RioNews
Tuesday, May 06, 2008GED diploma fulfills dream of graduate, 73 It’s taken 57 years but Drusilla Chilton, 93, will finally see her son David, 73, receive his high school diploma. Tuesday night, Chilton along with more than 300 students will receive their GED’s (high school equivalency diploma) from Rio Salado College. The graduation celebration, the biggest GED ceremony in the state, will be held at the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix. It’s been a long road for Chilton. The son of a traveling minister, Chilton was always changing schools as his family traveled from town to town. After graduating from the 8th grade, Chilton left school and began working for Western Union delivering telegrams on his bicycle. “I dreamed for years of going back to school. It was always haunting me,” said Chilton. But facing a 21st century classroom after more than five decades away was a daunting task. “The first day of school I was really nervous. They gave me an evaluation test that I got half through. I left in my car and cried all the way home,” said Chilton. Chilton spent 18 months working four or five hours a day in class. “I didn’t realize how long it would take me or how difficult it would be,” said Chilton. Chilton admits the well-earned slip of paper has made a big difference in his life including boosting his self-confidence enough to tackle college classes at Gateway where he has earned a caregiver certificate. Currently he’s in the process of finding a job with his newly found skills. “I am really happy I did it,” said Chilton. A boost in self-confidence is typical of those earning their GED, said Miranda L. Lopez, Director of Adult Education. They get so much confidence out of this. It motivates them and makes them think Oh yes, I can do this,” said Lopez. Students are told the program is the first step in their educational future. Along with learning to read and do math, GED students, through the transition program, receive information and awareness for those who want to continue their education. Information on college degrees, classes, financial aid and tours of the college campus are included in the transition program workshops. While many students continue on into college from the program others taking GED classes focus on improving their workforce skills and still others use the classes to improve career prospects, said Lopez. Classes are self-paced. Instructors work with students to identify their individual learning goals and to develop plans to reach those goals. Rio Salado began offering GED classes in 1979 with just 700 students. Today, as the state’s largest provider of Adult Basic Education classes nearly 10,000 students are enrolled annually. For more information about free GED or ABE classes call (480) 517-8110 or (480) 377-4050 or visit www.riosalado.edu/registration Locations for ABE enrollment: Rio East Valley: 1455 South Stapley Drive, Suite 15Mesa, AZ 85204(just north of the Superstition Freeway) Rio North - Paradise Valley: 4550 East Cactus RoadPhoenix, AZ 85032(above the food court at Paradise Valley Mall) Rio 7th Avenue: 619 North 7th AvenuePhoenix, AZ 85007(just south of I-10) Scottsdale Adult Learning Center: 1170 North 86th WayScottsdale, AZ 85257(old Apache Park School) Rio Salado College Lifelong Learning Center12535 Smokey DriveSurprise, AZ 85374(just south of Bell Road) Orangewood Nazarene Church: 2804 W. Orangewood Phoenix AZ 85051 Rio Ann Ott Learning Center 1801 S. 12th Street Phoenix AZ (south of Mojave, at Apache and 12th St) # posted by Rio Salado College : 1:21 PM
 Graduation set for May 7 This week Fountain Hills resident Dawn Beck will be one step closer to fulfilling her dream of becoming a marriage and family therapist. A high school dropout, Beck will graduate from Rio Salado College May 7 after being out of school for 12 years. So driven to succeed, the determined stay-at-home mom of two managed to rack up 53 credits in just nine months to complete her Associate of Arts degree. She is now attending Grand Canyon University as a psychology major and plans to earn a Master’s degree in order to become a family therapist. A member of Phi Theta Kappa (the international honor society for two-year colleges) and the Dean’s Honor Roll, Beck is one of two student speakers chosen to address Rio Salado graduates Wednesday night. The ceremony will take place at the Orpheum Theater, 203 W. Adams St. in Phoenix, and begins at 7:00 p.m. Students earning their G.E.D. (high school equivalency diploma) will be honored in a ceremony on May 6. This year there will be 377 Rio Salado students earning their associate degrees, as well as 3,580 students receiving certificates of completion for a variety of programs. Earning a college degree has been a long and challenging road for Beck. Dropping out of high