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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Professor
tells of preparing for first GGC class sessions
By Dr. Spero Peppas
Georgia Gwinnett College
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: Dr. Spero Peppas is the first
professor hired at Georgia Gwinnett College. He comes from Mercer
University (Atlanta), where he was the director for the Center
for International Business Relations and professor of international
business. He holds a Ph.D. in international business and a master
of business administration from GSU.)
Peppas |
AUG. 25, 2006 -- It's a rare opportunity to contribute to the opening
of a college, and I have been fortunate to be present at the opening
of the nation's first four-year public college in the 21st century.
Such a college demands teaching methods that will inspire today's
youth. So how does one prepare for the first classes on 'The Campus
of Tomorrow?" The answer lies in understanding technology,
collaborating with students and accommodating diversity.
Preparing to teach in a "smart" classroom, I teach marketing
and global business classes that range in size from 15 to 25 students
and am excited about working in the new classroom environment.
GGC 's high-tech campus utilizes tools such as WebCT, whiteboards,
and Smart® software. With the Sympodium® interactive lectern,
I can control presentations from my desk while facing the class.
I can run a PowerPoint® show, use a stylus to write comments
electronically on the displayed pages, and then students can view
the presentation on a large screen. The presentation can be saved
to a file or exported as a web page for later viewing.
The emphasis, though, is still on the quality of course content---not
the technology. Students should be able to take what they learn,
and use it successfully in the real world. They are comfortable
with technology, but they must learn to understand its power and
how it can work for them.
The interactive teaching style at GGC requires teamwork, an important
aspect of classroom activity. Students are encouraged to participate
actively in discussions among themselves and with the instructor.
In this inaugural class, the average age is 34. Many of the students
are already established in the business world and can share real-world
experiences in the classroom.
Another example of teamwork at GGC can be seen in the day-to-day
interaction of faculty members. Offices are intermingled so that
we can work together across departments. This is essential to setting
goals and developing a strong and diverse GGC culture.
As Gwinnett County continues to grow multi-culturally, and enrollment
increases, I expect a highly diverse student body to emerge at GGC.
We must maintain a global perspective and ensure that the degree
programs we offer are relevant to today's world.
There is a need for balance in the classroom between traditional
students, who may be starting their college experience just out
of high school, and nontraditional students, who may be older and
returning to school after an interval of several years. The course
material should be relevant to both.
As GGC launches its first full week of classes, there is an air
of excitement and anticipation among faculty as well as students.
Georgia Gwinnett College has a very bright future ahead.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Center focuses on training students to be
better teachers
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
AUG. 25, 2006 -- The new Early Childhood Learning Center at Gwinnett
Technical College, named for Philanthropist Scott Hudgens Jr., is
a beautiful facility, nestled on the back of the college campus.
It's state of the art, and now has its first classes of kindergartens
already learning.
Brack |
Remember, it's a teaching facility. Every classroom has two distinctive
elements.
First, there's an observation room where future teachers who are
now students at Gwinnett Tech can watch what the kindergarteners
are up to. It has one-way glass so that the toddlers don't realize
that they are being watched. Not only that, but the classroom has
live cameras, so Gwinnett Tech students are able to observe remotely
what is going on in class, and will be able to learn from this "live"
setting.
This same observation area is used by parents, to help understand
their children and how they react in real-time situations with others.
Gwinnett Tech President Sharon Rigsby recounted during a tour of
the facilities last week that one parent watching her child in the
class saw that the kids were being served cut-up apples.
From
this observation room, students or parents can watch students
through one-way glass. |
"Oh, she won't eat apples with the skin still on. That's why
I cut the skin off," the mother was telling others in the observation
room. Meanwhile, her little charge never halted, eyeing the apples,
and immediately devouring the snack, to the puzzlement of her mother.
"I always thought I had to cut it up and cut the skin off too,"
In this same classroom, visitors were able to watch kids in a special
"water room." Here kids are encouraged to play in a trough
at their waist level. The young charges don plastic aprons to keep
their clothes…..well, drier. During the tour, three of the
students were busily sloshing buckets into the water, pouring the
water back into the trough, and generally, having a good time. It's
a way to encourage creativity in kids, which they obviously were
enjoying. The floor in the room is sloped to drain off the excess
water that sometimes get on the floor.
The Center has not one, but two, large outdoor playgrounds. The
specially-engineered playground equipment comes with thick, re-cycled
rubber mats over much of the ground, to insure that skinned knees
are not routinely part of the curriculum. The two playgrounds, one
on each of two walk-out levels, were assembled by 1,600 volunteers,
recruited by Lorri Christopher. The playgrounds look so good that
adults have said, "Looks like a place I could enjoy."
