Friday, May 12, 2017

Melanie Lewis and Elizabeth Lewis Recognized on Honor's Day



Melanie accepts her award on stage.

Melanie Lewis was recognized on Honor’s Day for her outstanding service to Haywood Community College when she received the Superior Staff award. Melanie has worked as the LSS Testing Technician for 3 years. She is dedicated to the mission of the college and the success of every student. We are so proud of her!
Melanie Lewis received the 2016-2017 Superior Staff Award for Haywood Community College.
Melanie was honored with a reception for her great achievement.


Elizabeth Lewis (no relation to Melanie) was awarded the Outstanding Student Award for her dedication to completing her degree. Way to go Elizabeth!

Elizabeth A. Lewis, Outstanding Student in Learning Support Services






Thursday, April 28, 2016

Adults as Learners, By Carla Woody



Erin Skinner catching a frog for a biology course at Haywood Community College.

Some thoughts for instructors:
Adult learners want and deserve respect.  They are used to making decisions, are busy people, have to deal with emergencies and unexpected situations, have a wealth of life experience, sometimes feel insecure about using new skills on their own, have their own values and beliefs, may have special physical needs, and want to apply what they learn to their present lives. (Teaching Adults: A Literacy Resource Book)

They may fear school, based on previous unpleasant experiences; may have problems meeting basic needs because of unemployment or poverty; may find planning for the future difficult; maybe embarrassed or ashamed about their reading and writing skills.  Some learners have had hearing problems since childhood.  Such problems may have affected their ability to develop and use language effectively.  As a result, they may also have had problems learning to read fluently. (Teaching Adults)

Adults are characterized by maturity, self-confidence, autonomy, solid decision making and are generally more practical, multi-tasking, purposeful, self-directed, experienced and less open-minded and receptive to change.  All these traits affect their motivation as well as their ability to learn.  As instructors, we need to address these traits and create content and structure that meets the students’ needs. 

1.     Self-direction: It is important to the student to have control over his/her learning.  Subtle support and multiple options are imperative.
2.     Practical and results-oriented: Students need information that can be immediately applicable to their needs, and generally prefer practical knowledge rather than theory. 
3.     Less open-minded: Life experience can lead to rigidity, the enemy of learning.  Instructors need to provide the “why” as well as the “how” in order to link new concepts to established ones.
4.     Slower learning, yet more integrative knowledge: Aging does affect learning in terms of speed, yet depth of learning tends to increase over time.
5.     Use personal experience as a resource: We need to encourage discussion and create a learning environment where people of all levels can interact.
6.     Motivation: Learning in adulthood is generally voluntary.  This personal choice is what drives the student to learn new things.
7.     Multi-level responsibilities: Adult learners have a lot to juggle.  That’s why it can be more difficult for an adult to make room for learning.  The learning process can be obstructed and the learning outcome compromised.
8.     High expectations: Adult learners want to be taught about things that can be of immediate use and not waste their time and/or money. (Christopher Pappas, elearning.industry.com/8-important-characteristics-of-adult-learners, May, 2011.)

Some thoughts for students:
To increase your percentage of success, remember:
1.     Put it to work: Doing something with new knowledge means putting it to work and getting results, even if they aren’t the ones you want.
2.     Results are valuable feedback: Making a mistake is part of the learning process.
3.     Mistakes are opportunities.
4.     Just do it, step by step, baby steps or giant leaps.
5.     Use it to “make it yours.”  Understanding how to do something new is stored first in your short term memory.  If you don’t use the knowledge again soon, you will have to start the process again.
6.     Three may be the magic number.  If you use your new skill three times on three different occasions, you will probably find that you’ve “got it.”
7.     Use it again, or risk losing it. 
8.     After two weeks we tend to remember:
*10% of what we read
*20% of what we hear
*30% of what we see
*50% of what we hear AND see
*70% of what we say
*90% of what we say AND do
*95% of what we help someone else learn and understand.  The higher the level of involvement, the more likely we will remember. (TABE: Test of Adult Basic Education: The First Step to Lifelong Success.)

Other tips for older students:
1.      Plan your week in order to manage your time.  Sort out high priority tasks from lower priorities and schedule specific times for the more important items.
2.     Get to know younger students.
3.     Get to know other returning students and build a support network.
4.     Find common ground with instructors.
5.     Enlist your employer’s support.  Further education can increase your job specific skills or your “soft skills,” which are important in dealing with people.
6.     Look for specific ways to merge your school and work lives. 
7.     Look for child care, if needed.
8.     Review your subjects before starting classes.  If you need to brush on a subject such as math, there are opportunities to help you prepare and succeed.
9.     Prepare for an academic environment, which may be very different from your work environment.
10.  Be willing to let go of pre-conceived ideas about how to study. 
11.  “Publish” your schedule.  Encourage the people in your life to respect your designated study and work times.
12.  Share your plans.  Involve your family and close friends in your learning and ask them for help.  (Becoming a Master Student)

Don’t let yourself fail!  Everyone involved in your educational experience is committed to helping you succeed in each class and in your overall plans for your college and work career.  Asking for help can be difficult, especially for adults, but it is often the best way to get past the obstacle which may be blocking your path.  Our instructors and staff are always grateful for an opportunity to help our students!

