Masters in Adult Education
Advanced Certificate in Training of Trainers
Vol. 3, No. 2, October, 1999 A Bi-Monthly Newsletter Roger Hiemstra, Editor
Importance of Advising
It is important to have an advising session with a College official knowledgeable about requirements. We recommend you do this annually. For example, there are certain core requirements, an expected or preferred course sequence, Liberal Arts requirements, etc. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to make sure everything is okay, but we are all here to help. If you have questions don't be afraid to ask, attend an advising session, or seek an appointment with a faculty member or Graduate advisor. Know the requirements so you don't wind up near the end of your program with a needed course hard to find.
Meet New Faculty Ted Pietrzak
Editor (E): Where did you go to school?
Ted (T): My Ph.D. degree is in Chemistry from Carnegie-Mellon in 1970. I was a practicing research chemist for over 10 years then began my training career in a management development program for professional employees at Polaroid.
(E): What have been some of your training roles?
(T): I was director of Employee Education for over 10 years at Pall Corp. on Long Island. I directed a group of professional training managers and specialists in course, seminar, and workshop design in many skill areas. I taught part-time at Long Island Univ. in an MBA program for adults.
(E): Besides the teaching you will do for us, are you still teaching at Long Island U?
(T): Currently, I also teach in an M.S. in Instructional Technology/Trainer Track program at the School of Education, New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, NY.
(E): I know you own a consulting organization. What does it do?
(T): PerformanceEdge helps organizations with performance improvement at the organizational, management, group, and individual levels by eliminating "disconnects" where strategy, systems, processes, and people interact. I have worked with several manufacturing, technology, service, and nonprofit health care organizations in New York and New Jersey.
(E): How would you characterize what you do as an instructor of adults?
(T): My instructional philosophy includes an approach of acting as a guide, facilitator, and coach to help learners find resources and source material for developing critical thinking and analysis skills. I also foster self-directed learning and promote multidisciplinary approaches to assessment, research, problem-solving, and practical psychology.
(E): Ted, we look forward to your association with Elmira College. Give us little look at the personal you, too.
(T): I enjoy rollerblading and landscaping with stones. I, too, am excited to be involved with the Adult Education program and look forward to the winter term.
Winter Course Recommendations
An excellent set of courses are planned for the winter. You will receive the schedule of courses soon. Check the web page for an advance listing. If you plan to graduate in June, AED 6000 should be taken during the Winter term (unless you are doing a thesis).
CACE AND ACHE
For people in the Liverpool area consider attending the monthly CACE (Coalition for Adult and Continuing Education of CNY) meeting (several recent Elmira College Adult Education graduates are part of the leader-ship) and come for a regular feeding of your brain. See Roger for more information.
All are encouraged to participate in Region II ACHE (Association for Continuing Higher Education) meetings. See Norb Henry or Ron Sundberg (both board members) for more information.
Check out the New ERIC Site
Many of you already use ERIC in various ways to obtain information. Try their new site: (http: //ericacve.org/). It is user friendly and offers much help. There also is a new listserv being used to announce available pamphlets and provide other information. To subscribe send this message: subscribe ericacve followed by your firstname lastname to listserver@listsacs.ohiostate.edu and leave the subject line blank. If you use a signature file, delete it.
Speaking of ERIC, Mary Bartlett suggests we read a very interesting piece on "Consumer Education for the Information Age." It is available in the normal html format, as a pdf file, or through the mail (for the latter send your request to wagner.6@osu.edu. This is an excellent piece on how best to use information available to us electronically. The URL for it is: http://ericacve.org/docgen.asp?tbl=pab&ID=96
For example, here is a summary of some advice on evaluating web sites you come across:
Who: Is the author, site owner, point of view, contact information, etc. provided?
What: Does the content match the purpose and does it appear accurate and verifiable?
When: Is it clear when the information was posted and updated?
Where: Is the site robust and stable? Are its links valid? Is it indexed in standard sources?
How: Do the links point to both external and internal webpages and are they reliable sites?
Why: What is the site’s purpose, intended audience, and means for contacting the author to provide feedback?
How is your Brain?
We all know that aerobics, regular exercise, healthy eating, etc. are good for us. But what about exercising the brain. I recently heard a report about how to make your brain more active so you maintain as much "brightness" as possible throughout life. Yes, taking a graduate course is a good way, but try brushing your teeth with your opposite hand, driving a different path to work or class, increasing your social interactions, meeting new people, using several senses at the same time…. I think you get the idea, but work at it so your brain will continue to work for you. Rog
Internet Searching Tips
Information is growing daily on the Internet. However, this only complicates the process of finding what we want. Here are search tips:
1. Determine a search strategy
2. Select an appropriate search engine (see home.twcny.rr.com/hiemstra/search.html -or- www-distance.syr.edu/search.html for help on search engines and strategies)
3. Add those sites you visit frequently to your "favorites" or "bookmarks" button. This way you can quickly return to them without retyping the URL. As you add more favorites, place them into separate folders that contain similar sites.
