Midland Adult
Education Centre
Learn for Life
Student Orientation Package
2017-2018
Midland Adult Education Centre
Box 2060, 72 Main Street Carman, MB R0G 0J0
Phone: 204-745-2095 Fax: 204-745-3823
Toll Free: 1-866-800-6594
Email:
Website: www.midlandadulted.ca
Prairie Rose School Division
Dedicated to developing lifelong learners for responsible global citizenship.
Welcome to Midland Adult Education Centre!
Congratulations for taking a step towards lifelong learning. You have probably come to the centre because you want to make some changes in your life. Whether you want to earn your Mature Student Diploma, upgrade for college or university, or improve your skills for employment, this package will provide helpful information as you contemplate those changes. You have taken a bold step in the right direction, and we are here to help you reach your goals.
Mission Statement:
To promote the economic and social well-being of Manitoba’s adult learning community by providing self-paced online courses to facilitate students’ progress toward their education and career goals.
Staff:
Minnie Guilford (Director/Teacher)
Michelle Nicolajsen (Teacher)
Joel Boyce (Teacher)
Lynne Wilkinson (Admin Assistant)
Hours of Operation:
You are encouraged to communicate with staff on a regular basis, as often as possible. You can study at home and get assistance from teachers by phone, text, email, or by meeting online Monday to Friday, days and evenings as indicated below. If you would like to come to the centre to study or receive one-on-one help from staff, the doors are open Tuesday to Thursday as indicated below.
Contact Staff:
Monday to Friday 9:00 – 4:00
Tuesday to Thursday 5:00 – 8:00
Come to the Centre:
Tuesday to Thursday 9:00 – 4:00
Tuesday & Thursday 5:00 – 8:00
Cost:
The Adult Learning and Literacy branch of Manitoba Education and Training Post-Secondary Education and Workforce Development, has been funding adult education centres since 1998. Continued funding is provided to centres with successful programming and acceptable rates of course completions and graduates. In addition to an annual registration fee of $35.00, the only cost to you is your time and commitment to completing your course within the school year!
Courses and Services:
High School Credit Courses
Students with or without their grade 12 diplomas are eligible to attend. The centre is funded to allow adults to complete their eight-credit Mature Student Diploma, upgrade to meet entrance requirements for university or college, or to increase employability skills. Midland Adult Education Centre offers the following courses:
Online Courses:
ELA 40S Transactional
ELA 40S Technical
Biology 40S
Biology 30S
Intro to Applied and PreCalc Math 20S
Essential Math 40S
Essential Math 20S
Applied Math 40S
Psychology 40S
Print Based Courses:
Accounting 30S
Automated Office 40S
Career Development/Work Experience Courses:
Credit for Employment 40G
Career Development Internship 40G
Life/Transitions 40S
Online Credits
Most of our courses are online, using the Blackboard Learn website. Students can log on to these courses at any time from any computer or device that has Internet access. Students don’t have to be on the course at the same time as the teacher.
The Distance Learning Unit creates the Blackboard Learn courses for teenage high school students. MAEC teachers are flexible, often working with individual students to make the material more relevant and suitable for adults. Be sure to talk to your teacher about any changes that would make the material and assignments more relevant and meaningful to you.
For most online courses, no additional texts are required. The learning material is either provided within the self-paced learning modules or you are referred to additional Internet sites for up-to-date content. Assignments, feedback, and tests are provided through the course or by using phone, fax, or email.
Print based Credits
Some courses may be delivered with self-paced print material from the centre. Print based courses are mainly used by Carman students who can come to the centre to study, sign out learning modules, hand in assignments, and write tests. Arrangements can sometimes be made for students outside the area to access this material. Talk to staff if you are interested in the print material courses.
Evaluation:
Most courses have assignments, tests, projects and exams. When you submit your work, teachers correct it, record your marks on your tracking sheet, and usually keep copies in your folder in the office or on the computer. Students, however, must also keep copies of their assignments until the course has been completed. Teachers will return graded assignments to online students through the course. Students are expected to read the feedback and discuss any concerns with the teacher. Students who submit assignments to their teacher on paper should pick up the graded assignments at the centre and discuss concerns with their teacher.
Other Types of Credits:
Career Development/Work Experience Credits
Credit for Employment (CFE) will allow students to earn high school credit for paid work experience, to encourage and recognize the skills development and experience gained through employment.
Apprenticeship Credits
Through the provincial High School Apprenticeship Program, online and local students can earn up to eight grade 12 credits while working as a paid apprentice. If an employer agrees to take you on as an apprentice, talk to staff about completing an application for the High School Apprenticeship Program. Adults, who have not yet graduated, are eligible to apply for this program. To learn more about apprenticeship visit:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/wd/apprenticeship/discover/youth/index.html
Dual Credits
The Dual Credit process is used to get credit for a course on both your high school transcript and your university or college transcript. For example, if you decide to take a university or college Psychology course, you may be able to use that same course as one of your grade 12 options. You would then be closer to getting your high school diploma. Likewise, some high school courses can be used to meet college requirements.
Receiving Credit For What You Have Already Learned…
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
RPL is a process used to give you credit for what you have already learned in other areas of your life. For example, if you have been doing your own income taxes for many years, you may be able to get partial credit for this in a Math course. It’s also possible to provide evidence that you have the knowledge and skills necessary for an entire course. This process is used at Midland Adult Education Centre and in many universities and colleges across Canada and the United States. Speak to your teacher to learn more about your opportunities for RPL.
Mature Student Diploma Requirements (minimum 8 credits):
“Mature students” may be eligible for obtaining a Mature Student High School Diploma if they have been out of high school for at least one year and have reached 19 years of age. Students who are18 and under who have not completed their diploma must have permission from the collegiate principal in order to register for courses at the adult education centre.