school at 17, Beck worked at a series of low paying, dead end jobs before realizing she needed to do something good with her life that she could be proud of. In the spring of 2007 she registered at Rio Salado College and began taking as many online classes as she could handle while being a wife and mother to an active four year old and one-year old. In the fall she petitioned the college to take a whopping 23 credits eager to begin work on her bachelor’s degree. (Anything above 12 credits is considered full-time). She calls her graduation one her life’s biggest achievements. “I am still amazed that this high school dropout was able to turn her life around. I refused to allow anything to hold me back from my goals,” said Beck. Rio Salado’s commencement theme, ‘Sustain Your Momentum’, encourages students to continue to pursue their dreams after college. With her focus on earning a Master’s degree, Beck says family support was a crucial component to her sustaining her momentum and reaching her goal. “I would never have been able to reach my goal of graduation without the loving and positive support from my family. My wonderful husband of ten years Brian was the main reason I was able to accomplish so much at Rio Salado,” she said. For more information about Rio Salado Commencement or the G.E.D. graduation, visit www.riosalado.edu/graduation.Rio Salado College offers more than 450 online courses. One of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges, tuition at Rio Salado College is $65 a credit. The college offers degrees and certificates in business, education, healthcare, law enforcement and more. # posted by Rio Salado College : 1:15 PM
Math classes include online tutoring lab
MyMathLab part of Rio Salado math classes.
“Remember sitting in math class completely lost wishing your instructor would slow down or start over. Imagine if your instructor came with a pause or rewind button. Guess what, at Rio Salado College online math classes do. The classes include a state-of-art program called MyMathLab. In MyMathLab, students stymied by an abstract concept can hear the video explanation again and again and even pause the program to improve understanding. The program includes numerous ways to get help, said Rio Salado Math Faculty Chair John Jensen. The resources are very complete, as they contain thousands of videos, sample exercises and many different ways to review and practice. Donna Hazlewood, 47, hadn’t taken a math class for more than 20 years when she started back to school taking her prerequisites for nursing. Since that time she’s taken three online math classes using MyMathLab and has become a fan of the online tutoring program. “I have learned a lot. It walks me through the steps so I can learn how to do the problems. So far I am doing pretty well,” said Hazlewood. At Rio Salado all math classes from the very basic arithmetic to the challenging calculus include an online textbook complete with MyMathLab, the online tutoring lab. Intriguing lectures captured on video, and concise and clear demonstrations and appealing practice tests make solving equations painless. Initially Rio Salado college algebra student Mary Echtinaw called her instructor to drop the class. But with a few pointers from the instructor on how to use MyMathLab she’s sailing through quadratic equations, logarithms and rational exponents. “MyMathLab was excellent. It taught me more than I would have ever learned in class,” said Echtinaw, who is working on earning a business degree. “I really liked the problem simulation and you know immediately if you got it right,” said Echtinaw. Need help with the concept of real numbers? Click on a short video clip. Still fuzzy about the concept? Click on the demonstration and watch the online computer screen flash through the problem. Ready to solve the problem? Click on a practice problem and get immediate feedback. With the online format unlike the in-person class, students set the pace, not the teacher. “You can control what’s going on in the lecture environment. Students can really solidify and review the content before taking an exam,” said Jensen. One of the biggest advantages of taking the online math classes is the convenience and flexibility. Hazlewood, a paramedic in Camp Verde, wouldn’t be in college without the online format. “One of the main reasons I take online is there is no school near me. The closest school is Prescott plus I have a family and I work quite a lot. This is the only way to do it on my schedule,” said Hazelwood. Echtinaw works full-time and has two daughters, 12 and nine months. Online classes have worked out well. Rio Salado offers 15 math classes from basic arithmetic MAT082 to MAT241 –Calculus III. More than 5,000 students are enrolled in the classes. Classes start every Monday. For registration or more information call 480-517-8540 or go to www.riosalado.edu/registration # posted by Rio Salado College : 1:12 PM