Following are several excellent sites to help improve your Internet searching skills:
http://www.thunderstone.com/webinator/help2.html (this latter one gives you various ideas on how to form your queries)
You also might try entering a natural language query (NLQ). This is where you enter a query in the form of a sentence or question. The search engine software automatically identifies the important words and phrases within your query and removes the "noise words." Generally, it will not remove noise words from a phrase that is within its vocabulary. Here is an example:
What is the state of the art in text retrieval?
The software will search for: state of the art AND text AND retrieval
Altavista.com appears the best search engine for NLQs, but sometimes they work okay in search.com, excite.com, and webcrawler.com.
Individualizing Instruction
Some have asked me how to acquire Individualizing Instruction that I co-authored with Dr. Burt Sisco. Unfortunately, the book is now out of print. However, I have placed it on the web page. It resides there along side The Educative Community that I authored several years ago. Although it is not yet all done, I’m adding chapters and sections as quickly as I can. You access it as follows: http://home.twcny.rr.com/hiemstra/iiindex.html -or- /iiindex.html. Rog
2000 Summer Institute
Mark your calendars for July 31-August 4, 2000 for the 2nd annual Elmira College Sum-mer Institute in Adult Education. Like this past summer, there will be required pre-reading and a major paper or project due after August 4. Do plan ahead for this great event, and note that all papers and projects will be due by the end of August. Here is some preliminary info:
Dr. Susan Slusarski, Assistant Professor, Adult Education, Kansas State University, will be one of our instructors. She will facilitate a special topics course still to be determined. Sue, a Ph.D. graduate in Adult Education from Syracuse University, is a past adjunct faculty member for Elmira College and a wonderful teacher. Dr. Slusarski was just elected Secretary of the Commission of Professors of Adult Education. We'll have a second facilitator and course soon.
No candle suffers loss from lighting another. Danish Proverb
Kudos and Congratulations!
Peg Birmingham was promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Human Services in Seneca County. Peg notes, "I credit the Elmira Adult Ed. Program for helping me on my way in this career move."
Let us know your achievements, job changes, etc. so we can see your name here, too!
Information Session
An information session is where we give basic information about the program, provide supportive material, and answer questions. Pass these dates to any interested colleagues:
December 2, 6-7:30 p.m., Elmira College campus. Contact the Graduate Office (607-735-1825) for the location
December 7, 6-7:30 p.m., OCM BOCES, Liverpool, Room C217
December 8, Norwich, NY – contact Jeri Auwarter (auwartj@morrisville.edu) for information on time and location.
Book Review
[Ed. Note: Thanks to recent graduate Lynn-Marie Perli who submitted this review. Can you submit one for the next newsletter?]
Johnston, S. (1998). Who moved my cheese? New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons Publishers. 94 pages. This is a short story about change by the co-author of The One Minute Manager. The book is divided into three sections. The middle section is the actual story. Many clichés could be said about the book such as the one on the jacket, "A gem--small and valuable," but it is true! This book is of value to anyone contemplating or experiencing change in any area of life. The basic store is about two mice and two people who live in a maze, eat cheese, and what happens when one day the cheese is gone. I enjoyed the book and learned from it because I’m experiencing changes and hope to make the transition(s) more pleasant and also be prepared for all future changes. We all know that nothing stays the same, even ourselves.
I believe the book is worthwhile reading for anyone involved in adult education. Every instructor should be aware that most adult students are there because of life changes. Very few take college courses for the pure joy of learning but have experienced changes or are anticipating making some. By reading the book, the educator obtains a greater understanding of student problems and feelings. Adult students should read the book because it helps them be less resistant to life changes; it also helps explain and ease the difficulties of once again being a student experiencing different types of demands. Who moved my cheese? is suggested reading for everyone and I intend to read it again.
Lynn-Marie Perli
Your Calendar of Events
Be sure to read the calendar of events each time. There are many wonderful opportunities for professional development.
Calendar of Upcoming Events
[Note: Send Roger professional conference or other meeting notices that you receive so they can be included the next time.]
When Abe Lincoln was a young man he ran for the state legislature and was defeated. He next entered business, failed, and took 17 years paying his debts. He was engaged to a beautiful woman and she died. Entering politics again, he ran for congress and was once more defeated. He then tried to obtain an appointment in the U.S. Land Office but failed. He became a candidate for the U.S. Senate but was beaten. He ran for Vice President and was once more defeated. His success after that is well known to all. When you become discouraged, think of Lincoln.
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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. The Web Page is http://home.twcny.rr.com/hiemstra or the back-up site is /. Your Elmira College contacts are Dr. Ronald Sundberg, Dean, Assistant Dean Dr. Gina Bisagni, and Graduate Advisor Joan Swanson. Their phone is (607) 735-1825; fax (607) 735-1150; 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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