Post-Secondary Education in the Rural Setting

Rural students are actively seeking educational opportunities in the towns and communities in which they live. Students in rural communities can enjoy the benefits of studying in one of the many Manitoba rural sites offering quality education. If you, a friend or family member are considering furthering your education, here are few things to consider when choosing your educational institution.

Small Class Sizes
As compared to the larger university and college campuses in Winnipeg, where there can be up to 60 students in a class, the average class size at rural sites is typically 15 students. The benefit of these smaller classes is that instructors can spend more time personally answering questions and giving one-on-one help to those that require or seek further clarification. Also, smaller class sizes enable instructors to be more flexible in the way they present their material, allowing them to accommodate the various learning styles of the students.

Student Friendly Atmosphere
Front office staff and administration personnel in rural settings get to know you on a first name basis. Make no mistake, the personal attention you receive as a student at a smaller campus can be the difference between success and failure. At a rural campus you are not just another student number. Staff is more than willing to spend time discussing any questions you might have, anything from the program you are taking, to individual courses you are presently enrolled in, or planning for the future.

Money/Time Savings
Naturally one of the greatest benefits that attendance at a rural site has to offer is location. The short drive from your door to the campus has its advantages. The close proximity to home offers opportunities such as: better chances for a part time job, more time for homework, and less money spent on gas. With a shorter drive to school the stress level experienced by the students is decreased as traffic congestion and the distance driven on hazardous winter roads is avoided or reduced. Free parking is often available at rural campuses and helps lighten the cost on the student’s pocketbook.

Facilities
Facilities at the rural sites can be as good as or better than those you may find in the city. Students have the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge by using new high-end computer labs, programs, and by having full access to the Internet. The rural sites may often incorporate upgrades and improve curriculum faster than their city counterparts.

Rural education is often delivered by multiple partners, such as Red River College, Assiniboine Community College, The University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba and Campus Manitoba to name a few. Rural students can plan their degrees or certificates while sampling courses from the various institutions. Advantages gained by receiving your education in this fashion include, but are not restricted to; smaller class sizes, friendly staff, time/money savings, and easier access to facilities. Rural sites accommodate students of all ages into a wide variety of educational programs. Visit your rural campus for more information.

Text by Stanley Friesen, Kyle Guenther, Steve Blatz, Tim Falk, Rhea Fuchs, Nykolas Andrusiak, Anna Markwart and Chris Peters

Decoding Distance Learning

Text by Mary-Ann Shukla

With increased availability of distance learning students can become overwhelmed with the vocabulary and options available to them. Each institution has its version of what is fundamental asynchronous and synchronous learning. Asynchronous learning delivery is not in real time; materials are accessed or presented as taped or in paper format. Synchronous learning is real–time according to a fixed schedule such as live video feed and learning while your instructor may be in a different location but with video and sound being captured and transmitted live to you to wherever you are.

Both methods allow students a portion of control over how and when they will be learning. The difference lies in how much control the students have, additional resources required to access materials and ultimately, the evaluation methods used to assess learning.

e-Learning courses are reliant on a computer such as WebCT, an online (asynchronous and synchronous) course delivery system. It’s important for your learning experience that you are capable of navigating a computer and the Internet easily. WebCT is easy to use if you have basic computer experience, but if you’re not comfortable, or do not have access to a computer and internet, you may not get the most out of your learning experience. A system that includes high speed internet, a sound card, speakers, printer and a clear monitor would all be an investment in success.

The software you work on at home should be compatible with your alternate work sites allowing you to move between your home and the institution you may be visiting or studying at. Software incompatibility when you print at an alternate site will cause you to lose valuable time. Time or lack thereof is one of the many reasons students cite as being a motivating factor for taking distance learning.

Flexible Study can include independent study and scheduled time slots when you are in touch with other students and the instructor. This scheduled time may include transmission via LearnLinc, live video streaming, or other means such as teleconference, all vocabulary for delivery methods. Students must make themselves aware of the frequency and delivery method being used for their particular course, along with the particular hardware/software requirements that accompanies the version that is being used.

