Time to Recharge -
 

Most of us are already pining for the days of the long holiday break to sleep late, gorge ourselves on sweet treats and cheese ball, spend hours in front of the television watching reruns of King of Queens or perhaps head to the movies.  No doubt, we are in need of rest and relaxation and enjoying time with our families.

  It is important to clear your mind of algebraic equations, sociological theory, or the Georgia constitution, and fill your head with dancing sugar plums for a while!

I want to suggest that during the many days away from school and the computer that you keep yourself motivated so that you can return in January with tenacity and a fresh perspective. 

Here are a few tips while recharging over the break.
Keep reading.   Finding things you love to read over the break will keep your mind stimulated and your vocabulary sharp. (Please don’t rely on Facebook for ALL of you intellectual perusing J ).  
Maintain “to-do” lists.  Staying on some kind of schedule and accomplishing tasks is important for a healthy outlook and keeps you from staying up all night and sleeping all day.   Jot down a few things to accomplish daily. Examples might include: cleaning out a closet, writing a letter, volunteering at a local agency for a couple hours, washing your van, etc…
Stay active. There is something to be said for getting 30 min of exercise a day.  This can be a simple walk around your neighborhood, heading to the mall (without a pit stop at the food court), or light housework.  Exercise keeps your heart healthy and your mind rejuvenated.  It sure doesn’t hurt to help prevent those notorious holiday pounds either! 
Eat one healthy item (at least) a day. If you love to eat, like I do, it is too tough to steer clear of the holiday sugar cookies, Aunt Betty’s meatballs, or the homemade bacon wrapped scallops.  So try to balance out the gorging by keeping some healthy items on hand.  Have a bag of apples or fresh cut veggies in the fridge.  Sip on water all day- every day.  It will help keep you feeling fuller and also does wonders for your skin!
Keep school in mind.  Classes will resume before you know it. Be sure you get your supplies (books/ notebooks) before classes start. If you are an “online” student review your email periodically.  Be aware of the new “log in” procedures for eCore/eMajor and get yourself acclimated in class the first available date.

So, go ahead!  Enjoy the extended winter break!  May it be a time of restoration and peace.  If you follow a few of these outlined items it might just allow for you to have an easier transition into the spring semester.

by: Karen Lingrell, Collaborative Programs Assistant Director

Reference: http://personalexcellence.co/blog/healthy-living/


6:40 PM

1. What is your occupation? Medical Billing Specialist
2. What is your college major? Office Administration and Technology
3. How did you come about choosing this major? I work full time, and it was becoming very hard to make sure my school schedule fit with my work hours. I needed to be able to take classes online. I talked with a few people who recommended the degree program and I changed my major. It has been very helpful with my work schedule.
4. What career path do you want to take upon graduation? I really enjoy medical billing. I've changed jobs a few times in the past year, but I went right back to my old employer with the same position. I enjoy my job, and would like to further progress in the position and possibly earn the title "billing manager".
5. Why eMajor? The online courses are perfect with my work schedule. My job requires that I be available for our patients during the hours we are open. If they have billing inquiries, I need to be there to help them. Also, my job is non-stop, so there is always more to do. I was getting behind at work having to physically go to class.
6. Who is the biggest inspiration for your education? My mom. She managed to get her GED after having to drop out because my sister was born, and after I was born she managed to still go back and get her Bachelors Degree in Human Resources Management. I respect that she did not allow anything to hold her back from pursuing her dreams.
7. What is something cool you've learned this semester in eMajor? I'm in a class right now that teaches Quickbooks. I am not at all familiar with this program, but I realize I was missing out. Quickbooks is a amazing program that teaches you not only the accounting that I learned in beginning accounting classes, but also teaches me the things I did not get to learn. Payroll was the biggest thing. I have always been curious, but now I know.
8. What three words would you use to describe one of your online instructors? Organized, Responsive, Understanding
9. Where is your favorite place to visit in the USA? Helen, GA - It is so beautiful!
10. What kind of mood are you in right now, and why? I'm a little frustrated, I have an online assignment that is labeled as a "group" project, but my partner is no where to be found. I don't understand doing a group project in an online setting.
11. Your favorite study spot? The library at the VSU campus. They have an internet cafe with a small coffee place in case you need a boost of energy.
12. What is something your online classmates don't know about you? I'm originally from Kennesaw, GA. I'd never lived anywhere else until I moved to Valdosta for college.
13. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself?

