1. What is your occupation?
Full-time Mom and Student

2. What is your college major?
Biology

3. Why eCore?
I chose eCore because I was pregnant with my son and wanted to continue going to school while pregnant and be able to still attend without going and reporting to a professor, since I was due during the fall semester.

4. Who is the biggest inspiration for your education? 
My parents were the biggest inspiration for my education. They passed away a year after one another while I was still in high school. My dad passed 2009 (junior year) and my mom passed 2010 (senior year). Neither of them were able to see me graduate, but as I was growing up I always told them "I am going to become a dentist." I believe they will be really proud of me and that this is what my parents would love to see me doing...going to school to achieve my goal and graduating high school and college. Presently, my children also give me the strength not to give up.

5. What three words would you use to describe your online instructors?
Helpful, Honest, Reliable 

6. Where is your favorite place to visit in the USA?
Niagara Falls

7. What kind of mood are you in right now, and why?
Happy, because I am watching my daughter playing and trying to be helpful with your brother. In addition, I'm thinking about how my life could not possibly be any better than what it already is.

8. Your favorite study spot?
In my bathroom with no electronics (including phone), because I am still at home with my babies in the other room.

9. What is something your online classmates don't know about you?
That I seriously love to read and enjoy taking classes.

10. Plans beyond eCore? eMajor, etc...? 
I plan on attending more classes whether it is eCore or on campus, until I get my bachelors in Biology. Then, I'm going to work my way up to a master's, and then go on to dental school.

11. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself? (Favorite class, challenges, eCore tips, your town, family, goals, any "shout-outs" to any professors or students?)

I am very thankful for all of my eCore professors. They have worked with me through my fall semester taking ecore classes by helping me continue classes after giving birth to my son. I also want everyone to know, do not be afraid of talking with your professors no matter what kind of situation; they will work with you and make sure you are successful in their class. I also want to thank my extended family for their help in taking care of my children while I studied, took finals, and also made sure that I was successful this semester.  

To the future eCore students: make sure you know how to manage your time. It is not as easy as you might think it will be, you will get behind if you procrastinate. 

Thank you to every classmate and all my professors. I had a wonderful experience with eCore and I believed I made the right decision to do Fall Semester with eCore. 

I also want to thank my professors individually - Molly Stoltz, S Lewis, David Biek and Anna Rulska. They all worked with me and made sure I succeeded. Again thank you!
5:08 PM
eCore student Kevin Sutor is currently stationed in Kuwait, where he is a US Army IT Specialist/Information Officer/Sharepoint Administrator.

Kevin attends Middle Georgia State College, where his major is B.S. Information Technology with dual concentration in Network Administration and Information Security (an online degree program).  


Last semester, Kevin took 6 courses, and earned As in all of them.

"One of the reasons why I've been so successful recently is because I've made bold decisions when lacking self-confidence. I honestly didn't think I could handle taking 16 online hours while getting deployed, but I signed up for it because I was determined to finish my degree as fast as possible," he says.

"We are all afraid to push our own boundaries and test our limits, but by pushing ourselves past the point that our mind thinks we can handle, we start to discover how amazing our true potential really is. But in order to do that, we need to take the bold first step," he continued.

This semester, two of Kevin's courses are offered through the USG eCore collaborative program - US History and Communications.


"What I learned from Communications that is helpful to my future is how to give a presentation. Some little things to notice like body language, avoiding jargon (which is somewhat difficult for me being in the IT field), and remaining confident. These all sound like they would be easy when put in words. Having to actually give a presentation to an audience was a different story. I never knew that live presentations required so much practice. I always thought it was something that just came naturally for most people."  

Kevin says that his favorite study place is in his bed with a laptop.

"It's so much easier for me to study and do my assignments when I feel relaxed, compared to being stressed when sitting down trying to cram information into my brain. It really depends on the week. Some weeks I have plenty of time to finish all of my assignments, but others require some late-night studying/reading. That's why I generally work on my assignments during a lunch break or any small off time that I have. All of the small breaks add up to a lot of total time spent on schoolwork during a week. I've never missed an assignment (aside from an extra credit one) so I can't say it's too hard to keep up. A lot of it is about time management," he explains.