Distance Learning courses are available on either an open enrollment or a term basis. In course descriptions, courses are identified as either OPEN or TERM.

An OPEN enrollment course may be started any time but must be completed within a specified time period. The time frame begins the date your course package is issued and ends on the date specified on your course registration Information sheet and receipt. Time frames vary from one month to one year for specific courses or institutions.

Many courses are available on a TERM basis and must be completed by the end of that term. Most TERM courses involve teleconferencing and/or telephone tutoring. TERM courses have a given start and end date in fall, winter, or spring terms. Some term courses are offered on a cyclical basis such as once a year.

Teleconference courses are offered on a term basis only, which usually begin in September, January, and April, and must be completed by the end of the term. Teleconference courses are run with groups of students with minimum and maximum enrollments. Students are registered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Classes are conducted over the telephone using a teleconference bridge that enables the instructor and students to communicate. To access the bridge, you dial a toll-free number and enter a pass code. Each course includes a series of one-hour, one-and-one-half-hour, or two-hour teleconference classes.

The internet is recommended to research more extensively the various institutions and methods discussed. Distance Education is delivered by most institutions in Canada and across the world. Students are no longer limited by geography. It is essential when taking part in distance learning to become an informed consumer, to access which method institution and course best fits your needs.

Back to School Shopping

Text by Sheila Kolesar

It’s been a great summer so far. You’ve taken your children on a “field trip” a week. Last week it was the Imax, next week its Wet N Wild (If the weather holds up). You’re still looking forward to the beginning of September when the kids become the property of their new teacher. That’s great, but the school supplies list you put on the fridge so you wouldn’t lose it, is staring you in the face. A month to go, how are you going to afford to get all those supplies, backpacks, shoes, clothes and caution fees together?

One idea is go shopping, get everything on the list and lose the grocery-shopping list for that week. There is no way you are going to get supplies for your family and food in the same week. Unless….

Another idea is to take one week at a time!

First thing, take a look at how many weeks there are left until school starts. Divide the list into that many weeks. Make sure you divide it evenly – a pair of pants, pencil crayons, binders this week, shoes, markers and glue the second week, backpacks, pens, Kleenex the next week. This way you haven’t broken the budget, you spread the “love” around to all and the family can still eat because you haven’t lost the whole grocery list. This also saves you time because you aren’t running around the weekend before school starts like a chicken with your head missing. It is hard to buy supplies that are not there. You know, the items that you need would have already been picked up by mothers who planned their shopping

Do you have any plans to go across the border? This is another great idea. Give your kids a weekend away with a pool, maybe a theme park, and you can get some shopping done (for them AND you). You can get some cheap supplies there. The dollar is at a great rate right now. Make sure when you are shopping that you take a look at where the product was made. If it was made in Canada, the United States or Mexico, you won’t pay duty thanks to the free trade agreement. If you go somewhere where they have outlet malls you can get some brand name items at a reduced rate. Target is a great place to shop. They have fashionable items that are unique. This gets your children clothes and shoes that everyone else won’t have.

By planning ahead the only stress you will feel on September 5th will be to release the little hands that you have been holding close to you all summer long. September 5th is just another day that is there to remind you that time is marching on, your children are growing up and they need you a little less (especially when your youngest is going into school full time this fall)

The Art of Arranging Art

Text by Pat Gerbrandt

Artwork for your walls is vital to creating a living space that expresses your tastes and invites you to be comfortable. Displaying that art is in itself a means of expression. Each room’s mood and theme can be accentuated by originals or prints, textile pieces or photography. Your kitchen, office or den, bedrooms and bathrooms should not be overlooked.

Just as the pieces you choose fit your tastes and your décor, they also need to fit in their own space.

The larger the piece of furniture over which the piece is hung, or the larger the expanse of wall, the larger should be the artwork. That does not eliminate using smaller pieces, appropriately grouped, matted and framed, from working in larger spaces. Scale is a key component. Wrong scale is as uncomfortable as an ill-fitting garment.

