Masters in Adult Education

Advanced Certificate in Training of Trainers


Vol. 2, No. 4, February, 1999                       A Bi-Monthly Newsletter                        Roger Hiemstra, Editor

Spring/Summer Courses

The Term III course schedule arrives soon. There are many choices. We appreciate your telling a friend about the courses as anyone is welcome and credits are transferable. To preview several choices see the program web page: www-distance.syr.edu/degree.html

Musings Again!

You may have read my musings last time about adult education colleagues we've lost. A part of aging I have trouble accepting is watching others pass on. Another colleague recently passed away and I want to say a few words about him.

Albert Mgulambwa came to Syracuse Univ. in 1986. I met Albert on a trip to Tanzania in 1985 and was struck by his wit, intellect, and potential. We found a way to support his study and he obtained a Ph.D. in Adult Education in 1989. He then taught at the Univ. of Dar Es Salaam, was eventually promoted to Dean of Students, and upon his retirement last year began directing research projects for the University. He was pursuing some research when he met his death through a car accident last December. Having traveled the roads of Tanzania, I can attest to feeling like you take your life in your hands each time you enter a car. Albert was much beloved and had become patriarch of a large family grouping. He leaves behind a wife and five children (one child preceded him in death). We felt very honored when Albert and his wife named their last born daughter after our daughter, Nancy. I will miss Albert a lot. Rog

Search Engines

Do you maximize your WWW search efforts using various search engines? On the web page (www-distance.syr.edu/search.html or home.twcny.rr.com/hiemstra/search.html) I've posted features to help you be more efficient/accurate using Boolean operators and other ideas. Check it out. In addition, there are hints on how to use infotrac, a powerful library tool for searching and downloading various articles from many periodicals.

Graduation

Congratulations to many students in the Syracuse and Elmira areas who plan to participate in the June graduation. Everyone is welcome to attend so even if you’re not graduating then, come and cheer on your colleagues. The graduate student reception is Saturday evening, June 5, and Commencement is 11:00 a.m., Sunday, June 6.

Extreme Learning!

Have you heard of this concept? Author Ron Gross in Convene, October, 1998, describes how to get more out of attending conferences by being an extreme learner through targeted learning, question asking, and careful listening. To obtain a related job aid on "16 ways to Enhance YOur Conferees' Learning," send a post card marked "Extreme," to Ron Gross, 17 Myrtle Drive, Great Neck, NY 11021.

750 Days!!!

Do you realize it only has been about 750 days since the popularity of web pages began? Yes, there were web pages before then (mine has been up since August, 1995), but that time when there were enough pages available so it really began to build on its own was less than two years ago. Amazing!! What will the next 750 bring? I’ve installed audio software on my computer that enables me to talk to my computer, "talk" my way through my word processor, have actual conversations with my long-distance co-authors, etc. Within a month I’ll have a micro-camera installed to enable audio and video conversations over the Internet. What else can’t I see? All of us must stay involved, keep up with innovations, and even become leaders in the use of technology. Paul Blair’s new course this summer will be exactly what many of you need!

As you can imagine, at the AAACE and CPAE conferences in Phoenix last November there were many presentations on the use of technology, the WWW’s impact, and distance education. As I meet with higher education colleagues elsewhere I talk forcefully and urgently about the need to keep up with and find uses for distance education. If they don’t, others will and those who don’t may be placed in real competitive disadvantage. The new Western Governors Univ. (www.wgu.edu) anticipates enrolling many times more students than any existing higher education institution over the next few years. They will offer students living anywhere a vast array of technology-delivered academic programs and even a choice of competency and credit-based programs and degrees.

The biggest rumor floating around was that one of our software giants (you can guess who) is in the market to "buy" a university just for their accredited programs. Let your imagination run wild if that actually happens in terms of enhanced competition for higher education, adult learning, in-service training, etc. The point is, do whatever you can to stay current and help your organization stay current.

