January 2013

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Luck Out: A New Perspective

for a New Year

Meet Mark: The New Senior

Coordinator for Staff Devel-

opment

Instructor Spotlight: Mike

Healy

Sleep to Learn: Why Rest is a

Powerful Educational Tool

AE Spring 2013 Classes and

Seminars

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT: MIKE HEALYINSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT: MIKE HEALY

MEET MARK: THE NEW SMEET MARK: THE NEW SENIOR COORDINATOR FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENTENIOR COORDINATOR FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT

LUCK OUT: A NEW PERSLUCK OUT: A NEW PERSPECTIVE FOR A NEW YEARPECTIVE FOR A NEW YEAR

The 2013 Annual Housing Conference Committee decided on the theme “Lucky Number 13” as a reimagining of what has

been traditionally thought of as an unlucky number. Daysha Moes, the former Senior Coordinator for Staff Development, did

a great job of showcasing symbols of luck from around the world in the conference program booklet. A lot of the symbols

were things we consider to be everyday items (i. e., a key, a ladder, the number 8). However, the symbolism presents a power-

ful message about how the meaning we assign to things—circumstances, people, items, etc.—can impact our outlook. Many of

the items shared by Daysha were considered lucky because one or more cultures were able to see the hidden positive potential

in seemingly mundane things. This year, challenge yourself to actively look for and find the hidden positive potential in both

the challenges and opportunities you face.

Where were you born? I was born in Boston Massachusetts

and grew up in a small community south of the city.

What is your educational background? My educational

background includes two undergraduate degrees - English Liter-

ature, Management and Business, a master's degree in Market-

ing, and a doctorate in adult education at UGA.

In terms of my mindfulness practices, I am certified to teach

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction by the University of Massa-

chusetts Center for Mindfulness, have attended many retreats

and conferences on mindfulness and am certified to teach Inte-

gral Hatha Yoga. I enjoy learning.

What is your current occupation? My current occupation is

instructor of mindfulness-based programs, yoga and marketing.

The new Senior Coordinator for Staff Development, Mark Whitesel, jumped right in on January 2, 2013 and helped oversee

the Annual Housing Conference. Mark has been a part of the SDSC family for a while, previously working as the Senior Coor-

dinator of Student Conduct. As the Senior Coordinator for Staff Development, one of the Mark’s job functions is to oversee

the Adult Education Program. Here is a little about Mark:

Where were you born? I was born in Anderson, Indiana

What is your educational background? BA from Anderson University in Religion and minor in Business Administra-

tion; MA from Ball State University in Educational Leadership with emphasis in Higher Education; PhD from The University

of Georgia in Counseling and Student Personnel Services; Dissertation: Residence Life Staff Attitudes Toward Student-

Athlete Status and Race

What is your current occupation? Senior Coordinator for

Staff Development and Student Conduct.

I’ve also been Chairman of the Board for a not-for-profit organ-

ization in Atlanta called Church on the Street for the past 5

years to the present. This is a volunteer position and is very

close to my heart as it reaches out to the homeless population

in downtown Atlanta.

What is your favorite TV show or movie? Favorite TV

show is Seinfeld; Favorite Movie is The Godfather series

What are most looking forward to in working with the

Adult Education Program? I am looking forward to getting

to know all of the people taking part in classes and lending

whatever support I can. I believe the Adult Education Program

is one of the best things University Housing provides.

What is your favorite TV show or movie? I enjoy

documentaries about various artists - visual and music es-

pecially.

What interests you in working with adult learn-

ers? I enjoy working with adult learners who want to learn

how to live life more fully. It is rewarding for me to see

them learn and grow.

What is your favorite part about teaching? The fa-

vorite part about teaching, although not necessary, is see-

ing someone's AH HA moment.

What experience have you had working with

adult learners? My experience working with adult

learners is mostly in residence life. I believe in life-

long learning and adult education is important to this

end. Whether taking classes for a degree/certificate

program or simply something to broaden your hori-

zons, I believe it is important to continue learning.

What are your plans for yourself in the future?

I would like to continue working in higher education

serving in housing and student life. I also plan on

continuing research and volunteering with not-for-

profits to give back to the community. I also have a

creative side and enjoy writing children’s stories and would like to write fiction. I see

many vacations in my future and most importantly, spending time with family.

What are your plans for yourself in the future? I plan to spend more time teach-

ing mindfulness in various ways and venues. Seeing people realizing greater health and

happiness through their own mindful and compassionate efforts is how I want to spend

my time.

University Housing’s Adult Education Program is committed to learning by offering

staff the opportunity to participate in an enriching and dynamic curriculum that supports continuing education,

professionaldevelopment, and job skill enhancement.

UNIVERSITY HOUSING

New

Day

New

Location

University Housing provides comfortable, affordable and secure on-campus

housing options in residential communities where the academic success and personal growth of residents

are encouraged and supported.

