News from ELI to you!
EXTENDED LEARNING
ELI Bulletin Board V O L U M E
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www.nvcc.edu/ELI 703.323.3347
Welcome Springtime!
1.888.4DL.NVCC INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Greetings ELI Students,
Welcome!
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New Staff Spotlight
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Testing & Tutoring Reminders
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Finding a Job
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Coaches’ Corner
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1st Annual Fall Fest
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PLACE Goes Digital
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New Financial Aid
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Get Involved with ELI
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Virtual Student Union
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WRITERS WANTED The ELI Bulletin Board is published by the Extended Learning Institute of Northern Virginia Community College to keep the ELI community informed and connected. We welcome comments and contributions from students, faculty, and staff. Contact ELI Student Life for details.
As the days grow longer and the weather grows warmer, there is no better time to shake off the winter chill and get yourself motivated. There are many ways to get moving and keep the momentum going as you accomplish your personal and educational goals. In this edition of the ELI Bulletin Board, we will highlight many ways that you can better plan and prepare for success in your online courses. We will shine the spotlight on
valuable services available to ELI students just like you. Learn how to take advantage of free online tutoring services to better prepare for many course exams, and then how you can take most ELI exams in the comfort of your own home with our available online proctoring service. If you need help in other ways, we have expert staff available to assist you in finding a job, securing financial aid, and getting involved in the many extracurricular activities available
to ELI students. After you have read the ELI Bulletin Board, don’t forget to stay in touch with ELI by visiting our Virtual Student Union, following us on Facebook, and subscribing to our Twitter feed… you won’t want to miss out on upcoming events, contests (with prizes), fantasy sports leagues… and much, much more! Enjoy your Spring! Dr. Wm. Preston Davis Director of Instructional Services, ELI
New Staff Spotlight Hello ELI! My name is Laura Tiglao. I joined ELI, as a Student Success Coach, after working on NOVA’s Annandale Campus for just about a year. While I’m new to ELI, I’m not new to distance learning. I completed the last two years of my bachelor’s degree online and I am currently pursuing my Master’s degree through an online university.
Between my personal and professional experience with distance learning, I know you will find me as a great resource as you navigate your educational experience at ELI. For many of you learning at a distance is the only way you can continue with your education due to the many other responsibilities you may be juggling. I can provide assistance with challenges like time management, test anxiety or study skills and have a vast array of resources and services to connect you with depending on your individual needs. I am here to assist you achieve your academic, personal and profes-
sional goals and look forward to hearing from you soon! Greetings! My name is Ali Khan and I am an Educational Support Specialist working with the Registration Department at the Extended Learning Institute. I am responsible for document scanning, in addition to Registration duties. My hobbies are walking, biking and window shopping!
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Testing & Tutoring Reminders Testing: Know your specific exam information. Regardless of whether you use a campus testing center or another option, knowing your course “form number” is important to make sure you sign up for and are given the correct exam. General testing options, links to testing center locations and hours, and exam passes are located in your Blackboard course site, in most cases in the Syllabus under Taking Exams and Using Exam Passes. If your exams are offered through ProctorU, the information for accessing ProctorU will be located there as well.
FOLLOW US! Read the Student Blog, ELIFE Like NOVA ELIfe on Facebook We’re on Twitter, too! @NOVAELIfe
Do not wait until the last minute to take your exams. Weekends are particularly busy at the testing centers. Plan ahead to avoid long lines and extended wait
g Smarthinkin Tutoring Subjects Math
Reading & Writing
Basic Math Algebra Geometry & Trigonometry Calculus Statistics Advanced Statistics Math beyond Calc II
Comprehension Pronunciation Vocabulary Building Essay Critique Grammar/Mechanics Pre-Writing Research Strategies Documentation
PLAN AHEAD! Mar. 27—Summer Registration opens Apr. 2-6—Advising Week Apr. 10—Fall priority registration for continuing students
There are several ways ELI students can take proctored exams. Campus Testing Centers tend to have lines on Saturdays and end dates which may delay your entry into the center to test. ProctorU offers online test proctoring in select courses. The cost is $7.50 per test with an additional $5 fee for tests not scheduled 72 hours in advance. Slots for specific end dates and popular times fill up quickly. Outside of NOVA: Students can request a proctor in their area. ELI Course Specialists need at least five business days to process proctor requests for students outside the campus testing center service areas.
