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EIN June Newsletter
Under MANAGING YOUR LLI
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Adventures in Lifelong Learning 10 Year Anniversary- Kenosha,
WI
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Lunch and Learn Lecture Series- University of S. Florida, Tampa
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Summer Excursions at Alaska OLLI- Fairbanks, Alaska
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Brain Fitness – OLLI, Berkshire CC. MA
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Celebrating Diversity: Ireland - Academy for Lifelong Learning,
Empire State College, NY
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More Weekend Classes Across the Network
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Summer Snapshots – Encore, NC State University, NC
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The Crisis in Modern Cosmology – OLLI, University of Alabama,
Huntsville
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Brown Bag Presentation – OLLI, UMASS Boston
Under NEW THIS MONTH
Under LLI NEWS
Under LLI CONGRATULATIONS
NEW AFFILIATE
Welcome to the Lifelong Learning Institute at Charlestown in
Catonsville, Maryland. The program is housed at the Charlestown Community,
Inc. an Erickson Community.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY OPPORTUNITY – A BENEFIT OF BELONGING
TO EIN
EIN is pleased to be able to offer all the members of the almost
400 programs affiliated with the Elderhostel Institute Network an exciting
new, money-saving, learning opportunity. The Elderhostel Friends and
Family program, which is NOT available to the general public, offers
significant savings on selected Elderhostel programs. It’s that
simple! To see the latest offerings, just click on the link above. From
time to time, EIN will send all the LLI offices a quick email with new
program offerings so be sure to watch for them. In turn, feel free to
print them out and see that your members are made aware of them. They
will thank you!
AUTA/AIUTA CONFERENCE POSTPONED
EIN recently received an email from Stan Miller, President
of the International Association of Universities of the Third Age (IAUTA)
stating that due to the political and economic upheaval in Italy, the
conference originally scheduled to be held in Turin this year has been
cancelled. Urgent attention is being given to the constitutional requirements
of IAUTA that a general assembly be held in 2008, but there are no plans
as of yet.
AN ON-LINE LIFELONG LEARNING COMMUNITY!
Mike Carter, who taught many Lifelong Learning courses for the OLLI
program at Coastal Carolina University before relocating to the Greenville
area and now returns to Georgetown County to conduct monthly workshops,
is sponsoring a new lifelong learning portal. It’s designed to
create an online Lifelong Learning community targeted, initially at
least, at an exchange of ideas in the areas of science, philosophy and
theology. All those interested are invited to join. Just go to:
http://redpillenterprises.blogspot.com/
and look through the content.
If you would like to participate just go to the bottom of the page
and look for Subscribe to: Posts. Just click on that link, click “o.k.”
in the box that opens and you will be a member of the community. Join
in the discussions, add your ideas and learn from the ideas of others
as part of a new kind of learning outreach.
SUMMER INSTITUTE
Be sure to check out the details on the EIN web site of the innovative
summer institute being offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Program
in Burlington, Vermont in late June.
VIDEO CONFERENCING
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of
Massachusetts, Boston offers several courses, via video conferencing,
to their satellite location, UMass Boston classrooms in Southern Massachusetts.
Among the courses offered this spring are What’s Good to Eat?
– From Cairo to Cape Town: Journey Across Africa – Was Abe
Lincoln a Christian? – Why is the Cross so Important in the Gospel
of Mark and the Gospel of John? – The Indigenous People of Australia:
The History, Culture, and Social Issues of the Real People – Darwin,
Evolution & Biology Today
PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of
Maryland and its Center for Civic Literacy conducted a series of eight
forums in association with the National Issues Forums Institute and
the Kettering Foundation. The goal is to enable citizens to deliberate
important issues that set the stage for them to act publicly in concert
with others in reclaiming the public’s role in a democracy. The
forums were on Ethnic Tension in the United States: How Can We Live
and Work Together? Too Many Children Left Behind: How Do We Close the
Achievement Gap? Crime and Punishment: Is Justice Being Served? The
New Challenges of American Immigration: What Should We Do? News Media
and Society: How to Restore the Public Trust. The Energy Problem: Choices
for an Uncertain Future. Paying for Health Care in America: How Can
We Make It More Affordable?
The Center for Civic Literacy/OLLI UMD also conducted a forum
for fifteen civic leaders on Ethnic Tensions in the U.S.: How Can
We Live and Work Together on April 23. Research from this forum
will be used by the Kettering Foundation in its U.S. - Russia 4th New
Dartmouth Conference in later 2008. This Conference first met in October
1960 and is the longest continuous bilateral dialogue among citizens
of the Soviet Union, now Russia, and the United States.
LUNCH TIME JOURNEYS
Illinois State University’s Senior Professionals program
had a great time with their Lunch Time Journey series this spring. Community
life-long learners spent four lunch hours in April and May exploring
four different countries, Russia, Ireland, Sweden and Israel. The Education
Committee invites ethnic organizations, churches or community clubs
to plan an ethnic lunch and then invites a speaker to lecture on the
history, culture and current topics of the country. One session always
includes a bus trip to a nearby restaurant for lunch and either a tour
of a historical site or lecture. This is the third year for the program
and they are already exploring where they will journey in 2009. This
program gets filled up within three weeks of the brochure being mailed.
