1. The Chronicle-News Trinidad, Colorado Thursday, October 2, 2014 Page 3 EDUCATION KNOWLEDGE QUEST
Trinidad State on-line
learner sets lofty goals
By Margaret Sanderson
Special to The Chronicle-News
After raising her four children, Sandra
Blackmon returned to school to work to-ward
a dream she has had since she was
eight years old. That year she got a micro-scope
for Christmas. “It never left my hand
for two years,” said Blackmon. She looked
at everything she could get her hands on
from frog legs, to grasshoppers, to her broth-er’s
blood. Since that time, she has wanted to
help animals. Though 55 years old, she still
wants to be a veterinarian.
With the exception of one semester of
college in 1982 (she dropped out when her
daughter became ill), it had been 37 years
since Blackmon had been in school. She
completed her first two semesters at Adams
State, but when she needed a mythology
class that the university didn’t offer, she
was referred to Trinidad State. It would be
her first on-line class.
When she learned that the rest of the
credits she needed to complete her Bach-elor’s
degree were also available through
Trinidad State and the Colorado Commu-nity
College System, she opted to finish her
studies on-line.
She said some of her friends are afraid to
“go it alone” on-line but Blackmon said she
has found more support on-line than she did
in the classroom.
The second fall session of CCConline
courses begins October 6. The Colorado
Community College System (CCCS) consists
of 13 community colleges and 35 campuses.
Within that system are CCConline courses
which enable students to study on a comput-er
in the privacy, comfort and convenience
of their own homes. These courses are espe-cially
helpful in rural areas where transpor-tation
needs may be challenging. The online
option also allows students to create their
own study schedules around busy work and
personal lives.
Because Blackmon cares for her disabled
husband, along with a menagerie that in-cludes
her old ferret, on-line courses work
well for her. When she was on-campus in
class, she was always worried about how
things were going at home. Blackmon
spends about 40 hours a week on her classes
and finds she keeps up better with the on-line
classes because the information she
needs is always instantly accessible. Back
in her on-campus days she said once she left
the classroom, she had a tendency to forget
about the class. She said she took an on-cam-pus
algebra class and flunked it with a score
of 23. “How bad can it get?” she asked. That
experience nearly caused Blackmon to drop
out of school and give up her dream. But she
decided to try taking the course on-line and
passed it with a B.
“It’s really easy to get in touch with my
instructors,” Blackmon said. When she re-cently
contacted her physics professor, he
responded within two hours. She said her
Interpersonal Communications professor
often responds within ten minutes. “I don’t
think she’s ever off-line,” commented Black-mon.
“She’s incredible!”
She has taken seven on-line classes so far
and is currently taking interpersonal com-munications,
chemistry and physics. “If I
don’t understand a concept, I can review it
over and over and even get a tutor if I need
one,” Blackmon said. “Every class has a chat
room and discussions. The instructors seem
sincerely concerned about their students.”
Blackmon was worried about the labs, but
lab packages are sent to the students and the
lab technicians are very helpful. For Black-mon,
taking exams on-line is easier for her
than in a classroom because she’s less dis-tracted
and isn’t wondering how the other
students are doing.
Although an on-line class costs a little
more than the traditional on-site class,
Blackmon feels it has been cheaper for her
in the long run because she has no transpor-tation
expenses. The one drawback she said
was not having face-to-face exchanges, but
“there are so many plusses.”
In May of 2015 Blackmon will have
earned her AAS (Associate of Applied Sci-ence)
degree and most of her Bachelor of
Science degree in Biology. An avid life-long
learner, she figures she will be 63 when she
becomes a vet.
The website http://www.ccconline.org
provides a link to a list of available questions
that may help one determine if taking online
courses would be a good choice. It also offers
a sample course which details examples of
schedules, assignments, quizzes, and even
how lab assignments work on-line. The ap-plication
and registration processes can be
completed on-line or at Trinidad State at 600
Prospect Street in Trinidad. Advisors can
answer questions at 719-846-5557.