Friday, April 18, 2008Rio Commencement and G.E.D. Graduation Set for May 6 and 7  On May 7, Rio Salado College will hold commencement exercises for students earning associate degrees and certificates. Students earning their G.E.D. (high school equivalency diploma) will be honored in a ceremony on May 6. Both events will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will take place at the Orpheum Theater, 203 W. Adams St. in Phoenix. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Rio Salado will be awarding 377 degrees and 3,580 certificates to graduates. This year’s theme, ‘Sustain Your Momentum’, encourages students to continue to pursue their dreams after college. Now that they have accomplished the goal of graduating from Rio Salado, it is a time to make new goals and keep going. Commencement will feature two student speakers who represent sustaining momentum. Dawn Beck earned her associate degree in arts at an accelerated pace, completing more than 53 credit hours in nine months and will continue on to get her master’s degree. Michael Cardenas, who has earned his associate degree in public administration, works as an administrative assistant at the State Bar of Arizona and plans to continue on to law school. The speaker at the G.E.D. graduation will be Patrick Thomas. For more information about Rio Salado Commencement or the G.E.D. graduation, visit www.riosalado.edu/graduation. # posted by Rio Salado College : 1:32 PM
Employers Come to Students at 6th Annual Teacher Career Fair On Thursday, April 17, prospective teachers connected with more than 50 employers at the 6th Annual Teacher Career Fair at Rio Salado College. Representatives from public school districts, colleges and charter schools met with Rio Salado Education students in the hopes of filling their schools’ many open teaching positions. In addition to visiting booths at the career fair, 31 students signed up for one-on-one interviews with several of the employers they were most interested in. Working with the employment representatives, Rio Salado arranged 137 interviews for students in its Education program. This was the largest teacher career fair in Rio Salado’s history, and many employers look forward to it every year. “We participate each year because we have a good working partnership with Rio Salado,” said Shawnee Worters, director of recruitment for Tempe Union High School District. “We appreciate the flexibility of the Rio Salado program and the opportunity it offers students to get their certification quickly.” The career fair was free and open to the public. Rio Salado College, located in Tempe, AZ has more than 450 online classes with start dates every Monday. The college offers degrees and certificates in business, education, healthcare, law enforcement and more. For registration or more information call 480-517-8540 or go to www.riosalado.edu/registration  # posted by Rio Salado College : 12:47 PM
Thursday, April 17, 2008Students Learn Government Process in Forum Over the past year Rio Salado College student Pedro Rodriguez has had a crash course in Arizona public policy. He’s met with state legislators, lobbied congressional members and traveled to Capitol Hill as a member of the Maricopa County Community College District Student Public Policy Forum. In December, Rodriguez who has taken classes concurrently at Arizona State and Rio Salado, will graduate from ASU with degrees in both political science and history. He also recently earned his certification in public administration at Rio Salado College. “I’m finally getting back to finishing up the degree,” said Rodriguez, who returned to college after a 16-year hiatus. But while he’s pushed his way through his studies at both Rio Salado and ASU, he admits some of his more rewarding experiences have been with the public policy forum. “I met members of Arizona’s congressional caucus and the governor’s office. I gained firsthand experience of the legislative challenges and realities with discussions ranging from sustainability to the long-term impact of community colleges,” said Rodriguez. “But I would have to say meeting students from across the Maricopa Colleges with diverse backgrounds and interests speaks volumes of the ideals and goals behind the Student Forum,” said Rodriguez. Every year two students from each of the ten Maricopa community colleges are selected to be part of the program. Over the course of the school year, students spend five interactive sessions getting an up close and a personal look at the workings of state and local government. At the end of the five sessions students travel to Washington D.C. meeting with legislators to discuss federal legislation that impacts community