OLLI HELP REQUESTED
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal
Carolina University in South Carolina have been asked for their input
by the University. CCU would like their assistance in determining if
there is interest in a proposed undergraduate major in Graphic Design
and a proposed graduate major in Professional and Creative Writing.
The proposed undergraduate Graphic Design major will include
the tools, technologies, creative processes, and design skills essential
to prepare students for a professional career in Graphic Design.
The proposed graduate Professional and Creative Writing program
will include advanced and diverse training in the areas of creative
writing, professional writing, and research. Along with diverse coursework,
this program will allow specializations in fields such as technical,
business, scientific, and legal writing to prepare students for professional
careers as professional/technical writers, researchers, and teachers.
VOTING ON A NAME CHANGE
Members of the Minnesota State University for Seniors have
been asked, via ballot, to vote on a possible program name change. Should
the name remain the same or should it be changed to Mankato Area Lifelong
Learners? The results? 75% of the members voted for the name change.
For the most part, those who did not vote for the name change did so
because of the acronym MALL. So from now on the program will be known
as the Mankato Area Lifelong Learners.
BREAKING NEW GROUND
For the first time a PLATO (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
class offering required participants to bring a laptop computer to each
session. The course centered around new genealogy software. Students
learned how to load version 16 of the Family Tree Maker onto their computer.
Within a short time, everyone was busy entering information about their
families and working toward their genealogy goals. Later in the semester
one session was spent at the Wisconsin State Historical Society. The
class will continue in the coming semester with emphasis on continuing
to learn features of Family Tree Maker and to explore many more sources
of online genealogical research.
HOW TO CREATE A COURSE
Last fall more than 13 members of the ILEAD program at Dartmouth
University in New Hampshire, took the first free, full-length ILEAD
course designed to help members develop an idea into a catalog ready
course. Most participants left the class confident, competent, and ready
to teach. The class generated 14 new catalog-ready courses.
STATE SENATOR VISITS SHORELINE
Last month the new Shoreline Institute of Lifelong Learning
on Connecticut hosted State Senator Ed Meyer. Senator Meyer shared his
experiences as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice
during the 1960s. Appointed by then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy,
Ed investigated and prosecuted the Vito Genovese family of the Cosa
Nostra. He also discussed the infiltration of organized crime into legitimate
business then and now.
A NEW HOME
In August the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University
of Southern Maine will be moving into a new home in a brand new building,
and, thanks to this new space, will begin holding classes five days
a week. An OLLI Transition Team has been hard at work meeting regularly
to anticipate the changes and make recommendations concerning the best
way to handle them. The Advisory Board has been giving careful consideration
to each of their recommendations. Everyone is working hard to assure
that change at OLLI result in momentum that moves them in a positive
direction, filled with excitement and possibilities.
SCIENCE AND MATH
Members of the Furman University Learning in Retirement program
in South Carolina are not letting any possible phobias about science
and math stop them. Among the courses being offered this spring are
Geography and Archeology/Biblical World – Cosmology – Statistics
– Galileo – The Universe – Aspects of Biology.
COFFEE TOPIC
Recently, one of the members of the Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute, formerly Lagniappe Studies Unlimited, at Louisiana State
University talked about the many Elderhostel programs he has attended.
EIN was told that many of the OLLI students enjoy Elderhostel programs.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE
This past spring, members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
at Berkshire Community College in Massachusetts took a course entitled
Uncle Joe Stalin: Not Your Average Joe, Not Your Average Uncle.
Participants examined the social forces that framed his early revolutionary
years, the dramatic events of 1917 and the bloody civil war that followed.
His rise to power, the tyranny he imposed on the country, WWII, the
Cold War years and finally, the legacy he left following his death in
1953 were also discussed.
PROGRAM JOINS ARTSFEST
The Academy for Lifelong Learning at Empire State College in
Saratoga Springs, New York will be participating in the Saratoga ArtsFest,
a three-day celebration of the arts, including music, dance, fine art,
film, theater and writing. This year it will take place throughout Saratoga
from June 13-15. The Academy will be participating with an art show
and readings of members’ original works. The ArtsFest will be
a wonderful climax to their 15th Anniversary year!
BEGINNING RECORDER
This spring some of the members of the Institute for Learning
in Retirement at Bluffton University in Ohio have been learning to play
the Recorder, thanks to a four-week introductory course, complete with
the history of the Recorder, basic notes, and simple songs. At the end
of the course participants were treated to a guest performer from the
Bluffton University faculty.
BOOKMARKS
The QUEST program in New York City uses an excellent and very
informational bookmark to help spread the word about their program.
