Dr. Amy B Hollingsworth Berkhouse
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Is a Student Emotionally Ready for Dual Credit Courses, if They Are 15 Years Old?

4/15/2014

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I was recently asked for my thoughts on dual enrollment at my school. Dual enrollment is where students are taking a university course, that counts as credit for both high school and college. While I think this is an awesome opportunity for students - giving them access to college, getting them college credit, making one course count for two similar purposes - there are some drawbacks. 

I spoke to Sherri Coon, who wrote the article "Is Dual Enrollment Right For Your Teen?" She interviewed two teens who were helped by duel enrollment, another college professor who talked about the difference between Advanced Placement courses and Dual Enrollment Courses, myself, and a parent. The article is very detailed, and provides a lot more info than I could post here (you should read it, if you are thinking of putting your child into dual enrollment courses).



Here was my response to her question "What should people know about Dual Enrollment courses?
Dr. Amy B. Hollingsworth is an instructor at The University of Akron, who works closely with dual enrollment students in her biology course. "One of the known issues with dual enrollment (DE) is that students don't feel like they belong in either high school or college," Dr. Hollingsworth says. "A student who is 16, and in a college course, may have trouble relating to the other students in the class, which can make them feel isolated. In my lab course, where my students work in groups, I have seen 16-year-olds feel very uncomfortable when the others are talking about drinking or going to fraternity parties," she adds. These students may not feel that they belong in high school, either. "While I feel it is an advantage curriculum-wise, I don't think students are truly emotionally prepared for college at 15 or 16. Unless they are in a distance-learning situation (where the college course is broadcast to their high school via the web or on a screen in a lecture hall) or have excellent counseling, first generation students may feel isolated," she shares. "The word we use for it is 'liminality.' This is where they are at a crossroads between being a teenager and being made to skip the crucial years of understanding oneself, and going straight into college without the emotional maturity," Dr. Hollingsworth adds.
I think back to all those things I learned during high school, that were not part of the curriculum. Learning to be a social person. Learning to navigate the school system. Learning to drive, playing in the band, being a cheerleader, working with my peers. And then, I think about college. During that time, I took courses, learned to live on my own, learned about credit cards (ouch!), went to parties, joined a sorority, worked as a waitress to pay my bills.


Maybe students NEED these two sets of experiences (high school, and college), in order to work their way through their young adult years. If you do high school and college at the same time, you skip some experiences from both high school and college. In order to give students more academic experiences, are we forgetting about them just needing TIME to grow up?
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What's Amy Reading? Blogging, Finance, Biology, Web 2.0, and Jim Tressel

4/5/2014

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What’s Amy Reading? is a daily digest of the articles that go into my head, so you can understand what makes me have my opinions. Not all articles I agree with, and I’ll say so where it’s appropriate.


1. Blogging


Amy says - As I’ve been trying to improve my website, I’ve searched for a lot of articles about “Search Engine Optimization.” (SEO) Basically, how do you make it so Google can find your blog, and get your readers to read your articles?


Article says - One Way to Future-Proof Your SEO

We reside in a digital world of 301s, 404s, anchor text, link building, and keyword metrics. Search engines continue to evolve and become smarter and more efficient at deterring would be SEO-bandits, and the people keeping up with this knowledge are doing everything they can to stay relevant, and keep up with the changes.


So how can we possibly take on the task of spearheading and maintaining an organization's marketing efforts and be on top of the ever-changing SEO landscape? Take SEO back to the origins of what search engines are really created for: human beings.


2. Finance


Amy - The Simple Dollar is a finance blog I read every day. Not only does the author write in a style that I attempt to emulate, he’s really smart about how he approaches his finances. I’ve gotten a lot of tips from him that have made my life much less stressful, when it comes to my money. Just an awesome author, and you should read the rest of the article.


Article - External and Internal Motivation


The only person that I know will always be with me, right to the end of my life, is me. If I want to maintain good moves throughout my whole life, I need to find internal motivations for those good choices, not just external ones.