ELI students may also utilize any available campus tutoring resources. Please contact the campus of your choice to obtain information prior to making a trip to the campus. Any questions about Testing or Tutoring? Contact Karen Kempter, ELI Testing & Tutoring Specialist: ELILearn@nvcc.edu.
Business
ESL
Spanish
General Chemistry Organic Chemistry Biology Intro to Anatomy & Physiology Physics
Accounting Macroeconomics Microeconomics Intro to Finance
ESL Writing Center Math in English/ Spanish
Spanish Essay Center Grammar Questions
Finding a Job!
•Preparing job search documents
If you are a soon to be college graduate or ready to make a career change now is the time to begin your job search if you have not yet begun. The following are some basic steps involved with conducting an effective job search:
•Preparing for interviews
•Establishing goals •Identifying job leads
June 5—Fall 2012 open registration
•Conducting company research •Understanding the application process
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Tutoring: ELI students are currently provided free access to Smarthinking, an online tutoring service for assistance with ELI courses in a number of disciplines, some 24/7 (see table below for subjects offered). Login information and links to sample sessions can be found in Blackboard on the Student Support page under Learning Resources and Online Tutoring Services or on the ELI webpage.
Science
May 12—Commencement ceremony
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•Following-up on all aspects of the process Many workshops and programs, including job fairs, are offered throughout the College to help students find a job. Visit NOVA’s Career Services Events Calendar for a list of upcoming programs and job fairs. A free Conducting a Job Search webinar will be offered for ELI students on April 12 from 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm and repeated on April 18 from 12:15
Computers & Technology IT Support Word IT Support Excel IT Support Access IT Support Power Point IT Support Windows7
pm – 1:00 pm to help students with conducting an effective job search. Keep up-to-date with news and trends pertaining to the job search by reading The Work Buzz blog sponsored by CareerBuilder that includes recruitment tips, employment trends, and hiring insights. Have questions or need assistance with conducting your job search? Contact Christy Jensen, ELI Counselor, to request an appointment: chjensen@nvcc.edu.
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Coaches’ Corner: Getting People Around You to Help Everyone functions better when they are part of a supportive community. Humans are social beings who rely on interactions with others for approval, encouragement, and energy. As a student taking distance learning classes, it can often feel that you are missing part of this social environment. While you have discussions in forums with other students, emails and interactions with the instructor, and the support of ELI’s counseling, coaching, and customer service staff to provide both social and technical support for your classes, it can still help to identify some people around you who can encourage you face-to-face. You can increase your success as a student by recruiting the people around you to help you keep your commitments. To do this, identify some family and friends that will be supportive. Share your reasons for taking classes with them. Let them know what times you have committed to studying and encourage them to help you keep your schedule. Let them know you would appreciate it if they would encourage you if you get frustrated. Ask them to avoid
distracting you during these periods and remind them of your schedule if they have forgotten. If they benefit from your longtime education goals, remind them of what they gain from helping you succeed and encourage them to become partners with you by cheering you on when you have completed your assignments for the week. Encourage them to be there to commiserate if you falter on an assignment. Ask them to listen to you when you get a good grade and want to share the news with them and be congratulated. Any kind of positive support will make a difference! Then start telling them about your successes. Talk with them about your courses. If you get discouraged, ask one of your friends to remind you why you told them you were taking the course. Talk with them again about your career goals and how your classes are preparing you for them. When someone you’ve recruited encourages you in a way that makes you feel energized about school again, make sure to praise them in return for any support they have
given you while you completed those assignments! Make sure you are available to support the people you recruited as they pursue their own goals. This will recharge them and make Coaches’ Corner sure your relationships stay strong and healthy. Actively ELI Success Coaches can engaging with your social be reached by email at network can really make the elisuccess@nvcc.edu or difference when you are tryby phone at ing to succeed in a class.
703.764.5076.