One side explains what the program is all about, where it is located,
and who it is affiliated with. The other side of the bookmark contains
information about the courses and gives some examples as well.
SOUTH OF THE BORDER
Members of the Chemeketa Center for Learning in Retirement
in Oregon were treated to a new course this spring. Thanks to Brad Toliver,
a member who goes to Mexico every winter to follow the sunshine that
is missing in Oregon, they were brought up to date on the history of
Mexico and some of the amazing art that comes from that country.
THINK, WRITE & SPEAK WITH IMPACT
Expressing our well thought-out opinions and influencing others
with our ideas are common desires. Increasingly we face the frustrations
of ambiguous community programs, distorted civic directions, and the
almost overwhelming burdens of healthcare system paperwork and interpretation.
Even our interpersonal and organizational relationships benefit by our
communicating with greater impact. To address these issues the members
of the Academy for Lifelong Learning at the University of South Florida,
Sarasota-Manatee, took a course entitled Think, Write & Speak
with Impact. They were taught easy-to-use strategies and tactics
to enable them to present their ideas in a clear manner that will help
ensure a positive reception.
COURSE FORMAT CHANGES
The OLLI-JILL program at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
is changing the format for nearly every course, bringing immediate benefits
to the membership. Holding 90-minute sessions (without a break) instead
of the previous two-hour sessions (with a break) answers the wishes
of many participants who said they would appreciate the chance to continue
discussions without interruption or loss of momentum. Because of this
change they will have access to an excellent room, complete with the
best equipment, and nearby parking.
ANTIQUES ROAD SHOW
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of
Alabama, Huntsville held it’s very own Antiques Road Show. Thirty
of the members got the unique opportunity to receive a free, verbal
appraisal for one personal item such as jewelry, furniture, artifacts,
documents, books, stamps/coins, fossils, etc. from a local appraiser.
He also selected various items as the most valuable, the most unusual
and the oldest.
A COURSE IS BORN
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of
S. Florida in Tampa offers members a way to gain self-confidence and
develop a stimulating course. This hands-on workshop guides them through
the process of shaping their idea into a class suitable for LIR, SeniorNet
or any adult audience. Focus will be on course development, preparation
and delivery. They will understand how adults learn, how to use common
classroom tools, and what OLLI-USF resources are available to them.
They will also learn how to prepare presentations, manage groups effectively
and get their ideas across in an entertaining yet effective manner.
Practice and feedback sessions will help them gain confidence and improve
their course. The cost of admission is simply their idea for what they
might teach, and their willingness to work at developing it in to a
great class.
NEW BOOKS FOR LLI COURSES
Thanks to the Omnilore Program at California State University, Dominquez
Hills for the following suggestions.
The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story, by
Diane Ackerman, is a true story of wartime Poland, based on the diaries
of Antonia Zabinski, the wife of Jan Zabinski who ran the Warsaw Zoo.
This courageous couple sheltered over 300 Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto,
constantly risking the lives of themselves and their family.
War in Val D’Orcia: An Italian War Diary-1943-1944,
by Iris Origo presents a daily record of living in Tuscany
during the war. The author’s personal account gives a day to day
picture of life in rural Italy.
Nation of Secrets: The Threat to Democracy and the American
Way of Life, by Ted Gup. His premise is that secrecy in
the federal government, on college campuses, in courts and in the corporate
world, is generally undercutting a central condition necessary in a
democracy – the ability to know.
NEW WEB SITES FOR LLI COURSES
Arthur C. Clarke: The Science and the Fiction
An article and interview with science fiction author, futurist, and
rocket enthusiast Arthur C. Clarke commemorating his 1945 predictions
in his article "Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations Give
World Wide Radio Coverage?" The article, published in the magazine
Wireless World in 2005, describes how Clarke's "prediction of satellite
communications has come true in ways.
Arthur C. Clarke
This 2000 article discusses the career of Arthur C. Clarke and considers
how "for decades, the author of the science-fiction classics '2001:
A Space Odyssey' and 'Childhood's End' has exhibited an uncanny ability
to see the future." For example, the article notes that "in
1945 ... 12 years before Sputnik, Clarke predicted a global relay system
of radio and television signals using geosynchronous satellites."
From Salon.com.
The Ancient Americas
This exhibition "takes you on a journey through 13,000 years of
human ingenuity and achievement in the western hemisphere, where hundreds
of diverse societies thrived long before the arrival of Europeans."
Features an exhibition overview, a FAQ about culture and the Americas,
essays (about topics such as the Ice Age), interactive features, links
to related collections, educational resources (including a glossary
and reading materials), and more. From the Field Museum, Chicago.
Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA)
This is "a digital archive that focuses on Western interactions
with the Middle East, particularly travels to Egypt during the nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries." Searchable; or browse material
by title, place name, creator, type (such as texts and maps), date,
or subjects such as daily life and customs, travel and transportation,
and religion and festivals. Also includes educational modules and project
background. From Rice University.
“A scholar knows no boredom”…Jean Paul Friedrich
Richter
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