WALDEN UNIVERSITY • PHI DELTA KAPPA • CYBERSPACE CHAPTER
Newsletter • February/March 2001

WELCOME to Walden University's new CEO, Dr. Robert ("Bob") Scales. We wish him well.

PDK Web Site: For information about topics discussed during our January executive board and general meetings... "we direct interested readers to the website page where the agenda and meeting docs (approved budget, minutes, etc.) are linked. That address is: http://minnehaha.waldenu.edu/pdk/meetings/

HISTORIAN: Donna W. Dabney Ph.D. (Education) Student ddabney@waldenu.edu (757) 851-3951 was recently called to be the Walden PDK Cyber Chapter historian. We certainly welcome her to this position.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL NEW ALUMNI, especially to our own Gay Wiseman, as she received her M.S. in Educational Change and Technology Innovation recently. . She indicates that she "completed all work on my thesis and passed oral on June 7, a week too late for the summer commencement. So, official grad date is Aug 2000."

WALDEN UNIVERSITY, is now offering new master’s degrees and specialization’s as noted in the January Walden Ponder.

AMBASSADOR is another name we can call our Advisor Dr. Marilyn Simon. Marilyn recently was in Cape Town and Johannesburg South Africa (we have proof via a photo sent to us by her), as part of the People to People Ambassador Program. She also had a research article "The evolution of Women in Mathematics" published. Also, without much fanfare she responded to a recent article in the U.S. World News & Report which concerned distance learning (the article was quite negative), asking that better research be conducted before writing and publishing such an article

CALL FOR NOMINEES: DISTANCE LEARNING AWARDS
The United States Distance Learning Association and The USDLA Awards Committee invite nominations for the USDLA 2001 Distance Learning Awards. The Awards will be presented at the e-learning Conference & Expo in Washington, D.C. at the Washington Convention Center. The award categories are: Excellence in Distance Teaching, Excellence in Distance Learning Programming, and Most Outstanding Achievement by an Individual. All nomination packages must be received by Friday, February 2, 2001. See http://www.usdla.org/18_awards.htm for complete information

Dr. Arthur D. Odgen (our chapter treasurer) has been appointed the new President of the International Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama. This is a very distinguished honor for Dr. Ogden, Walden University and the members of the Cyberspace Phi Delta Kappa Chapter. We are proud of Arthur's accomplishment and know that his great University will be very successful. I urge all PDK members to contact Arthur and let him know how proud we are of his appointment.

LETTER TO INTERNATIONAL

Hi Joe [from Walden Cyber Chapter President C. Smith]: Just a memo to inform you that we are doing fine at Walden with our new PDK Chapter. Please go to our new website and take a look at our progress. This year, we will be entering our website and newsletter into competition for international awards recognition. The site is located at http://minnehaha.waldenu.edu/pdk/. Please pass it on to other VIP PDK Area Coordinators. This month, our business meeting shall focus on a new method of having our election on line. An Atlanta area PDK Chapter led by Dr. Joni Newman, will visit online during our business meeting. Last January, the Tokyo Japan Chapter met with us in discussion. Thanks for your interest in the Walden University PDK Cyberspace Chapter. Charles J. Smith, Ph.D., President Walden University Phi Delta Kappa Chapter

PDK OFFICERS

"I [announcement from Walden Cyber Chapter President C. Smith] am pleased to announce the appointment of Phil Rossomando as the Chairman of the Walden University Phi Delta Kappa Awards Committee. He will be assisted by Dr. Doris Sweeney and additional members I will appoint at a later time. I am sure Phil will develop a comprehensive awards program we all can be proud of. I will seek additional members who are not presently active, but, are members of our chapter. This committee, like others, is open for input and suggestions from the membership and advisors. I recommend that we please allow Phil to be creative and present his own program to the chapter. He has been advised to go the meeting page and look at the categories that may be suitable for our chapter."

The regular officers and member business meetings were conducted during January and February, with considerable input and participation. The budget was reviewed and approved, with increases approved for some line items. Reports were made by all officers of the chapter. Minutes of the meeting(s) were prepared and submitted by the Secretary Dorothy Hicks. Another step forward is the preparation and availability of the PDK Chapter Website by the Chapter Webmaster Gay Wiseman. Truly this chapter is moving forward and setting the standard for PDK Cyber Chapters.

Don’t forget that elections are fast approaching. Anyone interested in participating in Chapter Leadership should contact President C. Smith.

NEWS LETTER QUESTION RESPONSE(S)

The News Letter Editor posed a question in the last issue for member responses, specifically what is your "feeling" about standardized testing.

The following response was received:

Current research into multiple intelligence’s favors divergence and not conformity. We are all different and should come to appreciate these differences not fear them. Our schools too must come to this realization and not constantly try to fit square pegs in round holes. In doing so, they will not produce round pegs but frustrated students who will fear difference and avoid learning. Phil

In addition to this response, during the business meeting considerable discussion was held concerning a joint effort in sending a letter to Secretary of Education Mr. Paige. A letter was drafted by Advisor Marilyn Simon.

For the next issue, please provide your "feelings" in regard to "School Discipline" as it relates to your being able to "teach" your students.

To reach the News Letter Editor via email: tmuglest@waldenu.edu

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