As technology-related information changes so rapidly, it can seem bewildering. Here are some tips for managing information:

                                                                                                Rog

Brain Research

As I mentioned earlier, I was at the AAACE conference in Phoenix last November. There were many fine papers. I was especially interested in several presentations on brain research. Following is a summary of what I obtained from one session:

What this means in terms of teaching or training adults includes the following:

Brain research, extreme or accelerated learning, emotional intelligence, quantum teaching—these and many other exciting concepts have many implications for teachers and trainers of adults. Study, think about, and try them. They can enhance what you do. One resource is Ron Gross’ work on the Mozart Effect and many other learning-related topics. For a free copy of "Activating and Energizing Your Conferences for Learning," send a card marked "Mozart" to Gross Associates, 17 Myrtle Dr., Great Neck, NY 11021 or to receive his free weekly email "Dose of Gross," contact him at GrossAssoc@AOL.COM.

Book/Technology Reviews

Those of you who have read past newsletters know I love to read. I also read a variety of books. The one I’m reviewing here is more a personal growth book than an academic one, but I learned much of relevance to the adult educator. It is 5 Important Things by Jim Paluch. Mechanicsburg, PA: Executive Books, 1996, 137 pages. Written in a fictional form, Paluch describes how Eric Carlton had everything going for him until he began to loose his way in a rush to have even more. He slips into a deep sleep that baffles the doctors, but the story is Eric dreaming about those things important to him in the past: Lifelong learning, appreciating people, a positive attitude, setting goals, sticking to it. He awakes with renewed appreciation for life. It was a reminder to stop periodically and take stock in my rush toward the future. I highly recommend the book.

Not exactly a technology review, but I’d like to describe two new web sites that may be of value to you. One is www.efax.com. Here you can obtain a free fax number. Then when someone faxes you, the company operating this site turns the fax into an image, sends it to your email account, and they also provide you free the software to download the fax so you can print it. I had it up and running and working in about 20 minutes.

If you’d like a fairly powerful and fast free PC and monitor try http://www.free-pc.com/. You’ll need to endure constant advertising floating on your screen plus reveal pretty specific demographic information, but it may be worth it for the computer.

Here are web resources of potential value: "Critical Thinking Skills/Evaluating WWW Sites" – contains links to evaluation sites – www.peru.edu/libresources/thinking.html

"A Primer on Digital Literacy" – includes exercises for developing digital literacy skills-

sunsite.unc.edu/cisco/noc/primer.html

"National School Network Site Evaluation" – includes reviews of education-related sites –

nsn.bbn.com/webeval/site1.htm

Calendar of Upcoming Events

[Note: Send Roger professional conference notices that you receive so they can be included the next time. This is YOUR newsletter so make it work for you by sharing.]

12 Best Ideas for Being Successful

Shad Helmstetter, "Self-Talk" advocate, in a recent email shared several ideas on how to be successful in whatever you do:

  1. Set specific goals and action steps and write them down.

  2. Read and review your goals daily.

  3. Set daily priorities.

  4. Change your old programs by learning new Self-Talk.

  5. Turn off the television.

  6. Practice, every day, keeping a positive attitude.

  7. Associate with people who are more successful than you.

  8. Live your life based on "values."

  9. Practice your faith.

  10. Make the choice to believe in yourself and in your future.

  11. Do at least two things each day to improve yourself.

  12. Never quit. Never stop. Never give up!

 

Education does not mean teaching people what they do not know. It is a painful, continual and difficult work to be done by kindness, by watching, by warning, by precept, and by praise, but above all—by example.

Ruskin

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AED REPORT is a newsletter for students and faculty involved in the Elmira College Graduate Program of Adult Education. The Editor is Roger Hiemstra. Please send any correspondence to him at 318 Southfield Dr., Fayetteville, NY 13066. His phone is (315) 637-0029; fax is (315) 637-0029. Email is rhiemstra@elmira.edu. Web Page is / or the back-up site http://home.twcny.rr.com/hiemstra Your Elmira College contacts are Dr. Ronald Sundberg, Dean, Associate Dean Judith Clack, Graduate Advisor Joan Swanson. Their phone is (607) 735-1825; fax (607) 735-1759; email graduate@elmira.edu; address is Office of Continuing Education, Elmira College, One Park Place, Elmira, NY 14901. This newsletter is YOUR vehicle for networking, news, tips, and information. Its value is enhanced by your active support and involvement in reading it, contributing to it, and critiquing it.

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