colleges. This year students focused on financial aid, the Dream Act, Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and a number of other issues important to students at the community college, said Chad Douwstra, director of the student public policy forum at MCCCD. Involvement in public policy has a profound change on students. Not only do the students gain insight into the legislative process they also develop leadership skills and become skilled oral and written communicators, said Douwstra. “Each year I am just amazed at the changes in students from the beginning when we meet in October to the end when we visit Capitol Hill. Students gain a greater sense of confidence about themselves and their ability to impact public policy,” said Douwstra. Students also learn another valuable lesson. Before becoming involved with the program many students feel public policy doesn’t affect them and they don’t want to be involved. When they finish the program they realize they can and do have a part in creating public policy, said Douwstra. Rodriguez’s won’t forget his trip to Washington. “It’s one thing to sit in a classroom and study Congress and the budget process, but physically walking into the offices of Congressmen Harry Mitchell or Raul Grijalva or speaking with (former Arizona Senator) Dennis DeConcini really had an impact on us. More importantly, I like to think our time and energy had an impact on these officials as well.” Rio Salado College, located in Tempe, is one of the 10 Maricopa Community Colleges, with more than 450 online classes with start dates every Monday. The college offers degrees and certificates in business, education, health care, law enforcement and more. For registration or more information call 480-517-8540 or go to www.riosalado.edu/registration # posted by Rio Salado College : 4:35 PM
Tuesday, April 08, 2008"Kid of the Week" Honored at Phoenix Zoo
One day a week Hunter Nash volunteers at the Wild at Heart Owl Rehabilitation Center. Hunter reads to the owls at the facility so they will get used to a human voice. Hearing a human voice on a regular basis helps them so they won’t be afraid and can be used for educational purposes. Hunter also goes to the owl rehab center on days when he doesn’t have school to help his mom and the caretakers clean the cages. A student at Black Mountain Elementary School in the Cave Creek Unified School District, Hunter will be at the Phoenix Zoo next week, a winner of the Rio Salado College and Mix 96.9 FM “Kid of the Week” contest. The award is given to students who deserve special recognition for making a difference in their community. Each week during the school year a student is selected as the “Kid of the Week”. At the end of the year these outstanding students are honored before friends and family at a banquet held at the Phoenix Zoo. This year, 28 students will be honored for their academic achievement, community participation and outstanding citizenship. Hosting the April 10th event will be Rio Salado College and Mix 96.9’s Chris Parker and Gina Taylor. The following is a list of winners: March 31, 2008 Patricia Leon-Cleary Kyrene Del Norte March 24, 2008 Trisha Artman Chaparral High School March 17, 2008 Abby Moon CASY Country Day School March 10, 2008 Hunter Nash Black Mountain Elementary March 3, 2008 Sondell Cross North Canyon High School February 25, 2008 Ariana Griego Mesa High School February 18, 2008 Tanner Robarge Oaktree Elementary February 11, 2008 Ariel Contreras Gilbert High School February 4, 2008 Ryan Buckley Mesquite High School January 28, 2008 Chelsea Cannon Verrado High School January 21, 2008 Cody Seaver Paradise Education Center January 14, 2008 Morgan LaBarbera Mountain Ridge H.S. January 7, 2008 Heaven Gutierrez Country Place Elementary December 17, 2007 Brandon Hoogstra Dobson Academy December 10, 2007 Raja Mendez Chaparral K-8 December 4, 2007 Anthony Baldwin Hamilton High School November 26, 2007 Kyle Johnson Shea Middle November 19, 2007 Sierra Niemeyer Tonalea Elementary November 12, 2007 ASHLYNNE O'NEAL Pueblo Elementary November 5, 2007 Olivia Kusel Kyrene Middle School October 29, 2007 Tyler Clark Cheyenne Elementary October 22, 2007 Alek Williams Desert Sky Middle School October 15, 2007 Melissa McDonald Barry Goldwater High School October 8, 2007 Breonna Crosser Catalina Ventura October 1, 2007 Brandon Jonaitis II Francis-Brandon Pickett Elemen September 24, 2007 Sara Manganaro Benjamin Franklin Charter September 17, 2007 Dakoda Lee Heiser Highland Jr. High September 12, 2007 Ian Loggins Cambridge Academy East # posted by Rio Salado College : 3:04 PM
Rio Salado College Holds 6th Annual Teacher Career Fair
Education major Sarah McWilliams has yet to receive her teaching certificate but she already has interviews with five different school districts.