Through all of this, remember that you also have the “Getting People Around support of NOVA’s staff. The You to Help” was writExtended Learning Institute ten by Coach Allison has counselors available to guide you in career and pro- McElfresh. gram selection, transfer Visit the Success counseling, and support services, Success Coaches to Coaches online on help you develop study skills ELI’s website. and time management strategies, a Financial Aid Specialist to assist you in planning how to finance your education, and Technical Support Specialists to contact if you run into any difficulties with Blackboard or course software. Do not engage in your coursework alone; draw upon your family, friends, and NOVA to successfully reach the end of your academic journey.
eResources Smarthinking is an online tutoring service available to ELI students. Smarthinking provides free online tutoring in a variety of subjects, some of which are available 24/7. Create your free account today. Get ready for next semester with StudentLingo workshops to help achieve
academic, personal & career goals. Access the workshops for free. Smarter Measure is an assessment tool that helps determine if you are ready for Online Learning. It also offers you tools to help with any online learning skills where you need improvement.
Don’t miss ELI’s Webinar Series where we present special topics to help you be more successful as a distance learner. Check the ELI Webinar Schedule for details and to register for an upcoming session.
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1st Annual ELI Fall Fest & Family Day ELI’s first annual FALL FEST & FAMILY DAY was held Saturday, November 5th at NOVA’s Alexandria campus, with great success! A total of 85 students, faculty, and staff came out to enjoy an afternoon of food, fun and information. Attractions included free food, games, a DJ, face painter and caricature artist and several student services information stations— Registration, Advising & Student Success, Library & eReaders, and ProctorU.
The event served as a great opportunity for distance learning students and faculty to meet face-to-face with ELI staff. As ELI student Stephanie Smith remarked, “It was great to meet and talk to a lot of people about the different opportunities for help and learning with ELI.” Likewise, ELI student services staff
enjoyed talking with students about their online learning experience and sharing information about the online support resources and tools available. A big thanks to everyone who helped out and attended! Due to the success of this event we are now planning a Spring Fling event to be held Thursday, April 19, 2012 from 11am1:30pm at NOVA’s Woodbridge Campus. Stay tuned for more details!
Join fellow ELI students in ELI’s Virtual Student Union. This is an online site for you to connect with each other, get study help, discuss topics of interest, play games and just hang out!
ELI Student Life is looking for ELI students graduating in May who are interested in being interviewed for a student success story. Email us at Student Life for details.
Register and get started today! Email ELI Student Life with any questions. More information about your Virtual Student Union on page 6.
PLACE Goes Digital Seven brave students at ELI took part in a tiny revolution this past fall semester. This change, subtle but powerful, involved students developing digital portfolios in an effort to earn credit for work/life experience. The PLACE program has helped adult students who are returning to NOVA earn credit for over twenty years. Traditionally, PLACE students have created notebook-sized portfolios (mainly through the program at the Alexandria campus) intended for review by faculty evaluators who either awarded or denied credit.
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During the Fall 2011 PLACE class at ELI, students created digital portfolios using an innovative web platform named Weebly which showcased their skills from work, travel, volunteering, and other endeavors. (Check out an example e-portfolio). These portfolios were bursting with color, photos, information, and links to professional certifications and credentials pertaining to each student’s experience. Now for the real question on everyone’s mind: what did the faculty evaluators think of these new e-portfolios? Faculty evalua-
tors had overwhelmingly positive comments to share after reviewing the first round of e-portfolios. In fact, out of seven portfolios submitted for evaluation, all seven successfully earned credit. Students earned a total of 34 credits for prior learning this semester, and all are planning to submit additional portfolios this spring to challenge other courses in their programs. A small but promising start to a new program at ELI! For more information about PLACE contact ELI Counselors at : elicounselors@nvcc.edu.
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New Financial Aid Support Center Launched! A new informative and userfriendly Financial Aid Support Center website was developed to help meet the financial aid needs of NOVA students. The site serves as a one-stop shop for financial aid support help. You can find answers to many of your questions by searching the self-help knowledge
base, chat live with a support representative and more. There is also a trouble ticket section you can use to track the status of your requests. For more Financial Aid news and information, visit the NOVA Financial Aid website, follow Financial Aid on Facebook
or Twitter, and watch short informational videos via faTV. You can also contact Carletta Mackey, ELI Financial Aid Specialist, for personal assistance with your Financial Aid related questions by phone at 703.323.3513 or e-mail elifinancialaid@nvcc.edu.
