Back to School

A previous post of mine from June 2010 has received some interest and reposting on Twitter lately.

In response to my retweeting of the psot I had a reply from  linking to the below video.

A short video for staff of the Department of Justice (Victoria, Australia) explaining the key elements of their social media policy.

Heres the video its great!

What do you think? What is your Institution doing to encourage (or discourage) its staff use of social media networks? Do you have a framework of policy or guideline to work within, or are you winging it?

Parents are the encouragers.  We encourage our college students to study, to make friends, to get involved in activities at school, to get to know their professors.  Consider adding to your list encouraging your college student to get enough exercise.  According to a study done by researchers at Ohio State, as many as 52% of college students do not exercise.  The study also found that students differ in their response to social support for exercise, with women responding most to support of family and men responding more to support from friends.  However, whether your student is a male or female, consider asking about how much exercise he or she may be getting.

There are many reasons why students may not get enough exercise in college.  Although it is possible that students are spending too much time studying to fit exercise into their schedule, it is more likely a combination of many activities that crowd their schedule.  Students are spending time studying, working on or off campus, socializing with friends, and participating in campus activities.  They may have erratic schedules.  They may be overreacting to their dislike of high school gym class and viewing formal exercise as being back in the high school gym.  For some students, it is possible that friends provide a disincentive by viewing exercise as unimportant or “uncool”.  Many students who were active in high school – either participating in sports or walking to and from school and/or jobs, may not realize how much less exercise they are getting now.

There are many benefits of regular exercise – especially for college students.  Of course, exercise can be an important factor in preventing the “freshman fifteen” which may be a result of the combination of less exercise and poor food choices.  In addition, however, exercise can improve circulation and help students think clearly, improving their academics.  It can help students sleep better, reduce stress, provide energy, and help students feel better about themselves by giving them control over their bodies.  One study done by Tufts University indicated that students who exercise are generally happier.  Another benefit of exercise in college may be that it helps students establish life-long habits that will benefit them for years to come.

Your student may feel that he can’t fit exercise into his schedule or he may not be motivated to try.  There are a few things that you can suggest or remind him of to help him consider adding a bit of exercise to his routine.

• Most colleges and universities have beautiful, often state-of-the-art exercise facilities available for free for students to use.  At many schools this may include a pool, tennis courts, racquetball courts.  Remind your student that after college she will likely have to pay if she decides to join a gym or workout facility.  Encourage her to take advantage of what is free while she has the opportunity – to take advantage of her tuition money at work.
• Remind your student that exercise does not need to take place in the gym. He may choose to participate in intramural sports offered on most campuses, play tennis or pick-up basketball or football with friends, go for a run, hike, ski, or generally get active.
• Encourage your student to take advantage of having many friends around by finding others to exercise with.  They can encourage each other to participate and continue. spurring each other on.  Exercise can become a social event.
• Your student might investigate classes offered at the college – either for credit or for fun.  Classes are often offered in yoga, pilates, tennis, golf, badminton, racquetball, or other sports.  These may also be skills your student will want to have in the future.
• Remind your student that exercise does not need to happen all at once.  A busy student might find ways to fit exercise into his schedule in bits and pieces.  A few minutes of running now, a short basketball game later, and a bike ride to work will all add up.
• Exercise can be intentional but “hidden”.  Remind your student to walk to class instead of driving or taking a shuttle, take the stairs instead of the elevator, bike to work, park further away from her building, etc. 
• Your student might prefer to exercise in her room, perhaps using weights, exercise ball, exercise bands, yoga, video programs or Wii.

Most importantly, encourage your student to find some form of exercise which he enjoys and which is sustainable over the long run.  He will establish lifetime habits, will feel better, and may even be happier.

Kent State took a first step on Monday to preserve a home once owned by the university’s first female faculty member.

A moving company rolled the modest two-story frame house about 300 feet to the south, parking it on a bare lot that had been prepared for it.

“This structure is not only significant to Kent State’s history, but is also representative of the evolution of both our campus and city,” Tom Euclide, associate vice president of facilities planning and operations, said in a news release.

Exactly what will happen to the 2,000-square-foot May Prentice house is unclear, KSU construction manager Todd Shaffer said.

KSU officials are discussing the future of the building, which Shaffer said is in good shape with the original oak woodwork and pocket doors and hardware.

But it was located in an unfortunate place. Kent State is building a brick-and-concrete walkway from downtown to campus that will run through the property.

