Planet eCampus

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 to help you recharge 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 o n Facebook for ALL of your intellectual perusing  J ).   Maintain “to-do” lists .  Staying on some kind o

Professor Billy Morris Billy Morris is an Associate Professor of Geology at Georgia Highlands College, and has been an instructor with eCore since the very early days of 2001/2002. We talked to Professor Morris about his appreciation for online teaching, how he came to be a geologist, and his life outside of the virtual classroom. (He has a pretty INSANE cookie-baking record!) He's also got some really great advice for online students. Where did you complete your degree(s)? Georgia Southern University and Emory University. What drew you to the field of Geology? My parents are responsible. They took me camping and hiking for as long as I can remember, and they liked to collect things, rocks, fossils, plants, stray animals. It was fun and I haven’t stopped since. I would not do well in a city or an office, would much rather be outside. Geology is a way to do that. Why did you choose to become a college instructor? My mom taught college for 40 years and my dad

She defines success very simply as "Putting forth your very best effort in everything you do." She exudes positivity. She is an inspirational, confident woman and an all-around great role model to her daughter and nephews. Meet eMajor student,  Kimberly Hobbs... As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? When I was a child there were quite a few careers that I thought I wanted to do when I grew up. My career choices were an astronaut, a veterinarian, and even a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader! Although none of these ideas came to fruition, I am pleased with the career that I am in now because it allows me to help people as a Grant Writer & Administrator. What is your college major? Organizational Leadership Why did you choose eMajor?  I chose eMajor because of the convenience of online courses. The fact that I could finish my degree without having to attend classes on campus, but could instead participate in classes according to my schedule was the reason I d

For parents of high school students, the thought of your child going to college can bring on a laundry list of questions – How do I know they’re ready for college-level work? When should we start applying to schools? How am I going to afford tuition? If you’re feeling anxious about your child jumping head-first into college life, planning ahead with a dual enrollment program may be a good way to smooth the transition for everyone – plus there are some real benefits that you and your child can both enjoy! What is Dual Enrollment?   Dual enrollment is a program in which a high school student enrolls in a college course and receives credit both at the collegiate level and at the high school level for successful completion. Courses are offered in a variety of formats - online, face to face on the college campus, and sometimes instruction is even given onsite at high schools. Most public and private postsecondary institutions have special admission requirements and registr

Phillip Mitchell taught as an assistant professor of English at Gainesville State College for four years. In fall 2012, he left to pursue a doctoral degree in creative writing at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, but continues to teach remotely as an adjunct for UNG. He has also had seven songs place in the semi-finals and one song place in the finals at this year's UK Songwriting Competition, an international contest that gives winners the opportunity to work with top names in London's music business. The most challenging part of being an eCore/eMajor instructor is ...….? Keeping up with the grading. That’s been the biggest challenge of my career. Describe the most interesting online student you've had. I’ve had several interesting students. They’ve traveled all over the world. Some have families. Some have been working in professional careers for several years. They all bring a lot to the discussions. The definition of success

For those of us working in higher education, the term "MOOC" has become very common. However, if you do not fall into that category, you may have seen this buzz word floating around in cyberspace and wondered - what the heck is a MOOC, anyway!! Well, wonder no more... MOOC is an acronym for M assively O pen O nline C ourse:  Massive - meaning they are typically large classes with high (if any) enrollment caps  Open - meaning they are free and open to the public, and  Online - meaning (you guessed it) the course is delivered online The basic concept of a MOOC is that it is open online learning that is available to anyone, and it is offered at no cost to the learner. A MOOC is one of many pathways to further one's education, and is viewed by the academic world as an offering to help make higher education more accessible to the public.  A MOOC typically takes the form of free online learning with audiovisual content (videos), automated quizzes,

Professor Melissa Weaver is Adjunct Faculty in Communication at Southern Polytechnic State University Why did you choose your field? My undergraduate degree is in Speech Pathology. When I went to graduate school I majored in Communication Studies, which was the perfect parallel for what I teach now. It’s great to merge my passion for teaching, science and communication together! What did you want to be when you were growing up? A pilot :)  Why did you choose teaching? I love working with students and sharing my story! I was the first person in my entire family to go to college, much less earn a graduate degree. It’s great to be in a position to help others and guide them throughout their academic careers. How do you think education changes lives? Education can make all the difference in the life of a student. A quality education provides you with choices and options throughout life. It opens new doors and allows you to pave the way throughout your professional career.

What is your occupation? I am currently a stay at home mom. My husband is deployed to Afghanistan so I decided being home with my son, Liam, and taking online classes would be best for him.  What is your college major? I am an Organizational Leadership major with an emphasis in Public Administration. Who is the biggest inspiration for your education? I would have to say that my mom always told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be and that was a huge inspiration. She always talked about how much fun school was and encouraged me to always do my best and I would succeed. What are your career plans beyond eMajor? Hopefully my family will be stationed in another country and I will have the opportunity to work on a base in public administration. I can't wait to get back into a professional environment. What are two things most people don't know about you? I am named after a Fleetwood Mac song, my daddy really loved Stevie Nix and all her music.

You have honorably completed your military service and now want to put your Post- 9/11 GI Bill education benefits to good use. Unlike when you were active duty and using Tuition Assistance, you now have more freedom of choice and may select from a plethora of institutions to reach your educational goals. However, as with all freedoms, there also comes responsibility. You will most likely have many responsibilities after leaving the service to include a family, employment, and possibly more. These adult responsibilities make the accessibility and flexibility of online classes attractive and possibly your best choice. However, higher education institutions that offer online options are not all created equal. You want to ensure that your hard earned limited benefits are put to good use and not wasted. Too many Veterans have ended up in debt with no degree and no job. Just like when buying a car…in education you must inspect under the hood. When determining which institution is

Cathy at 4 years old, when her love of history began. Catherine Locks is a history instructor and instructional technologist/designer from Richmond, Virginia. She teaches history at Fort Valley State University. Her areas of interest include pre-history, ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome, medieval English history, and colonial American history, particularly of the mid-Atlantic region. Why did you choose your field? I’ve always been fascinated with history ever since getting into my Mom’s encyclopedias back when I was about 4 years old. What did you want to be when you were growing up? A veterinarian. But when I was in high school I  suddenly   became very squeamish, so that career was out. Why did you choose teaching? I fell into it through eCore. I have been involved in an indirect way with eCore since the late 1990’s when I was a grad assistant to one of the designers of the original history courses. Then I worked in an office at Georgia Colle