Sarah and my children are both external motivators. They are constant encouragement for me to be the best that I can be, but they may not always be there. If they fall away, will my healthy habits fall away?

The conclusion here is simple: I need to find strong sources of internal motivation for good financial choices in my life.


3. Biology

Amy - I try to keep up with Biology and the exciting and interesting things that are happening. Part of that is through the NABT (National Association of Biology Teachers) LinkedIn group. If you aren’t subscribed to any groups where you discuss your profession or your passions, you are missing out. It’s like the new academic conference, but without the hefty travel fees!


NABT Open Group


4. Web 2.0


Amy - I want to order this course! It’s essentially a webinar course on how to improve your blog, work with social media, and produce great content. If I ever have an extra $199 hanging around, I’ll buy it!


Article - Writing for the Web 2.0 audience (CD)


Blogging changed it all—the way companies communicate, how employees and customers want information, and how fast they want it delivered. There is so much information obtainable immediately that in order to stand out, your blog must be relevant and interactive. It is one thing to have your audience visit your blog but it is another to have them get involved through comments, uploads and feedback.


Today, companies that skillfully blog are engaging employees and gripping customers—and you can too! But before you jump in, or continue blogging, you'll want to check out this presentation.

You will learn how to:

  • Make your blog as good as—maybe even better than—the 10 best corporate blogs out there

  • Create irresistible content that blends a multitude of mediums, including video and audio

  • Write blog headlines for audiences with short attention spans

  • Adopt the fundamentals of writing a good blog, including how to identify—and avoid—blogging pitfalls

  • Convince management that your company needs to blog or should continue blogging

  • Develop a blog and gain a following—without increasing your workload (too much)


5. The University of Akron and Jim Tressel


Amy - I am pretty sure Jim Tressel will be the next UA president. All signs point to him being picked. I waver back and forth between “He can’t follow the rules,” to “He took a lousy situation (being forced to resign), and is attempting to get back to the top.” No doubt that students, parents, and the community love him. He raises a TON of money for UA. He is essentially a rock star. Maybe he will be a charismatic leader. But there is also the possibility that he will continue to break rules, and will need to be watched like a hawk (I’m sure he will be! He has a ton of critics). Whatever happens, I will do my best to work with him to continue helping as many students as I can.


Article - Promoting Jim Tressel


The second refers to his “enthusiastic application” for the position. Yet it is the first that reflects Tressel writing with more zest and drive, making the case for why the trustees should tap him to serve as the interim president. He sees the university facing “urgent demands” and “tough decisions,” the moment “better served by a leader who has been ‘on the ground’ with the current team.”


Tressel seeks to turn weakness into an advantage. If he lacks the academic credentials, not to mention preparation for running something as complex as a public university, he has been in charge of “an ambitious student success agenda” as a university vice president the past two years. Thus, he warns “the university finds itself at a crossroads that a newcomer may not be able to competitively navigate.”








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    Dr. Amy B. Hollingsworth

    Author

    Dr. Amy B Hollingsworth has worked in education for over 20 years. Most recently, she was a Learning Coach at the NIHF STEM School in Akron. She served as the Executive Director of Massillon Digital Academy. She was the District Technology Specialist at Massillon. She also was the Natural Science Biology Lab Coordinator at The University of Akron. She specializes in Biology Curriculum and Instruction, STEM education, and technology integration. She has written six lab manuals, and an interactive biology ebook. She has dedicated her life to teaching and learning, her children - Matthew, Lilly, and Joey, her husband Ryan, and her NewfiePoo Bailey.

    What's Amy Reading?

    • College Insurrection
    • The Chronicle of Higher Education
    • Digital Learning in Higher Ed
    • HuffPo College
    • Girls in STEM
    • The Simple Dollar
    • Tim Ferriss
    • Edudemic
    • Mashable
    • Inside Higher Ed
    • Gawker
    • io9

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