McWilliams, who will receive her post baccalaureate teaching degree in May from Rio Salado College, will interview on April 17 at the Rio Salado College 6th Annual Teacher Career Fair. The fair, a community wide event connecting public, charter and private schools with potential teacher candidates, is a yearly event at Rio Salado. The year’s fair is expected to be the largest in Rio Salado’s history with more than 48 school districts/schools and dozens of teacher candidates to be in attendance at the event. “The career fair is a great opportunity for teacher applicants to meet with districts seeking to fill positions and to recruit new teacher interns in high need areas,” said Janine Weyers, Rio Salado College field experience coordinator. The free event is open to the public. Job seekers are encouraged to bring their resumes and certification to distribute to school districts. Participants will have the chance to learn about school districts throughout the state including benefits and programs available to new employees, said Weyers. McWilliams, who hopes to teach English, says the career fair will save her time and money while allowing her to become acquainted with prospective employers. “I think it’s great. It will definitely be convenient for me to attend one fair for five interviews. It makes my life as a working person much easier,” said McWilliams. The event has a record of success in pairing newly certified teachers with school districts with openings. “We’ve had students leave the career fair with a contract,” said Mary Briden Rio Salado College Director of Educational Programs and Partnerships McWilliams, who graduated in journalism from University of Kansas, has been working in education for the past four years. She’s become so enthralled with education she decided to go back to college and earn her teaching certification. “I can’t wait to get started on my teaching career,” said McWilliams. She also attended Rio Salado College’s teacher prep program master teacher interview skills workshop. The three-hour workshop focuses on how teaching candidates can best present themselves when interviewing for a job. “I think it was a good idea. It’s nice encouragement for us to do well in our interviews,’ said McWilliams. Rio Salado College has a variety of teacher preparation programs including the only online post baccalaureate program in the state. Geared for busy adults with careers and families, the online program allows students to earn a teaching certificate from the comfort of their home. Begun seven years ago, the program has earned a reputation of making dreams come true. “We’ve had students come to us with tears in their eyes so grateful for an online program. Before the online program there was no college flexible enough to allow students with demanding schedules to get their education," said Briden. McWilliams has managed to finish the program in two years while working full-time. Students in the post baccalaureate program do their student teaching and classroom practicums in person but the rest of the course work can be done online. In addition to the post baccalaureate program in early childhood, elementary, secondary and special education, the college also has early childhood undergraduate and professional development courses, specialty endorsement certificates and classes for K-12 educators. A new program added this year allows students to earn 90 credits of education classes at Rio Salado and then transfer them to Northcentral University to complete their teaching degree online. The benefits include 90 hours at the community college cost, said Briden. Rio Salado College, located in Tempe, AZ has more than 450 online classes with start dates every Monday. The college offers degrees and certificates in business, education, healthcare, law enforcement and more. For registration or more information call 480-517-8540 or go to www.riosalado.edu/registration Rio Salado College 6th Annual Teacher Career Fair Thursday, April 17 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Rio Salado College Conference Center 2323 West 14th Street Tempe, AZ Free and open to the public # posted by Rio Salado College : 2:58 PM
Tuesday, April 01, 2008Rio Salado College Wins Innovation of the Year Award The Rio Salado College Textbook Savings Program was named the recipient of the Maricopa Community Colleges Innovation of the Year Award for 2007-08 on Friday. "The Maricopa Innovation of the Year award is designed to recognize employees and acknowledge innovative ideas that have had a positive impact on the education of students,” said Eric Leshinskie Interim District Director Academic Affairs, Support Programs and Services who organized the event. The Textbook Savings Program was chosen from a field of 11, one from each of the ten Maricopa community colleges and the district office. Development for the textbook program began more than eighteen months ago by Rio Salado College Vice President Todd Simmons and Vice President Emeritus/Executive Consultant- Online Learning Carol Scarafiotti. “It is especially wonderful to have the Textbook Savings Program recognized as the Maricopa Innovation of the year because the beneficiary of this innovation is the Rio online student,” said Scarafiotti. ”Students purchasing these textbooks save an average of 51 percent over the previous textbook cost and receive a new textbook with the content customized just for the online course,” said Scarafiotti. “Rio Salado’s innovation is a great example of what is possible when colleges think outside the box,” said Simmons. In September 2006 Rio Salado College began looking at ways to address the issue of textbook affordability. In January 2008, the college launched the Textbook Savings Program. “By adopting custom textbooks that contain only relevant information, purchasing those textbooks from a single publisher, and increasing the number of new books sold, the College was able to achieve an average savings of 51percent,” said Simmons. Gone are the days of trying to purchase used textbooks or sell the used textbook back at the end of the course, only to find that the bookstore will not purchase it because a new edition has been released, said Simmons. “Even better, the saving comes when students need it the most -- at the beginning of the course when they also have to pay for tuition,” said Simmons. As the district winner, Rio Salado will receive the Paul Pair Award, which includes $2,000 for use in furthering the winning innovation. The award is named in memory and honor of Dr. Paul M. Pair, long-time member and former president of the Maricopa Colleges Foundation Board. # posted by Rio Salado College : 3:44 PM
Wednesday, March 26, 2008Teacher in Residence Win-win for Teachers, School Districts
Last year, elementary teacher Jessica Hahn could really relate to her students—she was going to school herself.