The university bought the home and a dozen others to make way for the esplanade. Four homes have been knocked down and eight others will be demolished at the end of June, Shaffer said.

The Prentice home at 128 S. Willow St. is the only one to be preserved. The university bought the home last fall for $225,000 from Andrej M. Petryna and hired Stein House Movers of Cortland for about $25,000 to move it.

Last week, the movers used a hydraulic jacking system to lift the house off its foundation and turn it 90 degrees. On Monday the company moved it over steel road plates to its new home at 212 S. Willow St., just south of where the esplanade will be built.

The university will build a basement for the home in the next year or so and move it again to put it on top of the foundation, Shaffer said.

The house will memorialize one of Kent State’s first four faculty members and its first female instructor.

May Prentice headed teacher training from 1912 to 1930, teaching English, history of education and school management to some of the fledgling university’s first students.

“Miss Prentice loves all children, big or little, and she is always ready to help them,” the 1921 Chestnut Burr wrote of her.

She retired from KSU in 1930 and lived in the Willow Street house until she died. The house passed into other hands and was extensively remodeled.

Appraisal reports show the wall between two small bedrooms was eliminated to make a master suite, its living room was painted in vibrant blue stripes, a wooden deck was attached to the back, the basement was finished and yellow vinyl siding was added to the exterior.

The preservation of the house is the third honor for Prentice.

The university also named a three-story residence hall for her in 1959. It was in the Prentice Hall parking lot that students were shot by the Ohio National Guard in 1970.

KSU students also raised the money to pay for a glazed yellow brick and concrete gateway at East Main and Lincoln streets that was dedicated to her in 1935, weeks before she died at age 79.

Building 2009 – Crystal Vande Poppe A look at why students may choose online learning options and challenges that students and teachers may face.

The idea of alternative study is not new. It actually started in 1873 by Bostonian Anna Eliot Ticknor, who offered correspondence courses by mail. Online learning options have grown tremendously in the last several years. Things to consider on this trend are that online learning offers flexibility and saves times for adult students. It is becoming more acceptable with 65% of schools offering graduate face-to-face (F2F) courses also offering graduate courses online according to Challenges of Graduate Education at a Distance in 2009. Private organizations are also getting in on the act and many groups and employers use organizations using online learning tools for training. This trend is expected to continue with a distance learning annual growth rate of 18.2%.

While there are benefits to the students and the faculty when teaching online, it is important to recognize that there are also challenges unique to the online classroom. These challenges are not for the student alone. Instructors may need to understand the differences as well, so that both parties get the most from this emerging learning environment.

Are you interested in health care? Have you ever thought about working in a doctor’s office? Are you good with people, organized, responsible and able to take on new responsibilities? If the answer to these questions is “Yes,” then a medical assistant career might be right for you. And if you live in or near Arlington, Va., you can get the training you need to enter this exciting and rewarding field at the Arlington campus of Everest College.

Everest College in Arlington is part of the Everest family of colleges, universities and institutes that has nearly 100 campuses throughout the United States. Its Medical Assistant program is one of the largest and most successful programs of its kind in America. In fact, over the last 10 years, Everest has graduated more medical assistant students and has placed more medical assistants in health care jobs than any other school in the nation.

Why is Everest’s Medical Assistant career education program so successful? Here are some of the key factors in the program’s success:

• The Instructors — At Everest College, the Medical Assistant program instructors are former medical assistants. They know the business. They speak the language. They’ve mastered the skills. But even more important than their professional excellence is their caring attitude. Medical Assistant instructors come to Everest because they’re passionate about their profession and want to share that enthusiasm with young people. They’re eager to see their students succeed and will go that extra mile to give each student the individual support he or she needs.

• The Facility — Everest College is designed to give students the kind of real-world education that will serve them best once they leave school. Students work in small, intimate groups that promote communication and the sharing of ideas, while a simulated health care office setting allows for true hands-on training that promotes quick learning and personal confidence.

• The Follow-Up — Everest College is first and foremost a career education institution. Training for post-graduation employment begins on day one of classes and continues even after a student has graduated. Our dedicated Career Services staff works with each student to make sure he/she has a strong resume, knows effective interviewing techniques and is put in touch with local employers in need of their skills.

About the Arlington Campus

Everest College’s Arlington campus is located at 801 N. Quincy Street in Arlington, VA 22203. The campus is within easy walking distance of several bus stops and is just a few blocks south of the Ballstrom and Virginia Square Metro stations. Numerous childcare facilities are just minutes away, and a variety of restaurants and shopping options can be reached by foot.

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