REFERENCES

Teaching Adults: A Literacy Resource Book, New Readers Press, 1994.

“Eight Important Characteristics of Adult Learners,” Christopher Pappas, eLearning Design and Development, e.learningindustry.com/8-important-characteristics-of-adult-learners, May, 2011.

TABE: Test of Adult Basic Education: The First Step to Lifelong Success, Dutwin, Phyllis; Altreuter, Carol, and Guglielmi, Kathy, McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Becoming a Master Student, Sixth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993.


Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Setting Goals for Success





Setting Goals for Success
 By Myriah Strivelli

--Myriah Strivelli is an English lab instructor in Learning Support Services. Besides her work at HCC, Myriah is also working on a master's degree in English at East Carolina University.

Setting goals is crucial for success. Research shows that people who set goals are happier and are more likely to achieve what they want in life. John Norcross, a researcher who has been studying goals for many years, defines a goal as "a mental representation of a desired outcome that a person is committed to" (Meek). There are short-term goals and long-term goals. Short-term goals may be set for the week, month, or year, whereas long-term goals may be set for a longer length of time. You can think of goals like roadmaps. They indicate where you are going and how to get there. If you don’t set goals, you may end up aimlessly wandering without clear direction and purpose (Smith).
The process of goal setting can be broken down into easy steps. The first step is to figure out what sort of goals you want to make. To determine this, you need to do some self-discovery. Start by taking a look at your values and priorities. Use a journal or create a computer file specifically for working with your goals. Write a list of what makes you happy and what you are good at. The main areas of life you will want to look at include health, relationships, spirituality and/or religion, career, mental health, emotional health, contribution to society, and money. Then, keeping the list in mind, think about things you want to achieve, how you want to be, and what skills you would like to learn. Brainstorm possible goals in these categories (Meek).
The second step is to look over the list of potential goals, and choose which goal you see as most important to start with. You want to make sure that the goal is stated in the positive. In addition, your goal should be personal for you rather than being based on what someone else wants you to do (Parvin). It should be realistic, achievable, and specific, with measurable outcomes, and a deadline (Meek). This makes it easy to determine when you have reached the goal. For instance, instead of saying, “I don’t want to be overweight”, you would say something such as, “and I would like to weigh 150 pounds by May 31.”
Next, break down your goal into sub-goals. These are simple small steps you can take to get closer to your goal. You may also set deadlines for the sub-goals. For instance, working with the same goal, you could break it down into steps such as: 1. Join the local gym by the end of the week 2. Start an exercise routine, and exercise at least 40 minutes three times a week 3. Replace at least one fast food meal with a homemade low-fat meal once a week. Determine if you need any additional skills that you don’t already have to reach your goal. If so, come up with a plan to gain those skills and set them as sub-goals (Smith).
Identify obstacles that could stand in the way of your goal. There are internal and external obstacles. For each obstacle, write ways in which you can avoid falling into those traps (Tracy). You may also write a list of opportunities, which will help you achieve your goal. For instance, you may write something such as, “Find an exercise buddy to help motivate me and make working out more fun.”
Put plenty of focus on your goal to stay on track. Think about your goal when you wake up every morning, remind yourself of it throughout the day, and think about it before you go to sleep at night. You may want to write your goal on post it notes with encouraging phrases as a gentle reminder. Stick these notes where you will see them on a regular basis.
Share your goal with someone close to you who is supportive and trustworthy. It could be your mom, counselor, friend, sister, or classmate. They can hold you accountable and keep you driven and focused (Smith).
Lastly, keep in mind that sometimes your goals will change or alter slightly, and this is natural. Make it a daily habit of checking in to make sure that your goals are still appropriate. Once you accomplish your goal, it is important to take time to reward yourself. Do something nice for yourself. Using the same example as before, you could reward yourself for losing weight by purchasing a new outfit. You will soon discover that it is worthwhile to learn the process of setting and achieving goals. You will be happier and more successful in life if you do!



Works Cited
Meek, Will. “How to Set Goals.” Psychology Today, 2013. Web. 25 Feb 2016.
Parvin, Cordell M. “The Why and How of Planning and Setting Goals.” 59.2 Practical Lawyer, 2013. Apr 2013: 19-20. Web. 11 Mar 2016.
Smith, Jim L. “Effective Goal Setting.” Quality Magazine, 2013. Web. 11 Mar 2016.
Tracy, Brian. Goals! : How to Get Everything You Want -- Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible (2nd Edition). Williston: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2010. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 26 Jan 2016.