Get Involved with ELI! Join ELI’s Relay for Life Team Join ELI students, faculty and staff for Relay for Life at George Mason University’s Field House on Saturday, April 21, 2012. Join Team ELI as we walk to raise awareness, celebrate, remember and fight back. Relay is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and raises awareness and money for all types of cancer. Bring your family and friends and join us for the evening. For more information and to sign up check out ELI’s Student Life page.
Check out ELI’s Student Life webpage for updates and announcement’s of events and activities planned for you! Be sure to follow ELI’s student
Join the Virtual Book Club
Winter’s Bone – by Daniel Woodrell
A virtual book club meeting takes place online. It is a chance to connect with other ELI students while discussing a book chosen by the group.
March book selection and meeting date?
To participate, register for the book club online. The day before a meeting you will receive an email with the link to our online meeting space. Click on the link, sign in and start discussing!
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Thursday, March 29 at 7pm. For more information contact ELI Librarian, Natalie Clewell, nclewell@nvcc.edu.
Join ELI at the Spring Fling
What books have we read?
Save the Date!
The Hunger Games – by Suzanne Collins
Thursday, April 19, 2012 from 11am-1:30pm at NOVA’s Woodbridge Campus.
More than You Know – by Beth Gutcheon
More information to come!
blog, ELIfe for important reminders, tips and other tidbits related to academic advising, careers, technology, testing, textbooks, time management, scholarships,
and more. Comment and visit often! If you’re interested in becoming an ELIfe blogger, e-mail ELIStuLife@nvcc.edu.
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Virtual Student Union Have you heard of ELI’s Virtual Student Union (VSU)? This online site has been built to help keep ELI students connected outside of their courses. Using the VSU, you can connect with students and organizations, get study help, discuss topics of interest with fellow students, and just hang out! Here are some of the Virtual Student Union’s features: Discussion Den: This part of the VSU has all sorts of features geared towards online students. Check out the Discussion Den to talk to other students about study topics, share recipes, discuss current events, and so much more. The Quad: In the quad, you can learn about college clubs in the
Club Hub, listen to music with other students in the Music Lounge, or play free online games in the Game Center. Check the Game center to enter contests, including fantasy sports, and win prizes! Newsroom: The Newsroom is your center for news about activities and events on the NOVA campuses. Don’t forget to check out the NOVA Fortnightly and the NOVAChronicle, as both are written by NOVA students. Events: Keep checking our Events calendar to find out about ELI's next webinar or event. We will post all upcoming webinars here, including times and registration links. You will also be able to check out club meetings or ELIspecific events here.
To get access to all areas of the site, you will need to sign-up by clicking “Connect!”, then “Register” on the VSU homepage. Once you’re registered, feel free to update your profile and comment. You can even connect to the Virtual Student Union through Facebook.
Stay Connected to ELI 24/7
If you have any ideas, suggestions, or need help with the site, e-mail ELI Student Life, ELIStuLife@nvcc.edu.
Read the Student Blog, ELIFE Like NOVA ELIfe on Facebook We’re on Twitter, too! @NOVAELIfe
Join fellow ELI students in ELI’s Virtual Student Union. Create an account by going to ELI’s VSU, then select Connect!, then select Register/Login Spring 2012 Bulletin Board Contributors:
Will Hatheway, Administrative Assistant
Allison McElfresh, Success Coach
Katie Aimone, Orientation
Christy Jensen, Counselor
Laura Tiglao, Success Coach
Specialist
Karen Kempter, Testing &
Natalie Clewell, Librarian
Tutoring Specialist
Natasha Spokish, Technology Support Specialist
Dr. Wm. Preston Davis, Director of Instructional Services
Ali Khan, Educational Support Specialist
Bridget Downey, Course Specialist
Carletta Mackey, Financial Aid Specialist
Katie Smith, Counselor
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