In order to graduate with a Mature Student High School Diploma, the student must have a minimum of eight credits. Four of these credits must be at the Grade 12 level, and include an English Language Arts credit and a Math or Accounting credit.
Grade 9 to 12 credits 4Which may include: / Grade 12 4
Which must include:
Language Arts 1__
ABE or Literacy credits or / Math/Accounting 1__
Credits from previous transcripts
Plus:
Two optional credits 2__
Using a copy of your marks from your last high school, we can help you choose your courses.
Graduation:
Graduation is held on a Friday near the end of June in Carman. The town of Carman is located only 45 minutes from the Winnipeg perimeter. Be sure to complete your courses in time for assignments to be graded and final marks issued well before the grad ceremony. Graduates have an important role in the planning and preparation of the graduation ceremony and reception. The ceremony and year-end windup is followed by an informal reception with family and friends to celebrate students’ accomplishments.
Course Registration Expectations:
Midland Adult Education Centre offers a continuous intake registration program. This allows our students the flexibility to learn and complete their courses at their own pace. The Centre does require however, that students make progress at a reasonable rate so that courses can be completed within the school year. Course completion statistics and student attendance numbers are reported to our funding source, Adult Learning and Literacy. Keeping this in mind, MAEC has established the following expectations of all registered students:
- MAEC requests that students be dedicated to completing their courses by mid-June.
- To demonstrate your dedication, plan on completing at least one module within one month of registration.
- If you encounter difficulties in your course, please inform staff as soon as possible. The staff is there to assist you in any way they can.
- If possible, students should try to make regular contact with others taking the same course. Ask your teacher about ways to connect through the course.
- If you begin a course and decide you cannot continue, please inform the Centre immediately.
- A one-month period of inactivity will be seen as intent not to continue. Students may be withdrawn at this time.
7. Courses should be completed within the school year. Students who treat their course like a second job, communicate regularly with the instructor and/or attend the centre on a regular basis are the most likely to succeed.
Student Readiness for Web-based Courses:
(adapted from http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/dl/wbc/pretest.html)
Below is a quick survey that may help you determine if you would be interested and successful in an online learning environment. Reflect on your skills as 1) never or rarely, 2) sometimes,
3) always or mostly true.
1. / I have the drive, motivation or need to take this course.2. / I usually work better on the internet rather than in a face-to-face class.
3. / I can work independently on my course and I won’t hesitate to ask for help and support when needed.
4. / I am comfortable and knowledgeable in using technology such as attaching documents to email messages and locating various files on my computer.
5. / Friends or family would support and encourage me if I take a Web-based course.
6. / I am willing to make a commitment to spend the time required to complete this course.
7. / I am an organized and self-motivated individual and I have good study skills (e.g. I set personal goals and meet the deadlines).
8. / I can read at grade level and am able to search for my own resources if I find text difficult to understand.
9. / I know how to support my learning by performing internet searches and browsing responsibly on the internet including being able to open multi-media files on the web.
10. / I am willing to do all the work required.
Learning and the Brain
According to recent brain research, there is hope for us all! Even if you have found it difficult to learn in past educational settings, you have continued to gain knowledge and skills from your interests and experience. While you will find it much easier to learn about something that interests you, it is still possible to learn any topic. In fact, time spent “struggling” to learn may be more beneficial to your brain fitness than time spent in “easy” learning. So put your learning fears and self-doubt aside and celebrate your struggles and perseverance to continue learning!
The brain seems to look for patterns and repetitions. According to Dr. John Medina’s book Brain Rules, “Repeat to remember and remember to repeat.” (www.brainrules.net)
You may find some or all of the following suggestions helpful in your learning.
(Horizons Learning Centre Study Strategies):
Ø Discuss the material with others; generate conversation.
Ø Say new vocabulary words and spelling words out loud.
Ø Read your assignments out loud.
Ø Whisper new information to yourself.
Ø Remember details by saying them over and over.
Ø Make up songs, poems, and rhymes.
Ø Make tapes of your notes and then listen to them.
Ø Create study notes and include drawings, mind maps, etc.
Ø Look at all the pictures, charts, and graphs in your textbooks;
pay attention to the details.
Ø Read all of your assignment directions.
Ø Visualize, or see in your mind, new vocabulary or spelling words.
Ø Visualize the details of what you read.
Ø Use a colourful highlighter to point out important information
in your reading. Use different coloured ink in your study notes.
Ø Learn by doing, touching, or practicing.
Ø Type information, like spelling words or notes.
Ø Take frequent “stand up and stretch” breaks.
Ø Write study notes; frequently change pens/pencil for variety.
Ø Pace/walk as you study. Exercise is very important according to many brain scientists.
Ø Draw pictures of what you need to learn. Draw diagrams to help explain your ideas.
Resources
Medina, Dr. John, Brain Rules, (www.brainrules.net)
Riener, C., and Willingham, D., (Sept-Oct 2010) The Myth of Learning Styles. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning (Learninghttp://www.changemag.org/Archives/Back%20Issues/September-October%202010/the-myth-of-learning-full.html)
Horizons Learning Centre Study Strategies
Goal Setting:
We don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan! (unknown author)
“Lack of time” is the number one reason cited by students who do not complete their courses. Midland Adult Education Centre has many useful resources available to help you reach your goals. Please ask staff for help in determining the resources most useful to you.
Setting goals and planning helps to keep us motivated. Once we set our priorities, we are less likely to fall victim to interferences if we keep our goal front and centre.
Studying is PLANNED LEARNING that can enrich your life and help you achieve your GOALS. In many cases, the more you know, the more you can do. What you do in class or at home will determine whether or not you reach your goals.
Ask yourself:
1. What are my long-term goals?