we have significantly expanded are online offerings and currently offer every one of our degree programs fully online.
The world is moving very quickly and the needs of our students are changing just as quickly. While Granite State College continues to emphasize the quality of the student experience we are also paying increasing attention to the convenience factor that is integral to access.
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.
If you have been following my blog you may have noticed a sudden writing gap. The reason for this huge writing gap has to do with the enormous academic challenge I met in my FINAL semester at Granite State College.
My meetings with my Capstone Mentor, Dr. Quinn, at the Rochester NH college campus, were a prelude to many long hours of writing three different drafts that would eventually metamorph into my personal teaching philosophy. And that was the FUN part of the semester!
Yes FUN! If you love reading and writing as much as I do, are passionate about your future goals, and you are collaborating with a fair and interested mentor--as I was-- then learning is definitely FUN. And ... 30 pages of writing leaves you breathless and refreshed!
The Granite State College final writing project, lovingly referred to as the Capstone or the final course toward my Language Arts Degree most definitely seemed a daunting task--at first. But, with Dr. Quinn's expert knowledge of the writing process (and my personal writing style) we met the task head on!
Once I had made my decision to meet this awesome challenge, the only thing left to do was to see it through. No! I did not give up! I did not invent excuses to procrastinate. In fact, I was so interested in my assignment and how it was constantly evolving that it never once occurred to me that I couldn't do it.
I have not yet met an adult learner pursuing adult education and training who has thrown in the towel. There is something special about us, as adult learners, because we possess a tenacious determination younger learners rarely do. It is such a perfect day for the adult learner who has pressed on through the nervous discomfort and unknown territory of her academics until she has staked her claim on that final, excellent grade. I can honestly say that NOTHING I have ever achieved in my lifetime feels quite as miraculously mine.
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.
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.
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.
Although I love having the summers off, I must say I have enjoyed my first few weeks back to work at
Granite State College. I have missed all the wonderful staff and amazing students! It was as if I never left three months ago and in fact I never really did.
Granite State College is such an important part of my life it never leaves me. I am proud to share, with everyone, that I work for such a wonderful and important Adult College Program.
I am looking forward to an exciting year ahead with an amazing new President and a beautiful new Rochester NH College (Grand Opening coming up on Sept 30th - come see our wonderful space).
I am definitely back in the swing of things and will be traveling around the seacoast area meeting with new students, connecting with communities and spreading all the good words about Granite State College.
I would be happy to come and visit any organization, school or business and share more about our Center of Adult Education!
Of all the reading I have done this semester in my Creative Writing course at Granite State College at the Rochester NH college campus, the book I most enjoyed was called A Little Book on the Human Shadow by Robert Bly.
My reading and writing life has grown extensively since taking two different courses with Professor Rick Agran, an esteemed published Poet as well as a faculty member at the University of New Hampshire.
The literature he chooses to use in his classes reflects his flexibility in nurturing the creative spirit in all of his students whether they are novices or seasoned writers.
A cumulative writing portfolio is the collective sum total of the entire course. Students write and revise poetry, prose, and a multi-genre Essay, pieces that provide huge challenges while also inspiring writing confidence every step of the way.
Summer courses at Granite State College require commitment to excellence because the time passes quickly. Though I can only speak for myself, I have learned so much about writing, about myself as a writer, as well as the huge inspiration other writers impart if I am a willing reader.
Robert Bly's book has given me a brand new perspective. I have always considered my writing to be "too dark" and too personal. There were times when I thought my writing was depressing to readers. A Little Book on the Human Shadow has given me a new and different perspective on my own writing. Bly suggests that "dark" writing is necessary so that a writer can write his way through such darkness and move toward the light in the process.
This idea resonates with me. I am very interested to learn more about Robert Bly's ideas on writing. I am certain they will make a difference in the quality of my Final Portfolio.
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.
Are you curious to know more about Granite State College faculty? Follow this link to an example of the unique individuals who teach for this wonderful adult-focused institution of higher education.
John Gianforte built an observatory near his home, and brings enthusiasm and insight to the courses he teaches at our NH State College. This "Sky Guy" is teaching Introduction to Astronomy (SCI 512) this Fall at our Rochester NH college campus.
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.
Today I am that much closer to reaching the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow! For me the Pot of Gold is my Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts
that I have been working very hard to achieve for a couple of years now.
The goals we set for ourselves must be reckoned with even when we are at the end of the rope of long hours studying. The center of my collegiate universe is the
Granite State College Rochester NH college campus.
This morning as I ripped down the Spaulding Turnpike in my husband's hot black Mustang Cobra, it occurred to me that this drive, the three toll booths, and the wonderful destination itself would be ending in just another couple of months.
Today I met with my Advisor, Linda Buttrick, to discuss a proposal for my Capstone course -- my final course -- now that I have successfully taken all of my other required classes for my degree. I will be assigned a Mentor who will assist me in developing a topic of study that integrates what I know with what I have learned and how it can be applied to my career path. I am excited to begin the last leg of my journey!
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