Thursday, September 2, 2010

Too many browsers!

Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer -- which browser is best? The web page you're working on will look and work differently depending on which browser you are using. This is one situation where I think we have too many choices. Why can't one download of Media Player or Flash work for all the various browsers? I try to remember the KISS theory -- Keep It Simple... We're trapped behind the lines in a marketing war. Technology is supposed to improve our lives and simplify our tasks. We've got a long way to go!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Accepting Change


Do you have a choice? Change happens whether we are ready to accept it or not. Change can be forced on you by circumstance, or it can be embraced with joyful abandon. The start of a new academic year brings with it tremendous change for students who are new to college. It’s exciting. It’s scary. It’s frustrating. It’s wonderful. Day to day experiences create opportunities to adapt to change -- new people, new classes, new roommates. Some of it works; some of it doesn’t.

Deal with it. This is real life. Take it from someone who spent too much time looking back. The past is over. Keep your eyes focused on today and the opportunities that might come your way...today.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Backseat Driving

Forty miles into the trip and I'm on the phone looking for something we left in the hotel last weekend in Dallas. Not a good start.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sticks, stones and words that hurt

One of my new students this semester loves to read. That shouldn't be such a surprise. After all, I teach college classes, which require hours of reading. When I ask my students each semester about their reading habits, many of them say they don't like to read. Two recent studies confirm the value of reading for children as well as adults.

Of course, I came across this information through my reading. A newspaper columnist last week wrote about a study comparing early language development in professional, working class and welfare families. Children from welfare families had smaller vocabularies and received fewer statements of encouragement from their parents than children from working class or professional households. The study revealed that by age four, children from homes where parents were professionals were exposed to 30 million more words than children from welfare families.

Teachers and schools are held accountable for student performance. Maybe it's time we started holding parents accountable for those crucial early years of language development.

Another study that followed a group of nuns for many years revealed that the complexity of thought is a factor in Alzheimer's patients. The nuns whose language development was more extensive at a young age had less risk of contracting Alzheimer's disease as they grew older.

We've all heard the saying that "a mind is a terrible thing to waste." Reading to young children unlocks their potential. Words do matter, and words of encouragement and praise are important.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Who makes the rules?

Panola College has a smoking policy that prohibits smokers from lighting up within 25 feet of a building entrance. The policy was approved by the board but has not been enforced...but that is changing this month.

I hate smoking so I'm all for the new rule. Smoking infringes on the rights of nonsmokers because it fouls the air. Students who smoke probably don't realize that the odor permeates their clothes, backpacks, hair and breath.

The rule will be inconvenient for smokers who will have to stand outside or sit in their cars to smoke, but it will bring a breath of fresh air and less litter to our campus.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Two weeks in...

What is it that's so exhausting about starting a new semester? New kids on the block don't know the difference between the MIL, MAR, RHEA, GUL and STU buildings. High school students are on campus from 8 to noon.  Late registration ended yesterday, so we're really just getting the semester started.

Planning your life around a college semester works great, until the unexpected happens...illness, death, accident or some other disaster disrupts the ordinary routine of a 16-week term. To the people at a community college, you're more than just a number, so when these things happen, talk to someone about your options. Stop by the office of Student Success in the Miller Administration Building and ask to talk to an advisor, or talk to your professor.

Let's hope disaster doesn't strike you this spring. Let's hope inspiration strikes you and energizes you to approach your courses with excitement and enthusiasm. Here's hoping Spring 2010 turns out to be a great semester for you!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Resolutions, anyone?

How are those New Year's resolutions coming along? College students coming back from their much-needed holiday break will have a fresh start on making the most of college. For many, the spring semester offers a time to learn from the mistakes of the past.

We can all learn from our mistakes, no matter what age. That's why we have the term "lifelong learning."

The best advice I can give college students, especially scholarship students, is to sign up for at least 15 hours. That way, if you realize you aren't doing well in a class, you can drop it and still be considered a full time student with 12 hours.

Spend some time outside of class reviewing the material or researching the subject on your own. Look for ways to expand your horizons.

Open yourself up to people who aren't just like you. The world is a big place full of interesting people who don't share your background.

Try to be a friend to a shy person -- sometimes these people turn out to be great friends. Look around the classroom and reach out to someone.

Check out the library. Walk around inside this great new space, check out the books and other resources available to you, and spend some time on our library's website.

Go to some basketball and baseball games, attend the plays and concerts on campus, join a club or go to a Student Government Association meeting. Don't let yourself be just a PCP (parking lot, classroom, parking lot) college student. You'll miss out on too many opportunities!

Make an appointment to visit with your instructors. Get to know them and let them get to know you. We may be able to steer you in a direction you've never considered or help you find a way to move ahead in your chosen field.

Think about where you are going with your life. If you've made some poor choices in the past, make a vow to change the behaviors that led to those choices. Think about how you'd like to be remembered by the people who know you. Have fun, but not at someone else's expense.

So here we are entering a new decade. Let's all make the most of it!