From the College Side of Things

So, how do you connect with the digital generation that will be entering college as freshman this fall?

Engaging students "where they are" is important in connecting with college students.  Tim Vick, Director of First-Year Experience at Macon State University, has joined us as a speaker this fall for "Promoting First-Year Student Success in College & Beyond Symposium" Oct. 14-16 in San Antonio.

Vick will provide strategies to help First-Year Experience instuctors successfully integrate technology into the FYE seminar classroom.  He will examine a wide range of free and easy-to-use productivity tools to engage student and enhance teaching.

Other workshops at this fall's symposium will include:
- Assessing the First-Year Seminar
- Creating a Comprehensive First-Year Course for 4-year, 2-year, and Private Sector schools
- Academic Advising
- Instutional Advancement
- and much more.

Early Registration and Group Discounts Available!

So, what do you do if you teach a unique higher education course and you can’t find the perfect book to fit your needs? You create your own custom college textbook.

That is what education professors at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa did.  They teach a Human Relations course, which seems basic enough, except they took it one step further for their education students.  They teach their Human Relations course specifically for educators.  Since educators face different human relations situations than persons in other careers, they wrote their book to prepare pre-service teachers for those situations. Congratulations  to Scott Arnett, Susan Burns, and Susie Lubbers on their publication Human Relations for the Educator.

With the opportunities available in custom publishing, you can create a traditional printed textbook, lab manual, digital course pack, college ebook or a combination of any of them.

Discover your Create... Customize ... Adopt solutions at www.kendallhunt.com/highered.

Have you Googled your name lately?  Back in the olden days of 1994 when my husband was a student teacher, the word "Google" wasn't even in his vocabulary, let alone a worry for his job search.

Today's digital generation of student teachers have a whole new set of rules to follow. Finding the jobs and getting the interview are only a part of the process. They also have to worry about their "web presence." 

Rebecca Anthony and Williams Coghill-Behrends work with the student teaching program at the University of Iowa.  They have dedicated a whole section in their college textbook Getting Hired to creating a Professional Web Presence.  The section, as well as the rest of the book, includes information, to do lists, and activities for students to learn about what it takes to become a professional educator.

Not only do they address photos, but also appropriate relationships and the non-professional implications of socializing online with students and parents.

The book, along with digital learning resources helps student teachers build their portfolio, job seek, get an interview, and then land the job.

Find out more at www.kendallhunt.com/getttinghired

As a geology professor, how exactly do you capture the interest of non-major students who are taking the class just as a requirement?   Current events is a good place to start.

Better yet, what about tailoring a section of the course specifically to communication or journalism students.  That's right -- if a student is going to be reporting on or writing about geological disasters at some point in their career, they will be better prepared if they have some knowledge about it.  Which, in this digital generation, is highly likely.

David Best, the author of Earth's Natural Hazards did just that at Northern Arizona University.  The special section taught geology from the aspect of natural geologic disasters and catastrophes that the earth is capable of.  Students are engaged, because they recognized many of the events. They learn the geologic background of these events, and as part of this section -- they write about them as if they were already in their journalism careers.

If you are looking for engaging geology books for college students, this is the one for your course.  Earth's Natural Hazards studies the geological occurrences behind many of the natural disasters that most students already know about.  The book also uses digital learning resources to enhance the textbook materials and keep up with events which may happen during the course.

On the CBS show Undercover Boss last week Tim White, Chancellor of University of California, Riverside visited a chemistry course in a lecture hall where they had invested heavily in technology. The Chancellor pointed out how involved the students were during the lecture.  Why?  They participated via technology. 

The professor used Clickers to get student feedback on her questions.  The students participated and were engaged in the course content.

What about your course?  Kendall Hunt Publishing offers custom opportunities to bring a digital learning environment and Clickers to any college course.

Writing a textbook isn't what it used to be.  Now, you can write some of your own material, and borrow selected chapters from our current material and put it into a single book that fits just for your course.  You are teaching what you want, and students aren't paying for material they don't use.

Click here to find out more about our custom publishing program.

It's May, which means time for the IRA (International Reading Association) Conference next week in Orlando.  If you are attending, be sure to look for our coupon in the back of the convention program, and bring it to our booth #1132.

 (if you are unable to attend, just click on the links below to learn more about our new products)

Since this is a big conference, here are a few of the highlights for Kendall Hunt Publishing...

NEW TITLE -  "Essential Comprehension Strategies for the Intermediate Grades" by Johns, Lenski and Berglund. This new title offers strategies for teachers to help students improve their reading comprehension in the content areas.

NEW EDITIONS - "Strategies for Content Area Learning: Vocabulary, Comprehension, Response" by Johns and Berglund is now in the 3rd edition. "Reading and Learning Strategies: Middle Grades through High School" by Lenski, Johns, Wham and Caskey has been updated for the 4th edition, and includes over 100 strategies which align to the 2010 IRA Professional Standards.

AUTHOR WORKSHOP - Jerry L. Johns and Roberta L. Berglund will be presenting "Advancing Instruction in Fluency" May 10, 9-10:00am at the Peabody Hotel.  Be sure to get there early, as seats fill up fast for presentations by these authors.

SIGN UP TO WIN -- We will be giving away a set of 5 Reading Resource Titles to one lucky person who signs up at our booth.

OUR BOOTH -- visit to view our other elementary education books for teacher resources, ELL instruction resources, talented and gifted resources, and product from our Kendall Hunt Religious Publishing area.

Melissa and Lisa will be there to answer your questions, as well as many of our authors.

Students' primary means of communication is through digital delivery.  But, do they really know what their eLearning Style is?

Since digital learning environments are common in higher education, it is important for first-year students to understand how they learn best in these environments.  It only helps them become more successful in their college careers.

The new 5th edition of "College & Career Success," by Marsha Fralick includes an entire new section dedicated to eLearning Styles.  This section helps students discover how they learn best in their courses with digital content delivery.

Learn more about the new edition of "College & Career Success" at www.kendallhunt.com/fralick.

In a digital generation where college eBooks and digital delivery are becoming the norm, do students really understand their strengths?

One of the new strategies in First-Year Experience (FYE) programs is "Strengths-Based".

Dr. Marsha Fralick now focuses on this strategy in the new edition of her textbook "College & Career Success," 5th ed.

Instead of assessing a students weakness and helping them to overcome those, instructors help students focus on their strengths, which then helps to motivate students.  This motivation helps in selecting a major, learning the best study strategies, and being overall excited about college.

Learn more about the new features and chapters of "College and Career Success," 5th ed. at www.kendallhunt.com/fralick.

How are we preparing this digital generation for eLearning in college?

Luckily more and more First-Year Experience (FYE) courses are including digital learning resources as part of their program.   Teaching students how to be successful during their first year of college gives students confidence, and sets a good foundation for them to really thrive during college. 

The authors of "Thriving in College & Beyond" understand that when students learn valuable personal development skills in the first year of college, and have a plan for their college career, they not only are more likely to stay in college through graduation, but also succeed in their career and life.

Learn more about FYE programs and strategies from Drs. Joe Cuseo, Aaron Thompson, and Michele Campagna at the Symposium on "Promoting First Year Student Success in College & Beyond" March 17-19 in Rosemont, IL (near Chicago)

Visit www.thrivingincollege.com/symposium.html for more information