Capstone Project

     For the Capstone project this semester, Hunter Anderson and I have determined that study habits and the issues that students face on a daily basis. The way that the university could assist the students and can help create a twenty-first century learning environment is by enforcing a mentor ship program. As students face problems everyday they could use their mentors to receive advice and guidance. They could work together for the good and betterment of not only themselves, but for the university as well.

     The mentor ship program would help students learn not only through their educational endeavors, but also throughout their social issues. Students get carried away at times and to steer them in the right direction a student can seek guidance from their mentors on ways to balance education and their personal life. The experiences that the mentors have had through the years can be used to help influence the students to become the best that they can be.

     Having a high grade point average is essential to the healthiness of a campus. A student can go to their mentors to find assistance in their classes. This would result in a higher grade point average around campus and would help the students as individuals. The student could learn from their mentors how to overcome their educational burdens and  students within college can seek guidance through their life as a student.

    The Students can use the mentors to gain guidance following college as well. As a student becomes an upperclassman they then will receive guidance from an alumni adviser; meanwhile, they will also be passing on their knowledge that they gained throughout the years to an underclassman that they are paired with. They then can help the program live on to each generation of college students here at Jacksonville State University.

Link to Slideshow
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1N1Spu8He3ln6W97GcL_aFEnj98CkhM0OGuCEI7HuXXw/edit

Photo Credit

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Blog Post #8

          To recap on the blog posts that I have written this semester, I believe that I have improved as a writer and that I have learned from mistakes that I have within the writing assignments. I learned ways to improve my vocabulary and how to express it throughout my writings. I learned how to incorporate multimedia efficiently into the posts. Also, I learned how to clearly express my thoughts and ideas. This class has taught me how to not only become a better writer, but how to become a better communicator. 

          Using stronger vocabulary helps the reader learn how to use a wider variety of words in context. This class has helped me understand how to use stronger vocabulary to strengthen the tone of each post. I learned how to appropriately use words that strengthen my thoughts and ideas and how to use words that make my writings more advanced than they were in the past.

          I learned how to accurately include multimedia into the works of writing that I have completed for this class. Multimedia not only makes the writing look more organized but also allows the reader to visually see the thoughts that the author has. The use of multimedia also is used to keep the reader interested and allows the reader to think about the topic for themselves as well.

          Through taking this course I have learned how to completely express my thoughts. I have always had problems converting my thoughts to actuality through written or oral communication; however, this class has helped me by guiding my thoughts towards particular subjects that are thought appealing. Although I have improved on this subject I hope that the guidance of this class and those of the future help me pursue ways to better describe my thoughts.

          This class has truly helped me overcome the issues within writing that I have experienced my entire life. I have learned how to vividly express my knowledge of words and has helped me use the words to express myself more fluently. The use of multimedia has taught me how to give visual aids to the things that I am trying to express. I now know how to use my thoughts and ideas within my writings and how to clearly demonstrate how I feel on particular subjects. This class taught more than I had ever expected. I firmly believe that my work has thoroughly improved and I intend on using these skills not only throughout the remainder of my time in college, but also throughout my works in the workforce.

College is definitely worth it!

 



People in society today question whether college is a worthy investment of their money, time, and effort. In to response to this I would like to say that college is great for someone like me, because of the life that I plan on living in the future. I plan to become a mathematical instructor for high school students and to do so, it is required that I receive a college degree. I have had many obstacles throughout my life and I have done everything to the best of my ability to get to this point in my life. I have the work ethic that will help me exceed the expectations of those that surround me and I will do anything to push through this challenge to achieve the same statute of the alumni of this university.

The expenses that a college student endures is very costly, whether it is through student loans or paying out of pocket. People struggle to overcome the financial burden that a college can toll upon a person. I know that personally the finances that I have and will face will seem overwhelming; however, if you keep a sturdy mindset and focus, then everything will be okay. I am paying for college through a scholarship, pell grant, and from my personal budget. The burdens of college are well worth the benefits, because of the knowledge that is gained, the networking, and the social relationships that help a student throughout life.

The time that we have in college will be cherished for a lifetime. The time that college takes enables a student to learn more information and to establish bonds with people  that will help them overcome things in their lives. People become very close when they all face the same issues. I know that I use my friends tremendously and we all work together to help each other with classes and even life. They experience the same thing as I do on a day to day basis, therefore they fully understand the things that I am going through.  My friends are irreplaceable and we work towards the same common goals in life.