I got married this semster, on October 6, my instructors were so supportive and understanding of this major life event.
(And, the poor planning on my part-which was having it during a school semester!) They worked with me and gave me all the tools I needed to succeed in class, while still abiding by their guidelines and due dates.


7:50 PM


I received an e-mail message yesterday from eCore that I was one of their students that is “shining brightly”. They informed me that they would like for me to share my story. It is an honor to be identified as succeeding after a long dry spot. I am currently 28 years old. My mother says I am her brightest child, but also her late bloomer. She will be pleased to hear of this recognition.
I am now a bloomer with the help of the eCore program, administration, and understanding professors.

I graduated from high school with high honors after losing the remainder of my hearing. My sister and I were both born legally deaf. Nothing has ever been easy for us. During my senior year of high school, I began to experience severe depression and was diagnosed with clinical depression. Intervention was in place. I received support through medical doctors, therapists, and my family.  I attended a large university, well actually two large universities, with full scholarships before being admitted to eCore. The problem was I was not ready for the large university, and they were not ready for me. The transition from home to the adult world of college was difficult with my now two disabilities, deafness and depression. I did okay for a few weeks and then things started to spiral down.
After packing up and closing the doors on these university experiences and continuing with therapy and medicine, I found eCore and it has truly been a blessing for my family and me. I am able to pursue my degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Cyber Crime fully online and on my schedule. I am nearing the end of my core program at eCore ,and I almost have my Associates Degree from Valdosta University. I am looking into the online program for my BA. The eCore experience has been challenging and has renewed my confidence in myself. I am thankful for my professors and eCore.

1. What is your occupation?   None
2. What is your college major?   Criminal Justice
3. Why eCore?   Online and flexible hours.
4. Who is the biggest inspiration for your education?   My sister. She is also deaf and has just graduated with her MED in Education
5. What is something cool you've learned this semester in eCore?   POLS has been fun. I have learned so much. We actually did collaboration work and created a Mock Election with a “made up” candidate. Government is very interesting and Professor Roger Marietta is very active in discussions. He called me one night about 10 and asked if I was a procrastinator. He wanted me to take the 1st attempt on his test so he could grade it and go to bed. It still blows me away that he cared enough to call.

Chem has been fun too. Professor Douglas Stuart has been great. The cabbage
juice experiment was a mess. My mother said that her kitchen would never be the same.
6. What three words would you use to describe one of your online instructors?   Understanding, caring, interactive
7. Where is your favorite place to visit in the USA?   Tybee Island’s beaches
8. What kind of mood are you in right now, and why?   Sleepy and tired and sore. I have a kidney stone and a gallbladder stone.
9. Your favorite study spot?   My front porch
10. What is something your online classmates don't know about you?   I’m profoundly deaf. I have a cochlear implant
11. Plans beyond eCore? eMajor, etc...?   Maybe eMajor…..Cyber Crime/Criminal Justice
12. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself? (your town, family, goals, any "shout-outs" to anyone?)   My sister, Brittany, was recently married. I am attaching a picture of me with her at her reception.  She is my inspiration.
3:31 PM

I began a web - based search to explore where a student majoring in Organizational Leadership major might go post graduation. What kind of jobs are out there? How is field perceived?  What kind of salary should I expect?  Well, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this degree holds some substantial creditability within the job sector and allows for candidates to have a great variety of job options when schooling is complete. The curriculum seems to cover everything from practical skills in organizational finance to leadership theory.  Organizational leadership gives students skills and knowledge necessary to serve in a multitude of leadership or management roles.

What is this degree?
Organizational management involves the strategic leading, organizing, planning and team supervising of companies, firms, businesses and organizations in many job industries. Management can involve leading an entire organization or supervising specific departments, such as human resources, information technology, finance and marketing.

What skills are necessary to become successful?
To become an effective organizational manager, you'll need to develop excellent interpersonal skills, understand human behavior and know how to develop credibility with colleagues and employees.
Also, one has to be be a critical thinker with ability to make decisions and develop strategies. Many companies will seek advice and guidance on how to improve their bottom line and streamline their operations; lucrative job skills for organizational leadership candidates.  On the job, professionals must confront problems or issues, develop and meet business goals, and ultimately  build a company culture that is high-performing. 

