Business Club visited Jaxport

FCCJ Business Club went to Blount Island to visit the port installations of Jaxport. A group students and professors went to the cruise terminal and the cargo piers. During our bus tour a radiation alarm was triggered and the bus was searched for radioactive materials. A security guard boarded the bus and asked if someone had a medical procedure during the last weeks. The drawing shows what happened when the radiation detector was used. According to the students, it was the best part of the field trip.

Technology in Education

Wii and other similar technologies let us incorporate new ideas into our courses. Simulators and video games are used to enhance interactive learning experiences. For example, pilots and air controllers are able to practice their skills in a safe lab. Embrace technology for learning.

Entrepreneur Day @ FCCJ

During our Entrepreneur Day more than 20 high school students visited Kent campus. They formed several teams and they had to create a new product based on things found in the “project in a box” kit. Two judges were in place to listen to their presentations, ask questions, and vote for the most innovative product. The students did excellent presentations to convince the judges about their business plans and the judges did their best to select one product. At the end all of them were winners thanks to their enthusiasm and creativity.

Forming Teams and Focus

Teamwork is vital in any organization and productive meetings are very important in team dynamics. Meetings provide the ground to move from one stage to another. In the forming stage we have to brainstorm and find the proper direction to fulfill our team objectives. It is time to focus and find the lighthouse to ensure a safe navigation. This was our first meeting to find the focus to bring more underrepresented high school students to the computing disciplines programs offered by our college. This picture fits in any forming team. Focus, focus! (Feb 2009 – http://www.managementadventures.org)

Embracing Change

Dr. Holly Masturzo delivered an excellent presentation about the S-curve of Change and Chaortic Emergence. We were able to embrace change with an innovative model. Change has come to the US, our college, and our lives. It is important to understand how we embrace change. In our courses, workshops, and meetings change is a common topic.

We have to get informed about current changes and climb our rock to avoid crisis waves. Search about change and find resources. There are many titles (Who moved my cheese?, Change or Die, Birth of a Chaortic Age are some of them). Share your findings and resources about change.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year

December is a month to celebrate and here is my Christmas card. Enjoy the season, the end of the term, all the holidays, Christmas, and best wishes for the new year.

E-learning Overload

Waves of Change

The people voted for a change. In any kind of situation, we should embrace change and learn that this is one constant in life. Like waves at sea, we are in constant change. We all hope that our new president will keep our country above the waves. If you voted for him or not, he will be at the helm and remember that we all are in the same boat. Enjoy the waves.

Presidential Election

It is time to vote in the general elections on November 4th. It is a huge responsibility to participate and elect our next president, other public functionaries, and to decide on several amendments. Our decisions are important and the weight of those decisions are heavy. The “I voted” sticker represents the weight of our decisions. It marks us for doing both our duty and our right to vote. The “Early Voting Site’ sign shows us that we believe in our electoral system. We can vote before and know that our vote will be counted. Please remember to vote. It is heavy but you will feel lighter after voting. My wife and I voted for the first time in a US presidential election and we feel great and grateful.

Our Next White House Manager

The second part of our fall term starts during the last two weeks of the presidential campaign. After several weeks of financial storms, our nation is getting ready to elect our next president. We normally say that great captains are tested during the storms and that great leaders are tested during a crisis or emergency. Our next White House manager has to be a great captain and leader to be able to bring our nation to safer waters. Remember to vote. This is one of the best rights in the USA.