College is a tremendous amount of work that will help a student better understand that a sturdy work ethic will help when working within the workforce. You will learn as a student that the more work you put into something the more benefits you will receive from it. I have worked for everything that I have had in my life and it has taught me that I better appreciate the items that I have in my possession. Working for things also helps show responsibility and shows that you care more about the things in your life.

So all in all, college is well worth the investment and helps an individual discover themselves and what they want to do with their lives. The expenses can be made up and can be fixed if you have a plan for your future and keep to that plan. The time that we experience as college students is like no other and will be cherished forever. There is a lot of work; however, all the work only prepares you to overcome obstacles that you may face in your future. So as society questions whether college is good or not I personally know that this is the perfect place for me to be and I will love every second of my time here.

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Blog Post #5- Sharing

As a child our parents told us that we needed to share things and at the time we did not realize how much can be learned from this lesson. Now that we are all young adults, striving for success, we realize that subliminally  many of life's experiences are shared among a number of people around us. The lifestyle that is shared between students, children, and even elderly, has effected the behavior of today's society. Also, the internet has changed the mind set of many through its many uses, from educational purposes to leisurely wandering through the vast amount of information. In addition, social media has played an important role in the lives of modern day society. The experiences that people share with us helps you relate to them on a personal level and creates a closer society.

The lifestyles that people within society share allows for people to interact on a personal level and makes it so that they can empathize with one another. People have made a transition from using their things to working together to cause more efficient ways of doing things. Neal Gorenflo proclaims, "the Great Recession is forcing all of us to pay more attention these days. car-sharing, ride-sharing, bike-sharing, co-working, co-housing, tool libraries, and cooperatives are all on the rise." By sharing these things people grow closer, because they realize that they are not the only ones that are living through hardships. These people also help establish a stronger and more unified society that works together for a common good.

The internet has allowed for people to gather more information with  one source and also to interact with each other virtually. Many people use the internet to gather needed information to solve problems that they may face. Gorenflo believes,"it's easy to take for granted, but its potential as a platform for sharing has arguably just begun to unfold." The internet has allowed for people to discover new ideas and interact with people all across the world. These people then become closer and push to either provide psychologically, morally, or financially to help establish a stronger form of unity.

Social media has been created to help society come in contact with more people. The people learn from one another and combines social interactions and virtual interactions. Gorenflo states, " If facebook was a country, it would be the fourth largest country in the world by population with over 800 million users." Social media can help people find and communicate with other users to gather information and build relationships. These relationships then can develop into ways of employment or ways to teach peers.

The way that citizens in society helps teach us how to overcome obstacles and enables us to create long lasting relationships that will help build the unity of the nation. The lifestyle that people now are living in helps people to realize how they can help others to help keep problems at a minimum. The internet allows for people to gather more information from one source to create a stronger system of learning. Social media enables people to meet other people in a virtual world and they can talk about their issues and overcome the problems that they could face. These changes in society has taught me and many other people, that you are not alone and that there are other people out in the society who have the same problems.

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href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/missfortune/4684745284/">Taylor Dawn Fortune</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

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Is College Enough?

College is a great factor when someone is looking for a job; however, college is not enough to guarantee the job. Experience plays an important role that could help acquire the job. Also social networking helps tremendously when looking for a job. Lastly, the application of effort and knowledge that can be used to help the employer. As stated by Ronald Ehrenberg," There has been a shift from the belief that we as a nation benefit from higher education" which  is great and helps to prepare people for their futures and helps to teach the student how to think critically in times of confusion.


Experience demonstrates to an employer that the person applying for the job knows how to do the job based upon past situations. Through the experience that one has gained through the years, the employer tends to trust this person more than someone out of college just because of their knowledge on how to handle situations. A student only knows the technical solution to a situation.Experience, "will end up diminishing the quality of on-campus education"  stated Nicholas Carr. Experience also enables the employee to see what will happen in the future, for instance if a particular situation has already happened once then the experienced employee could tell his employer of his experiences and how to fix the problem.