Kevin also recently passed the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) Exam, and is now CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, and now CCNA certified.


Kevin says, "Part of my job is to ensure that proper policies are being followed, and if there are any issues with design, permissions, or general questions of how to use SharePoint, I'm the first point of contact. I also schedule conference rooms for the multiple amount of meetings that different sections of my unit schedule. As an IMO, I ensure that all data is transferred in a secure fashion. I'm responsible for applying patches and installation of any required software for our machines. I am also responsible for adding, creating, and modifying any users in my organization. Aside from that, I perform my normal job function which is to resolve any IT-related issues that arise within my unit in theater."


"I'm really excited that I'm making myself more marketable for job opportunities," he says.

In his spare time, Kevin enjoys Anime, including Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Naruto Shippuden, Fairy Tail, Gitama, and One Piece. "In between readings and assignments I always like to watch a 20 minute episode of anime just to let my brain cool down so I don't overload myself," he says.

Kevin will return to the United States in about four months, and hopes to one day live in the Steamboat, Colorado area, where he has fond memories of skiing with his family as a child.


  


6:18 PM



Every student must take at least one - and in most cases two math classes. Mathematics is an essential part of a strong liberal arts curriculum which is why it's included as part of the Core. But which math class should you take? The answer is, well - that depends. eCore faculty have created a variety of course sequences that allow you to fulfill your mathematics requirements. Which sequence you should take depends on your intended major, your mathematical preparedness, and your career interests.


We begin with the most straightforward case. The physical, natural, and computational sciences include majors such as Physics, Biology, Astronomy, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Computer Science. These fields generally require Calculus and above. If you are interested in pursuing one of these majors, you should plan to take MATH 1113 - Precalculus followed by MATH 1501 - Calculus. Although it is possible to place directly into MATH 1113, some students may need a little refresher first. If this is the case for you, then you should first take MATH 1111 - College Algebra to help you prepare. The thing to remember is that this sequence of classes is preparing you to move on to more advanced mathematics - the fun just keeps on going!

On the other end of the spectrum are the Humanities which include majors like Art, English, Drama, Comparative Literature, and History. These disciplines generally do not require any more mathematics than what is in the core curriculum. The courses MATH 1101 - Mathematical Modeling, followed by MATH 1401 - Introduction to Statistics, is a sequence that provides students with basic problem solving and reasoning skills that apply more to everyday life. In most cases, if your major is based in the Humanities, these are the only two math classes you will need to take.

What about those disciplines somewhere in between like Psychology, Business, Sociology, and Education? Well, now it gets a little fuzzier. It is likely that most of these majors will require MATH 1401, but whether you take MATH 1101 or MATH 1111 first depends on what your major requires. The best thing to do is check with an advisor to make sure that you're taking the right course.

One last note of advice. Whichever math class you enroll in , try to approach it with an open mind. Mathematics can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding and even fun if you let it. 

by Barry Monk, eCore Math Professor

Dr. Barry Monk is Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Associate Professor of Mathematics at Middle Georgia State College, Macon Campus. 
5:30 PM
As an Associate Professor in the Adult & Career Education Department in the College of Education at Valdosta State University, Dr. Whisler teaches on-campus and online undergraduate and graduate VSU courses, as well as eMajor classes.

In addition to teaching eMajor classes, Dr. Whisler is the Associate Professor & OAT-OBC Advisor in the Adult & Career Education Department in the College of Education at Valdosta State University.

Teaching through eMajor has made her a better face-to-face teacher because of her online teaching experience. "Teaching online has taught me the importance of pre-planning and communicating instructions clearly," Dr. Whisler says.

"Interacting with online students needs to be a priority for online instructors, and it presents unique challenges", she says. Some online students call her, and those on campus stop by her office - but most communication occurs through email and discussion forums.  Dr. Whisler tries to communicate clearly to the entire class through announcements and assignment instructions. She also provide a CyberCafe where students can post questions so that the whole class can benefit from seeing them and the responses. When students do have questions, she makes it a point to respond to them the same day, if possible.

Dr. Whisler says students need connections with other students, so so she uses Wimba in most of her online classes as a place for them to meet in small groups. "They are usually a little apprehensive at first, but quickly become 'hooked'," she reports. Online learning provides convenience not only for students, but also faculty.