What's the pay & job outlook?
Justin Davis outlined in his College Advice Blog: "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, general and operations managers earn an average of between $63,000 and $137,000 annually, while upper level executives earn significantly more. CEOs and top level management at major corporations can earn salaries of well over $1 million each year. Of course, how much you earn depends largely on your organization and industry."

Depending on the degree level you pursue, you can find management positions for small companies, large corporations, government agencies and schools. Organizational management professionals wishing to pursue the education sector can work for a school's development office, registrar's office, school administrative unit or charter school association. With a bachelor's degree in organizational management, you could become an entry-level manager for business departments, such as human resources, operations, marketing and information technology.  Other examples of management positions include:  community services manager, health services manager, information technology manager, general manager or management consultant.

If you have already selected this as a career path I foresee a beautiful future. 

by Karen Lingrell, Assistant Director of Collaborative Programs and Career Genius



Sources:
http://emajor.usg.edu/degrees/organizationalleadership/organizationalleadership.php

http://www.collegeadviceblog.com/2012/06/what-is-job-forecast-for-2013-in.html

Additional Resources:
VSU Career Services:  http://ww2.valdosta.edu/career/
O-NET: http://www.onetonline.org/
Degree Directory: http://degreedirectory.org

5:34 PM

One can expect to learn about war and conflict in a college US History classes. It is, however, quite unusual to take a history course in 2012 with a World War II and Korean War veteran as the instructor.

Dr. Ray Broussard, retired University of Georgia professor of history, has been teaching online history courses for the University System of Georgia’s eCore program for about 10 years. Born in 1926, and clearly a member of the “Greatest Generation,” Broussard grew up long before television, frozen food, and electric stoves - let alone the internet.

Today, at 86 years old, he logs in every day except Sunday, to interact with his online students. “He far, far exceeds the expectations of an online instructor, posting up to 150 times a week. He is a precious and rare jewel, and his courses fill up rapidly,” says Dr. Melanie N. Clay, Dean of USG eCore and Executive Director of Extended Learning at the University of West Georgia.

In one of his recent responses to a student, he wisely explained the nature of history, “There are two types of information we deal with in History. One is factual information and that cannot change because it is truth. The other is interpretative information and that changes constantly. That is why History is so fascinating, for we have to rewrite it every generation as our values change.”

Raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, Broussard attempted to join the Navy at the age of 15, but was denied because of his eyesight. After another attempt with another doctor at the age of 17, he was in. He was assigned to fleet postal work in the South Pacific near New Guinea. After the war ended, he completed college and started graduate school at the University of Texas, where he joined the Naval Reserve.  He admits that one of his main motivations for participating in the Naval Reserves was to earn “dating money.” He had recently met his future wife, and used his earning to take her to the movies “every now and then,” he says.

When the Korean War broke out, he was among the first called, he remembers. After driving from Houston to San Diego, he failed another eye test. However, he recalls that the doctor had him move closer and closer to the chart until he could see the numbers clearly. He remembers that the doctor wrote “20/20” on his chart.

He was assigned as mailman on the “old USS Blue 80744,” which experienced combat in Korea, and earned a battle star. President Truman extended Broussard’s service for an extra year, and he was discharged in 1952. Interestingly, on the ship, he experienced a form of distance learning in that he worked on a graduate assignment – translating a book from Spanish to English. In 1952, he got married, earned his master’s degree, and got his first teaching job at Southwest Texas Junior College on an old airbase.  His starting salary was $2700 a year.

By 1959, he had completed his Ph.D. and got a job with the State Department of the United States as a director of a Bi-National Cultural Center in Cartagena, Columbia. After a two-year stint there, he left to take a job as an assistant professor at Mississippi State University. He recalls teaching very large classes in Latin American, US and English History and established the Latin American Institute. He remembers with pride convincing Mexico’s former President Miguel Aleman to attend the conference. Though he had a young family including two sons, and a low income, he recalls these years as among the happiest of his life.