A college English major, Hahn didn’t decide she wanted to teach until after she had graduated from college. An innovative program at Rio Salado College, called Teacher in Residence (TIR), allows college graduates to earn their teaching degree while they teach. Hahn moved from St. Louis three years ago to Phoenix where she was able to immediately start teaching using an intern certificate. Approved by the Arizona Department of Education, Rio Salado’s Teacher in Residence program allows students who currently possess a bachelor’s degree in a non-related education area to receive employment in a classroom while simultaneously completing their education coursework for certification. By the time Hahn finished the TIR program last May, she already had two years of full-time teaching experience under her belt. She currently teaches first grade at Encanto Elementary School in Phoenix’s Osborn School District. “This program gave me a chance to teach right away in an area that really needed teachers,” Hahn said. Many people wanting to be teachers put off their schooling for fear of not having a salary during an unpaid student teaching assignment, said Jennifer Gresko, the director of the Teacher in Residence program for Rio Salado College. Because students in the program are actually hired by a district as full-time teachers, they receive a first-year teaching salary and benefits while completing their certification. “If you’re worried about losing pay to go back to school, this is the perfect option. You’re learning the theory at the same time as practice, so you can immediately apply it in the classroom,” Hahn said. “You also have a supervisor to help guide you.” The TIR program features college supervisors, usually retired teachers or administrators, mentoring the beginning teachers in best practices in teaching and the management of daily classroom responsibilities. Students must complete at least half of required program coursework by the end of their first year and be successful in their supervised student teaching. They must also renew their intern certificate to continue in the second year of the program. Arizona schools are also benefiting from the program because they no longer need to wait for qualified candidates with a desire to teach to finish school before they can hire them. “Districts are struggling to find candidates, especially in the areas of special education and high school math and science,” Gresko said. “When a district finds someone with a background and a four-year degree in one of those areas, they don’t want to miss the opportunity to hire them.” Rio Salado TIR students work in 225 schools in more than 70 districts throughout Arizona. The college’s online learning format makes going to school while teaching more manageable. It also makes certification possible for people living in remote or rural areas, Gresko said. Teacher in Residence and other teacher preparation programs like it are helping to ease Arizona’s teaching shortage, said Rosemary Gaona, the director for transition to teaching programs for the Arizona Department of Education. “The program started in 2005 and now we’re seeing the graduates complete the program and stay in those high-need schools. We’re finding it to be successful,” she said. A student may only begin working in the program once they are recommended by a school district for full-time employment and have successfully passed the Arizona Education Proficiency Assessment in the content area for which they are being employed. For more information, contact the Rio Salado College Teacher in Residence program at 480-517-8126 or visit www.riosalado.edu/teachers. # posted by Rio Salado College : 2:30 PM
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© Copyright 2008 Rio Salado College,A Maricopa Community College
2323 West 14th Street, Tempe, AZ 85281
480-517-8000 -or- 1-800-729-1197