Whisler loves giraffes, travel, and nature. Something interesting about Whisler is that she learned she was expecting her second child (who is now 27) during an 800-mile bicycle trip (Ragbrai) across the state of Iowa. She rode an average of 100 miles a day, in 100+ degree temperatures, and slept on the ground (in tents) at night.

Learn more about eMajor's elite instructors and programs at emajor.usg.edu.


8:39 PM

Hello, I am Dr. Farooq Khan and I am the Professor of Chemistry, and Interim Dean, College of Science and Mathematics at the University of West Georgia.


There are several major differences in face-to-face and online classes.  In a face-to-face class, there are students who rarely speak up.  In eCore classes, discussions are required, so that there is no “quiet” student.  Second, in a face-to-face class, I inject quite a bit of humor.  I would have to work hard at writing humorous lines for eCore courses while ensuring that I am not taken out of context.  As a result, I am a very solemn eCore instructor.  Finally, in eCore Chemistry, I find that ideas that can be expressed very simply in a face-to-face environment (simple figures, formulae, equations, etc.), take a lot more ingenuity. 


One of the things I do differently using eCore than my face-to-face class is that I am more serious. Secondly, I try to be very careful in defining expectations and deadlines explicitly, more so than a face-to-face class. 

The writing skills of eCore students pleasantly surprised me at first.The eCore students are older than the typical traditional students in face-to-face courses, and their life experiences are reflected in their writings.   

In addition to Chemistry, I also teach Environmental Science. Teaching online, I have learned how to moderate discussions on sensitive topics (immigration, health issues, taxation) while teaching ENVS 2202.  I have also adopted this format for face-to-face courses, where appropriate. 

An interesting thing happened on a recent trip. The Atlanta airport is one of the busiest in the world, and I am particular about reaching three hours ahead of time for international flights.  (My wife says I stress too much!)  The last time I showed up, and saw long lines, an agent asked me to try one of the computer-aided check-in counters.  I told the agent that it would not work for international flights.  She scanned my passport, and within a minute I got my boarding passes printed for the entire trip!  I had three hours to kill now!  I ate an expensive meal, and bought a John Grisham novel (that I had at home, half-read).  If my wife were present, that would be cause for chagrin!


Something my students might not know about me is that I am a New York Mets fan!  I spent 1985-1990 at Columbia University, and became a Mets fan during that span when they were a really good team.  A quarter century later, while living 30 miles away from Turner Field, I still root for the Mets, not a particularly competitive team any more during most years.

*Learn more about the University System of Georgia's eCore and see Dr. Khan's chemistry class.
4:26 AM
Dr. Jack Waskey is a favorite of eCore students because of his incredible depth of knowledge and research, dry wit, and no-nonsense approach to helping students succeed.
Q. What do you teach? I am a Professor of Social Science at Dalton State, where I teach American government, Introduction to Philosophy, Logic, and World Religions. My other job is writing professionally, usually for encyclopedias. I have retired recently from my ministry job as pastor of a Presbyterian church. I am now Pastor Emeritus, but do preach or engage in other ministry from time to time.


Q. What do you see as the differences in teaching face-to-face classes and online? Surprisingly what may be the biggest difference for me is that online students seem to “talk” more than students do in class. I get to know them better. So we share more about government and other matters as they arise. It is also easier to give students personal attention to their writing and discussions than it is in a face-to-face class where others are present and may inhibit open discussion.
It is also the case that in online courses with a large enrollment the student may not be missed as quickly as a student will be in a face-to-face class.


Q. What do you do differently teaching eCore than a face-face-face class? For certain we discuss more. If I disagree I will usually ask questions to evoke thought or to create an opening for introducing new information. Usually students are more open to this. I have a large body of articles that I can just paste into the course. For example, cancer and wood chips arose as a topic last semester. I posted an article on the subject which was written for the Encyclopedia of Cancer.
In a face-to-face class, the exchange would have been oral and posting an article for students to read later is just not the same. So the impact is more dynamic online.