Sharon
Rigsby, president, Gwinnett Technical College (far right)
leads the ribbon cutting ceremony for the D. Scott Hudgens,
Jr. Early Education Center, marking the official opening of
all classes at the Center on the campus of Gwinnett Tech.
Joining Rigsby are Shelly Hoster, Mark O¹Connell, and
Alvin Wilbanks. |
While the Center is open, there is still fund-raising to do. Steve
Gaultney, chair of the Gwinnett Tech Foundation, says that over
$3 million of the total of $6.5 million has been raised. A second
phase, led by Sean Murphy of Optimus Solutions, is being kicked
off to secure the final funds. Meanwhile, the Center has a lease
with the Early Learning Property Management group for the space,
and anticipates funding this soon. Among goals of the Center is
to raise sufficient funds so that more toddlers can be taught at
the Center from parents attending Gwinnett Tech.
Mary Beth Byerly of Gwinnett Tech says: "We want to remove
barriers for people with children, so that they are able to attend
college and know their child in safe and productive learning environment.
Many of them can't afford to go to school and pay for child care.
We want to provide scholarships for those students."
That's a worthy goal, something the key benefactor, Scott Hudgens
Jr., would have liked.
ABOUT
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in insurance and financial services, including auto, home, recreational,
commercial and group benefits programs. It is the representative
of several old-line insurance companies, including Travelers, Hartford,
Auto-owners, Allied, Blue Cross-Blue Shield and Zurich firms. Call
First National Insurance at 770 513-2264.
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McLEMORE'S WORLD
What long hospital stays do for you
The latest from cartoonist Bill McLemore:
FEEDBACK
Parents
should not want children talking to ultimate stranger
Editor, the Forum:
Thank you for publishing the article on the dangers lurking on
the Internet targeting children. My hope is that parents will print
this article for their children to read with their parents and discuss
it thoroughly.
It does seem there are some common-sense ways for parents to monitor
Internet use, above and beyond the parental control and "spyware"
programs.
First, especially for younger children. allowing Internet access
ONLY in family areas (kitchen, family room) could help control content.
And, if standard protocol for Internet use in a household required
a parent to "bring up" the system and check email subject
lines before the child has access to the system, the SPAM could
be wiped out before the child has a chance to "win" or
have something enlarged.
Limiting email and instant messaging could also be helpful.
But, the most effective technique may be keeping communications
between parents and children clear and open, with rules for use
established collaboratively. It's important for the children to
take part in setting up these rules --- there'll be a better chance
for compliance if they have a hand in setting the standards.
The Internet is basically the "Ultimate Stranger" whom
parents don't want their children talking to.
-- Liz Collins, Durham, N.C.
UPCOMING
Music
on Main returning to Lilburn on September 9
Music on Main is returning to Lilburn.
The program will be September 9 in Lilburn City Park. The program
will be from 5-10 p.m. with musical entertainment by Talk of the
Town, who have been back-up players for such groups at The Drifters,
The Platters and Joe South.
In addition to music, there will be dinner available by Famous
Dave's barbecue, and both a live and silent auction. Tickets, including
dinner, are $25 per person, with reserved tables available. The
dinner and entertainment begin at 7 p.m. Proceeds benefit Dream
House for medically fragile children.
The event is presented by Lilburn Business Association, Lilburn
Woman's Club and the City of Lilburn.
For more information, go to www.music-on-main.org.
Or call 770 717 7410.
Rail museum plans
4th Rail Fair Sept. 30-Oct. 1
The fourth annual Rail Fair is set for September 30-October 1 at
the Southeastern Rail Museum in Duluth. The event starts at 10 a.m.
on Saturday and noon on Sunday. It ends at 5 p.m. each day.
Among the programs lined up:
September 30:
- 1 p.m.: George Eichelberger, (Southern Railway Historical
Association).
- 2:30 p.m.: A speaker from the Norfolk Southern Speaker's
Bureau.
- 4 p.m.: Robert Hanson of Loganville will speak on the "West
Point Route," the subject of his new book. A book signing
will follow the presentation.
October 1:
- 1 p.m.: Doug Alexander will speak on "Georgia's passenger
trains."
- 2:30 p.m.: An Operation Lifesaver presentation by the museum's
own Cathy Temple.
Vendors will be present this year. Among those will be representatives
from the Central of Georgia Historical Society, Trainmaster Models,
Crowe Railroad Art, Osbourne's Children's books, The Nth Degree,
N Scale and others.
Other exhibits will include an O Scale layout, track speeders,
and a children's activity area.
For additional information, call the Southeastern Railway Museum
at (770) 476-2013 or visit the website at www.southeasternrailwaymuseum.org.