SLEEP TO LEARN: WHY SLEEP TO LEARN: WHY REST IS A POWERFUL EDUCATIONAL TOOL REST IS A POWERFUL EDUCATIONAL TOOL BY GINNY M. JONES

I attended the breakout session “Who Needs Sleep Anyway?” led by Liz Prince and Angie Ruhlen at the Annual Housing Conference this year, and it really

stirred up some conviction in me. I am the first to admit I have poor sleeping habits. Oftentimes, I am up until the wee hours of the morning reading, watch-

ing TV, and/or spending time on Pinterest. The next day I find myself groggy and counting down the time until I can take a nap—if I am lucky enough to have

time for a nap! This cycle repeats itself each day with me vowing to do better the next day.

During the breakout session, the presenters spoke briefly about the effects of sleep on memory. They suggested that a good night’s sleep could help you better

remember things you learned during the day. As a student, I welcome any opportunities I have to improve my memory. So I decided to investigate the pre-

senters’ claim a little further, and I found some interesting information not only on sleep’s ability

to improve our memories but also its ability to improve learning in general.

Research suggests two things about sleep and memory, according to the Division on Sleep Medi-

cine at Harvard University. A lack of sleep pre- vents a person from the ability to focus his or her

attention, which can prevent learning in the most efficient way. On the other hand, a good

night’s rest can help a person consolidate memory and increase learning. So how does it all

work?

Scientists are still investigating exactly how sleep (or a lack thereof) influences memory and

learning in the way that it does. In order to do so, scientists examine the three main functions of

memory and learning: acquisition, consolida- tion and recall. The Division of Sleep Medicine ex-

plains the three functions this way, “Acquisition refers to the introduction of new information into

the brain. Consolidation represents the pro- cesses by which a memory becomes stable. Recall

refers to the ability to access the information (whether consciously or unconsciously) after it has

been stored.” Consolidation is the function of learning and memory where sleep is directly in-

volved. During the day, we encounter new information (acquisition), a good night’s rest consolidates our memory of that information, and we are better able

to recall information the next time we need it.

Sleep also has indirect effects on memory and learning. Lack of sleep can cause a whole host of physical and mental challenges. A popular Spanish advertise-

ment slogan for Pikolin, a mattress company, was "a mi plin yo duermo en Pikolin." Despite a clever use of rhyme, the phrase that translates to, “I am not

worried, I sleep on a Pikolin [mattress]” also has some scientific merit. Studies have shown that people who are sleep deprived experience more stress, de-

pression and weight gain. Stress and depression, in particular, present barriers to learning by keeping you preoccupied.

The traditional thought that everyone needs 8 hours of sleep each night may be misleading. It is important to tailor your sleep to what you need and not a

prescribed number of hours. Most adults need somewhere between 6-10 hours of sleep per night. The UGA Health Center offers this advice on determining if

you are getting the right amount of sleep, “If you are frequently tired or irritable during the day and find yourself sleeping more than an extra 2 hours per

night on weekends, then you are probably not getting enough sleep during the week.”

We welcome any comments or feedback you may

have. Additionally, if you have received this

newsletter electronically and would prefer to

receive a paper copy or you would like to contribute

an article to a future edition of The Adult Ed

Update, please email us.

CONTACT US

University of Georgia

University Housing

Office of Staff Development & Student Conduct

Adult Education Program

Creswell Hall

Athens, GA 30602

Phone: 706-542-8191

E-mail: adulted@uga.edu

TUESDAY

GED Preparation (Social Studies)

with Ginny Jones

January 15-April 16

Adult Education Classroom, SDSC,

Creswell Hall

10 a.m.-noon

THURSDAY

Typing Skills with Valeria Jones

January 15—April 2

Creswell Computer Lab

2-3 p.m.

FRIDAY

English as a Second Language

with Larry Tucker

January 18-April 12

Adult Education Classroom, SDSC,

Creswell Hall

2-4 p.m.

Computer Skill Development

with Dr. Tawana Mattox

January 19-April 5

Miller Learning Center, Room 370

3-4 p.m.

In addition to our class schedule, we will also offer a few

exciting seminars in the spring.

YOGA

with Stacy Connell

Tuesday, February 7 , 11 a.m.—noon

1516 Multipurpose Room

RETIREMENT PLANNING

with UGA Human Resources

Thursday, February 21, 11 a.m.—noon

SDSC Adult Education Classroom

ATLANTA CYCLORAMA & CIVIL WAR MUSEUM

Atlanta, GA

Saturday, March 30, 8:30—4 p.m.

We will depart from the SDSC parking lot.

AE SPRING 2013 CLASSAE SPRING 2013 CLASSES AND SEMINARS ES AND SEMINARS

Image courtesy of http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/prenatal-care/good-night-sleep-pregnancy_71207

The last day to signup for a class or

seminar is Friday, January 18. Please

stop by the SDSC office or email us at

adulted@uga.edu if you are interested

in signing up.