Social networking allows for one to get his name out just by simply getting to know people.  As Jarod Kintz once said, " I think that the key indicator for wealth is not good grades, work ethic, of IQ. I believe its relationships."When someone applies for a job the employer almost always asks for references. These references play an important role in their future. Having good references is always a bonus and shows to the employer that the applicant associates himself with a successful group of people which in turn reflects upon the applicant. The employer gains from these references an estimate to their personality and to their behaviors.


A student who is going into the workforce must display that they put effort into their work. To stand out, as Jon Bon Jovi proclaimed, " Each one of you has something no one else has, or has ever had: your fingerprints, your brain, your heart. Be an individual. Be unique. Stand out. Make noise. Make someone notice. That's the power of individuals." As an applicant they must try to demonstrate their work efforts in hopes to get hired into the business; however, if the employer does not see that the applicant is willing to work and try his best for the betterment of his company, odds are that the applicant will not be hired. Having an excellent work effort and striving to do and learn more catches the eye of the employer and makes them proud that someone wants to work for him and help his business grow.

Is college enough, " I've spent my life trying to find out, the answers I have are both promising and a little horrifying," stated Frank Zappa. when going into the workforce college is not enough. If an individual has the correct experience and knows from past situations what to do; then, that applicant is more inclined than a student who has not had any experience yet. Good social networking skills enables the employer to learn more about the applicant and helps them gain a better understanding of the applicant. Lastly, displaying work effort is a great way to gain the respect and impress the employer when looking for a job.
All of these aspects can be gained from society, college is great and teaches its students many useful lessons; however, sometimes that just is not enough.

 Why Is College Good?

College is an event that takes place in those lives that try to better and further their education in hopes to better themselves for their society. The betterment of each individual within a society will then lead to a successful environment that enables economic and social growth.

 

College is a great experience for individuals in society to participate in to better themselves. The student "seeks to cultivate qualities that are essential not only for a satisfying career and useful life, but to make judgement and choices in the face of uncertainty and complexity" stated Bobby Fong. College helps to educate the workforce to produce more efficient and better quality items for society.alongside educational practices, "There are also social benefits, learning to think together and learning to attack problems together" as commented by Mike Rose. Therefore, college does not only help the individual student, yet makes the society stronger and more educated to produce a better environment for the future generations.

To go to college and to become a successful graduate from a higher standard of education a student must persevere and overcome each obstacle that stands before them. Students understand that, " Education is very valuable;" therefore, the collegiate system helps to identify these individuals because, "society needs  a mechanism for sorting out its more intelligent members from its less intelligent ones just as a track team needs a mechanism (such as a stopwatch) to sort out the faster athletes from the slower ones. society wants to identify intelligent people early on so that it can funnel them into careers that maximize their talents"  proclaims Louis Menand.

The collegiate system teaches student to not only know information but to know how to overcome difficult obstacles that require critical thinking. Someone does not necessarily have to be the smartest person to go to college they just must be self motivated and have the drive to become successful no matter the circumstances.

Blog Post #2- Why college is for me?

College was more of a fantasy to me when I was younger. I used to think about how college would be and about how my life would change. I can honestly say that now presently being an active student at Jacksonville State University, that I have the chance of a lifetime. I am the first one in my family to have the chance to go to college and I consider being here a way to expand my knowledge; as well as, a way to develop healthy relationships with those around me. I consider college to be a challenge, because I want to prove to myself and those around me that even though you come from a small town, you don't have a lot of money, or no one will support you that you can do wherever you dream of. As Henry Ford once said," If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."

I am a mathematics major and after recieving my degree I plan on teaching high school math. I love teaching and helping people and I want to give my knowledge to the next generation in hopes that it may change their future. They can change the way that people think about math and I hope to give them the chance to do whatever they desire. Their knowledge can then be passed on to the next generation, resulting in a snowball effect that can change the world outlook.

Jacksonville State University is like no other college. I call this campus my home and I thoroughly enjoy being a part of the Gamecock family. The people that I have met and have developed great relationships with have truly become my family and I can't wait to see what is in my future.

Blog post #1

My name is Derek Moody and I am a Freshman at Jacksonville State University. I am from Locust Fork, Alabama and I am very proud to be of a small town in Blount County. Playing football is one of my favorite hobbies, I played throughout high school and I anticipate playing at the collegiate level. I also enjoy listening to music. I prefer rap or R&B, because of the meaning that the songs have as well as the rythm that the music contains. I would like to say that I enjoy this class already and I cannot wait to see what this class and this semester has in store for me...