NOTABLE
Medical
center, football league team up for safety seminar
Gwinnett Medical Center physicians and staff provided an educational
training seminar on injury prevention to more than 250 coaches of
the Gwinnett Football League (GFL), Gwinnett County's thriving youth
football program.
The training kicked off a partnership between the two organizations,
which was brought about by T. Scott Maughon, MD, a GHS orthopedic
surgeon who also coaches a GFL team. Says Dr. Maughon: "The
decision to work together was forged by a common belief and commitment
that both organizations share - that it's never too early to stress
the importance of safety, especially now with the recent occurrences
of heat-related and coronary death in athletics."
GFL President Erik Richards adds: "The physicians are here,
the hospital is here providing medical care regardless of the age
of play. It just made good sense to partner up."
Attending the four-hour annual training clinic is a requirement
before parents are allowed on the field. GHS-affiliated physicians
Manfred Sandler, MD, a cardiologist, and orthopedic surgeons Gary
Levengood, MD, Mark Cullen, MD, and Dr. Maughon taught sessions
on cardiac risk, heat illness, orthopedic injuries, concussions
and neck injuries. During break-out sessions, participants learned
about Automatic Electronic Defibrillators (AED) and had a chance
to practice on the devices. The GFL mandates that each team have
an AED.
In addition to sponsoring the injury prevention training, Gwinnett
Medical Center donated athletic trainer kits with medical supplies
for all teams, and will be providing certified athletic trainer
(ATC) coverage on the fields for the seventh and eighth grade teams
and the 12-year-olds.
GHS Sports Medicine physicians will be on call for the older teams.
"Gwinnett Hospital System is happy to provide this extra layer
of protection," according to Georgia Brogdon, vice president
of Operations for Gwinnett Medical Center. "We want to make
youth-level football as fun and injury-free as possible."
Anthony Buffum heads
Gwinnett motor vehicles unit
Buffum
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Anthony Buffum is the new Gwinnett Motor Vehicles Department director.
He replaces Charles Martin who retired on July 31 after more than
20 years in that position. The announcement came from Tax Commissioner
Katherine Sherrington.
Buffum previously served as the Senior Branch Manager at the Tax
Commissioner's Lawrenceville Tag Office. He has served the Tax Commissioner's
Office for the past eight years. Richard Steele is the new Lawrenceville
Senior Manager. He was previously the manager of the Snellville
Tag Office.
Suwanee financial
report gains top national award
The City of Suwanee Financial Services Department has been recognized
for the third consecutive year for excellence in financial reporting.
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States
and Canada (GFOA) has presented Suwanee with a Certificate of Achievement
for Excellence for its comprehensive annual financial report for
the fiscal year ending in 2005.
Suwanee's 127-page 2004-05 report is available online under "Financial
Documents" at www.suwanee.com/businessgrowth.reportsregulations.php.
RECOMMENDED
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
GEORGIA
TIDBIT
Georgia
Mountain Fair fall festival scheduled for Oct. 6-15
The Georgia
Mountain Fair, held annually in Hiawassee in mid-summer for
56 years, features craft booths, food stands, daily music concerts,
demonstrations of mountain life, and various midway rides and attractions.
Its Fall Festival is scheduled October 6-15, 2006.
Besides the usual fare, visitors can buy fried apple pies, fresh-squeezed
cider, smoked trout, beef jerky, and home-cooked vegetable plates.
Cloggers, Nashville musicians, and string bands perform in the music
hall, named for Robert Anderson, former president of the fair. The
fair was founded as a joint project of the local Lions Club and
Towns County officials.
By the mid-1950s, the fair became a week-long celebration with
an opening parade, beauty queen contest, and plenty of country,
bluegrass, and gospel music.
By 1956, there were 40,000 visitors; by 1965, more than 60,000.
In 1969, Conway Twitty performed in the first professional music
show at the fair, and the Oak Ridge Boys joined other groups in
a gospel sing. Although some permanent exhibits were already built
on the fairgrounds near the high school, in the 1970s, officials
negotiated with the Tennessee Valley Authority to purchase a larger
site on the shores of nearby Lake Chatuge. The fair was first held
at its new, permanent location in 1978.
In recent years, two other events have taken place at the Georgia
Mountain Fairgrounds: a Rhododendron Festival in May and a Fall
Festival in October. The Anderson Music Hall also offers weekend
concerts in late spring, summer, and early fall. The summer fair
draws the biggest crowds, yet it retains much of its original character.
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
Imposition of ideology
seldom produces happy results
"It has been demonstrated over and over again, down through
history, that the imposition of force by one nation's ideology over
another's has seldom led to a happy outcome."
-- George Morin of Auburn, Ga., letter to the editor, Gwinnett
Daily Post, August 23, 2006, via Marshall Miller Lilburn.
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