Photo courtesy of TSJC
An old upright piano creatively converted into a desk serves as Sandra Blackmon’s study area.
Online courses at Trinidad State can be a perfect means by which any learner can further his or her
education and quinch a thirst for knowledge and credentials.
HOMECOMING ROYALTY
The photos courtesy of Kendra VanMatre
Hoehne homecoming court members
Homecoming royalty members in pictures are L-R, F-B, Aspen Anderson, Vince Moltrer, Bailee
Jones, Seth Silver, Megan Robins and Tyler Moltrer.
COLORADO STUDENTS
CEA sponsors ‘Super School News’
to enhance public education
Celebrated Rocky Mountain
PBS program enters 35th
year educating children in
mass communications
Special to The Chronicle-News
DENVER – Colorado educators have en-gaged
the public throughout 2014 on ways
that support and inspire students that can’t
be measured by a standardized test. First
through the Free Our Teachers, Value Our
Students movement and more recently with
social media messages using #MoreTha-nAScoreCO.
Now the Colorado Education
Association will directly
invest in a program that’s
helped thousands of kids
across Colorado attain a
more well-rounded educa-tion
for decades.
CEA will be the ex-clusive
sponsor of the
acclaimed Super School
News educational out-reach
program of Rocky
Mountain PBS for the
2014-15 school year. The
program officially kicked
off today with an orien-tation
for participating
students and teachers
at the Rocky Mountain
PBS station in Denver.
Participating schools in
Colorado Springs and
Pueblo also met today at
the Pueblo PBS station,
with another orientation
scheduled next week at
the Grand Junction sta-tion.
Kerrie Dallman, CEA President (center), with Super School News
volunteer co-chairs Ginger Tatic and Janell Hetrick.
“You are all more than a score,” CEA
President Kerrie Dallman told students at
the Denver studio. “Testing can be a valu-able
measure of a child’s academic growth
and help a teacher improve professional
practice. But in my mind, there’s no doubt
that many wonderful things happen in
Colorado classrooms everyday that can’t be
measured by a standardized test.
“Super School News is one of those
amazing education opportunities that
might not translate into the statistical
model of a quality education. But this pro-gram
will give you real-world experience in
a skill set you’ll use over a lifetime – com-munications,”
Dallman continued. “One
day you’ll face a tough interview to get into
a great college or land a fantastic job. This
experience in Super School News will help
you prepare for that moment.”
The award-winning mini television se-ries
is written and illustrated by fifth and
sixth grade students, who record their news
segments at Rocky Mountain PBS stations.
“Super School News” is designed to teach
students about journalism and broadcast-ing,
and hone other important skills such
as compelling storytelling, creative writing
and public speaking. Students also learn les-sons
in collaboration and teamwork, han-dling
stress, and gaining self-confidence.
Each school’s two-minute product runs
three or four times on PBS and is given to
the school to show in classrooms. About 70
schools are scheduled to participate this
school year.
“One of the most gratifying parts of my
job every year is launching a new season of
Super School News,” said Doug Price, CEO
of Rocky Mountain PBS, at the orientation.
Photo courtesy of CEA
“We are particularly pleased to have as our
sponsor the Colorado Education Associa-tion.
Clearly, this is a great fit for both our
organizations as we are both dedicated to
the well-being and education of Colorado
kids.”
Many CEA members have participated
in Super School News over the years as
faculty advisors, and for some, their en-thusiasm
for the program carried over into
retirement. Several members of Jefferson
Country Education Association-Retired
helped out at today’s event.
“The public speaking experience, and
the presence these kids will develop is im-measurable,”
said Mike Cawthra, a retired
JeffCo teacher who gave students tips today
in annunciation and script delivery. “I firm-ly
believe Rocky Mountain PBS is one of the
great gems of Colorado media in supporting
the schools, with Super School News and all
of the children’s programming.”