By Kennedy Lane
Professional Writing Major, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun” – Psalm 37:4-6
Alexa, Siri, Cortana and Hey, Google are four of the most widely recognizable virtual assistants. Also called digital assistants or AI assistants, these are software applications that can process voice commands and complete tasks. Currently, digital assistant technology can be used to take dictation, create a to-do list, look up information and even order items online, but what will users be able to do with them in the future? If you decide to earn a STEM degree such as a Bachelor of Science in Computer Programming, you may one day have the opportunity to work on the next generation of digital assistants.
By Matt Hampton
Faculty, College of Theology
Recently a legend of NBA basketball, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, auctioned off most of his NBA treasures. There were things like championship rings and “Most Valuable Player” trophies. I was amazed to see how many things he was auctioning off. I was also curious as to why he would do this. Not only are they worth a lot of money but they are prized treasures. Kareem was so famously known for his majestic sky hook shot that no one could stop his shots.
K-12 leaders face a myriad of challenges, some evergreen and some brand new. You’ll explore many historic and trending issues in education leadership as you pursue a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership at Grand Canyon University. You’ll examine ethical dilemmas, progressions in leadership thought and the history and politics of K-12 education among many other crucial topics. While you’re narrowing down issues to examine for your dissertation, consider the following topical categories.
By Sarah Schroyer, MSN, RN, CHPN, NE-BC, CNE
Faculty, College of Nursing
Every March 19, nurses worldwide who earn and maintain the highest credentials in their chosen specialty are honored. Certified Nurses’ Day was created in 2008 by a collaboration between the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Nurses Association (ANA). Nursing, as health care in general, has become increasingly complex. Certified Nurses play an important role in assuring high standards of care for patients and many health care facilities encourage their nurses toward certification. The certification process is voluntary and requires extensive education and knowledge in the specialty area. Becoming certified also requires a personal commitment on the part of the nurse.
How does a nurse obtain a certification? The ANCC is one of the largest credentialing centers for nurses. They offer certification in specialties such as nursing informatics, medical-surgical, pain management, nurse executive and national healthcare disaster. Certifications may also be related to specific nursing organizations. For example, a nurse can obtain a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse designation through the Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association (HPNA) and Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC). The HPCC’s Why Certification? site provides excellent reasons adaptable to all specialties on why nurses should consider certification:
As a nurse who is currently certified in three specialty areas, I do not look forward to Certified Nurses’ Day each year in hopes of praise over what I have accomplished. Instead, I see March 19 as a day to promote the importance of becoming certified to my fellow nurses. We need to support and encourage each other through this often daunting process. If you are certified, reach out to your peers and offer to help them prepare for the test. If you are not certified, check with your organization. Some organizations will help with the cost of certification. To promote Certified Nurses’ Day, the ANA is offering 25 percent off certification exams purchased through March 31 (of course there are additional requirements) (ANA, 2019).
If you’re ready to advance your career and develop in-demand skills, then consider completing the RN to BSN online program from Grand Canyon University. You can discover more about this degree by clicking the Request More Information button on this page or visiting the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions website.
References:
American Nurses Association (ANA). (2019). Home page. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/
Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center. (nd). Why Certification? Retrieved from https://advancingexpertcare.org/why-certification
By Teddy Ogilvie
Student, College of Nursing and Health Care Professionals
This March is National Athletic Training Month. We want to promote and celebrate the profession of athletic training (AT) around the world. A proud sponsor of National Athletic Training Month is the National Athletic Training Association (NATA). NATA has more than 45,000 members world-wide and this month we want to celebrate all AT’s and their work. This year’s slogan is, “ATs Are Health Care.” ATs are not only health care providers to athletes, but also provide care to soldiers, workers and performers.
Today, the rates of entrepreneurship and new startups are growing, and many business-minded individuals see the success of others and want the same for themselves. However, it’s also common for these innovators to not know where to begin or to assume that achieving success is as easy as it appears. If you want to be among the successful business launchers of the future, then you have several reasons to consider enrolling in Grand Canyon University’s Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Entrepreneurship program. The following are a few of the reasons why you should earn this degree if you want to start a business.
For college basketball fans, the madness of March marks the best time of the year. This rings especially true for Grand Canyon University Antelopes Fans – we love basketball as much as the next school, if not more. Just ask the Havocs if you don’t believe us.
With the NCAA Tournament getting underway across the country we started wondering which teams have the most passionate hoops fans, the ones that are most likely to turn out in droves and support their teams over the next few weeks. After doing a little research, we found that the NCAA keeps detailed attendance records for every team and conference and publishes those reports every year.
By Kennedy Lane
Professional Writing Major, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
If you want to teach like a pro, it is important to get organized and to get into habits to ensure that you are an effective and successful professional. Here are some habits that you should cultivate.
Keeping a calendar with your schedule will help remind you of everything that you need to do. It will help to be able to physically see what you have to do to help you keep on track with everything to make sure everything gets done. Having everything laid out in front of you will help your days go smoothly. Creating a schedule at either the end or beginning of each week will help you stay on track.
Make your lesson plans and prepare everything that you need for the next school day before you leave school. Make sure your classroom is tidy and everything is organized before you leave for the day. You will feel more organized and prepared for the day ahead when you walk into your classroom in the morning if you do this.
Make sure that you utilize all of the help that you can get. As humans we often think that our problems are ours to handle and as a teacher you may feel like you need to handle your classroom and your students all on your own. If families and community members volunteer to help, let them, give them projects to help you with or chaperone or anything else you can use them for. They would be happy to help.
Participate in professional development opportunities that are provided by your school, district, professional associations as well as your university. Not only will these sessions ensure that you stay current in the field, but there are also opportunities for you to advocate for your students as well as your profession.
If there is anything that you are struggling with in your classroom, do not be afraid to ask for help every once in a while. You do not have to take everything on, on your own. Ask other teachers, families or any of the school administration for help when you need it. Other teachers would be willing to help and appreciate when you are able to return the favor and it gives you the opportunity to build your relationship with the other teachers you are working with.
Stay positive in every situation. We all have bad days and good days. It is easy to get ourselves down when we have our bad days and have a negative attitude when things go wrong. If you stay positive and look at the best in every situation, your bad days will be a little easier.
By Jacob Hicks
Faculty, College of Theology
Dear Faculty,
“When The History Channel makes a production about Jesus, how do they know that’s what it was like? Is it based on their interpretation or the Bible?”
Sincerely,
Theophilus