Tiny pieces will be lost on a large expanse of wall unless they are appropriately displayed. Rather than framing each print individually, you can group similar photos, such as a collection of wedding pictures, in a larger frame with custom-cut mat. Arrange the photos asymmetrically or in a balanced pattern, trying a variety of arrangements to get the best possible configuration.

Photos, water colours, prints and artwork work well together when a common thread connects them.

Where natural lighting is not adequate, explore other options to ensure that you can enjoy your art. A small investment in directional lighting or soft pot lights will reward you and is particularly effective if the display is in a niche, created between wall studs.
If you are displaying art in a hall or along a stairway, place lighter coloured images and frames toward the top.

Jacquie Richardson of The Framing & Art Centre suggests patterns for an art display over a couch, mantle or credenza.

To determine where to hang art, professionals generally use this simple formula because “eye level” is somewhat subjective. Start 60 inches from the floor, add half the height of the framed picture, then subtract the height of the triangle formed by the wire when the picture will hang. The resulting point is the ideal spot for the picture hanger.
When suitable wall space is not available, or for a novel effect, Jacquie suggests, “consider ‘unusual’ areas for display. Lean framed art on a table, shelf or fireplace mantel for a dramatic effect.”

The right mats and frames, in colours and proportions that are well suited to the art, display your choices. Mats also protect the surface of the art and keep it from lying directly on the glass. Look to the colours in your art for clues to mat colours. Multiple mats add to the beauty of the finished piece.

Proportion of mat and frame is another important consideration. A wide frame requires more matting than a narrow frame and a solid background requires a wider frame for balance.

Take tips from the professionals such as Jacquie of The Framing and Art Centre, and allow your creativity to find expression as you explore the best ways of decorating with your art choices.

Insulation and the R-Factor, What Does it Mean?

Text by Reena Nerbas

All of us pay to heat and cool our homes, all the while wishing that we could pay less than we do. In many homes, space conditioning and comfort bills can account for up to one-half of a home’s energy bills with the remaining portion due primarily to water, heating, lighting and appliances.

“R” factor- the measurement of the resistance of a given material in place. The higher the “R” factor the better.

Fibreglass comes in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. The thickness is called the R-factor. The R-designation is meant to tell the consumer how well the substance keeps in radon gas (the higher the R-factor, the thicker the insulation). Each area of the house requires a different R-factor. Exterior walls are usually R-13, floors and crawl spaces R-19 and attics and ceilings R-30.

The R-factor is the insulation’s ability to keep heat in during the winter, and heat out during the summer. It is listed directly on the insulation, the higher the number, the better it works as a barrier.

To keep the R-factor at its most efficient there are a few things that can be done:

-Fill in any gaps within the insulation.

-Avoid packing the insulation too tightly. Doing this can actually lower the R-factor.

-Before choosing insulation, consult a professional if you are unsure as to which insulation to purchase.

The Language of Insulation

When dealing with insulation ratings in addition to the R-factor there are a few other factors to consider, the “K” factor, “U” value and the “C” factor.

“K” factor- is a measurement of the value of any one material 1-inch thick. The lower the “K” factor, the better.

“U” value- the value of a structure, such as the drywall ceiling plus insulation plus air films, plus air spaces (if any). The lower the “U” value the better.

“C” factor- the measurement of the value of any one material in the given thickness. The lower the “C” the better.

In addition to insulation there are additional ways to make wise choices that will affect the R-factor of a home: building materials, drywall, window coverings, windows and doors. It is not just about insulation, whether you are dealing with mounds of attic insulation or thin liners on your draperies, the higher the overall “R” factor, the better the insulation will perform.

Materials and labour to install insulation cost money, therefore, depending on the size and location of your home determine the R-factor that is the most cost efficient for your home.

Tip: When insulating a floor, use batts that are the same thickness as the depth of the floor joists. They cost a bit more, but there’s less chance for compression or gaps, so the insulation will pay for itself over time.

Sources: insulation.org, homehumor.com, hgtv.com, illinsulation.com.