In 1966, he started teaching for the University of Georgia. He taught lecture courses, and relished standing in front of a classroom. After retirement, he was asked to teach an online eCore course in 2002. He responded, “that’s impossible; you can’t teach history on a computer. You’ve got to talk to the students. You’ve got to mix it up with them, and you can’t do that on that computer.”  Early eCore administrators worked with him, and he said that, “dang nab bit by Golly,” – it could be done.

Today, he longs to be able to see his students, but feels that he knows them better than his traditional students in many ways.  He says he has discussed this phenomena with students, and many have told him that they feel less “apprehensive about speaking their minds” in the online environment.  He particularly enjoys the chance to work with adult learners, who are so dedicated to learning and succeeding, while balancing work and young children.  Being in his 80s is an advantage for him because “the older you are, the more life experience you have.”When asked about the future of America, Broussard’s response was simple. “Never ask a historian about the future. They do a terrible job of predicting the future, but they can tell you a lot about the past.”    
5:22 PM
Kendra A. Hollern is a Lecturer in Political Science at Valdosta State University and teaches eMajor classes.

I teach in our Legal Assistant Studies program which is housed in VSU's Political Science Department.  We have been moving our program from strictly face to face to online.  I enjoy the flexibility and challenge of being able to teach online.  I have taken online courses myself when I completed my LL.M. in Elder Law.  It is great to be able to conduct classes from home or on vacation!

Outside of the eMajor delivery system, I try not to do anything differently.  I encourage open discussions in my face to face courses and have translated that into my onine dicussion boards.  I am very interactive with the students in my online courses so that they get the same feedback as my face to face students. I am very active on my discussion boards so the students can get feedback.  But in the online environment you do need to be more careful in your communications as emails/postings can be interpreted in more than one way.

In the past to change things up I have taken away exams and use alternative assessments.  I give real world based projects that students can expect to get in a law office.   Our clients have been Kermitt Frogg and Under Dog.

An interesting event that happened on a trip was at the Special Needs and Trusts Conference in St. Pete Beach in October.   This is conference that is hosted by Stetson College of Law where I got my LL.M. in Elder Law.  I ran into my Ethics professor and she asked me to help critique her Moot Court students who were about to go to competition.  Moot Court is appellate brief writing and oral arguments.  It was fun to watch and reminded me of my law school days...and how I sometimes miss the courtroom.

Funny job story (aka things we do for money): When I was in high school I worked at a grocery store called Hy-Vee.  The Nabisco representative couldn't come every week so he "hired" me to help him make sure his stock was full on the shelves the weeks he wasn't there.  But, then one day he wanted to do a promotion that involved handing out cookies...and I had to dress in a Ernie the Keebler Elf costume...and I am a short woman...I stand about 5 foot 1.   My co-workers called me Keebler for 6 months after that.  I still won't eat those darn cookies.

*eMajor students have access to great faculty like Kendra Hollern who teach great classes and as you can tell from her story is not afraid to go above and beyond for her students. Take a look at eMajor to learn more.
10:38 AM


José Gomez is an 18-year cancer survivor. In 1994, at the age of four, he was diagnosed with leukemia. After chemotherapy and treatment, he did well until the cancer came back in 1999. José then received a bone marrow transplant from one of his three siblings, and his cancer was gone again. Little did he know that his health battles were just beginning. José began to experience lung complications as a result of the bone marrow transplant. In 2007, he received the first of two double lung transplants. 

José began taking traditional college courses in the Fall of 2009. By Thanksgiving of that year, he was hospitalized and unable to finish his coursework. In Fall 2010, José began taking eCore classes, as his doctors felt he was not physically able to attend regular campus classes.

Today, José is a full time eCore student. He says that if not for eCore he would not have been able to continue his education. He hopes to eventually attend and complete medical school.  

Jose explains that he likes being able to take work in his classes any time of the day. While he usually prefers doing his coursework in the afternoon, he works late at night if he has trouble sleeping.  He says that he also really likes the resources available to eCore students, particularly tutoring. 

When asked his age, Jose says, “With the beard I am 21. Without the beard I am 12. And when I go to Golden Corral I am definitely 12!”  Jose actually celebrated his 22nd birthday earlier this week (November 6).

Jose has been an inspiration to all who know him, including eCore staff who have interacted with him. A Facebook friend of Jose's recently posted an original Jose quote on his wall: "Never talk defeat, for if you do, you can talk yourself into accepting it."

7:43 PM
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