Q. What has surprised you about teaching online? Or a certain event that stands
out in your mind? The first time I taught online the platform was much more primitive than it is today. So it was a panic on my part. This made be very sensitive to students with technology problems. Even now, changing over to the unfamiliar D2L will rekindle some of those old feelings.
Other events are the old days of having student final exams snail-mailed to me. There was one that did not arrive until the morning of the day I was flying to Austria for a late summer tour of central Europe. Other similar issues have occurred. Or there have been occasions a student had a disaster to strike and working online to help was more than would occur normally with a face-to-face class student.
I have also been surprised that most of the students who make it to the mid-term stay the course and develop a survivor attitude. Usually they have a “I’m a success” attitude at the end of the course. This is good because teachable students need to become tough-minded and dedicated to achievement.


Q. Name some online class interaction techniques that you have found to be effectivethat may have surprised you? Patiently asking questions helps students to gain new perspectives. This works in discussions, and with weak, missing, or mistaken views in papers.
Personal exchanges also help. It is easier online to be personally one-on-one than it is in a class room of 30 or 40.


Q: Tell us about an interesting event that happened on a trip or recent
travel? Before Christmas 2011 my wife and I traveled to Dubai to see our new grandson. One evening in Dubai we were going to eat dinner at a North Korean restaurant, but the leader of North Korea died that day so we went to a Muslim Chinese restaurant instead.
We went home via Istanbul and Barcelona. In Istanbul it was exciting to explore the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market. We then went to Barcelona and discovered that they prefer to speak Catalan rather than Spanish. Well, so much for taking Spanish lessons. In Barcelona we celebrated New Year’s in a hotel with a fun group of Europeans. It was safer than celebrating in the thick crush of the crowds in the streets of Rome as we did celebrating the coming of 2009. It “rained” champagne that night as Romans like to shake and spray it into the air.
In the summer of 2012 we toured western Turkey, seven Greek islands in the Aegean Sea and Athens. In the summer in Turkey a very interesting thing was to see the vast olive tree orchards of Anatolia. It was also interesting to visit Troy and Ephesus. In Athens it was delightful to dine on our hotel roof top with our New Zealand friends with the Parthenon all alight above us on top of the Acropolis. Food was good too!


Q. Tell us a secret - something about yourself that you think your students would
find interesting, strange or fun. I play in a guitar group that is mostly older men. We have had a lady, but she had health issues and had to drop out. We meet to do mostly hymns. Although, “Christmas in Dixie,” is like a few others we play one that’s fun but not religious. We usually perform for churches, nursing homes and sometimes at entertainments. Lots of fun!


Dr. Waskey and many other incredible eCore professors are available at eCore.usg.edu. Come and take a look.
11:42 AM
What is your occupation?
Full time student and also work part time. 

What is your college major?   
Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Public Administration.

How did you come about choosing this major? 
I was looking for something that I enjoyed doing and wanted to change majors. 

What career path do you want to take upon graduation? 
Where ever the Lord sends my fiancé and I for him to go to dental school (he will be my husband by this point), is where I’ll look for a job. I’m hoping to work for a great organization using my degree. 

Why eMajor? 
Online classes work best for me. You are in control of when you do you work, but also know that you have to be organized and disciplined to do your work and get it turned in on time.

Who is the biggest inspiration for your education? 
My parents are my biggest inspiration. They told me when I was little,” the sky's the limit.” I have had that mind-set all my life. They support me and encourage me all the time. 

What is something cool you've learned this semester in eMajor? 
That online classes actually are interesting and that they can be fun and interesting.

What three words would you use to describe one of your online instructors? 
Helpful, understanding, and challenging

Where is your favorite place to visit in the USA? 
The beach. I love to feel the sand between my toes and soak up the sun!

What kind of mood are you in right now, and why? 
I’m in a good mood. A little stressed with finals and getting prepared for my wedding on December 15th. But very relieved that I made it and it’s almost over. J

What is your favorite study spot? 
I’d say the library. I get more done there than I do at home. I find everything to do, but study when I’m home.

What is something your online classmates don't know about you? 
There is so much that my online classmates don’t know. You’re never around them, so there is not too much communication unless you are in a group with them.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself? 
Not that I can think of.  
6:25 PM
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