Caleb Jenkins College Life

Newspaper Article

2012-11-08T10:51:00.004-08:00

I was featured in a local newspaper article today - http://www.modbee.com/2012/11/06/2445183/collegeplus-an-online-option-for.html#storylink=misearch

Beyond Angry Birds - What can you use your iPad for?

2012-08-15T08:24:00.002-07:00

Learning styles – everyone’s is different. It’s one of many things that make us unique. Personally, I’m a visual learner – tell me something and I’ll probably forget it, but give me that same information in writing and I will be able to process and remember it for a long time.

I am one of the lucky ones. The modern education system is full of textbooks and written information; perfect for my learning style. However, If you’re a kinesthetic or auditory learner the system is not so kind.

Homeschooling and the problem with learning styles

One of the reasons homeschooling is so powerful for high school students is because the curriculum can be customized as opposed to the one-size-fits-all method used by public schools.

But, what if your homeschooler is a kinesthetic or auditory learner who struggles with a core subject like math or science? A traditional textbook may actually work against them, holding them back from experiencing a learning breakthrough.

Think about it – the kinesthetic learner thrives at the dissection table and the auditory learner might do well immersing in a foreign language or listening to a book on tape for their literature class. It’s the 21st century and it’s time for all learning styles to have resources that work well for them.

New eBook presents insights and solutions

My friend Kelsey, who is also a CollegePlus grad, has written the first ever eBook for homeschool families that explains how homeschool families can use an amazing piece of technology to help their students experience learning breakthroughs in math, science, history, and literature, no matter what their learning style – the iPad.

In the free eBook, How Homeschoolers Unlock Learning Breakthroughs With the iPad, you will learn how iPads are helping homeschoolers truly love learning and take more ownership of their education. And you will also get practical advice on helpful apps designed to help students of all learning styles experience learning breakthroughs in core subjects.

You can download the free iPad eBook, courtesy of CollegePlus.

Here’s a teaser from the eBook

In the eBook, you will learn about tools and apps to tailor your student’s educational experience to their exact learning style.

For example, with the Shakespeare in Bits app, students can read a play in smaller, digested bits, as well as jump right into the story with animated reenactments or full audio, voiced by prominent actors.

The Elements app not only allows you to pull up information about each element with the touch of a finger, but it also shows each element in 3D. Once the element is in 3D, you can spin the object with a touch of the finger to view it from all sides. This app goes a long way to help those kinesthetic learners who are wallowing through their Chemistry textbooks.

There’s a whole lot more to this eBook, so be sure to get your free copy today.

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To find our more information about CollegePlus click here or if that does not work copy this address below and copy it into your browser - http://www.collegeplus.org/requestinfo/?tellafriend=7186
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Click Here to see where I work. I am privileged to be able to work full-time at this job and take classes at the same time.

Learning like the Founding Fathers

2012-08-13T12:57:00.004-07:00

What do John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and CollegePrep student, Hannah Jones have in common?

They all began college when they were 16 or under.

Back in the 1700’s, that wasn’t abnormal. Most young men began college around the age of 16. And they had to be fluent in both Greek and Latin in order to even be accepted into college in early America. I don’t know about any of you, but I attempted to learn Latin. Twice. If I time travel back to ancient Rome, I can tell them that the elephant never catches the mouse, but that’s about it. It’s definitely not an easy language. And these 16 year old young men were required to be able to translate the Bible from Latin into English in order to be accepted into Harvard.

These young men were considered adults and ready to begin the rigorous coursework they would find at their chosen school. They had decided upon a vocation and it was time to be on their own and pursue their own lives and callings. Their parents had long since handed over the reins.

What has happened?

A sixteen year old brain is a sixteen year old brain, whether that brain exists in 1752 or 2012. But, expectations have certainly changed. For starters, school years have been extended. Instead of being done with high school at 16 and college at 18-20, most students finish high school at 18 and college at 22. And that’s if you’re one of the lucky ones who actually graduate in 4 years.

But we’re capable of so much more than that.

Let’s go back to Hannah Jones. Hannah started earning college credits with CollegePrep shortly after she turned 15. And in 2012, that is abnormal. She’s still in high school, but she’s hard at work earning college credit, learning to be an adult and taking charge of her life and education.She may be living at home, but when it comes to her college studies, her mom, Stacey, put it this way: “She is accountable to her accountability mentor and responsible for any communication between the two of them. Besides encouraging her, giving her study tips, and taking advantage of teachable opportunities like maintaining a good attitude and going the extra mile, it's been a hands-off experience for me and her dad. This is the closest thing to adulthood, and it has benefitted Hannah.”That’s part of what CollegePrep is about. Ignoring conventional age stereotypes and realizing that students are capable of so much more than they are given credit for in our day and age and giving those students the tools they need to leverage their God-given ability.And that’s what the leaders of tomorrow are about. Ignoring conventional stereotypes and recognizing they are capable of so much more than what their peers are currently settling for. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe were all leaders in their day. They could have maintained the status quo and followed the conventional wisdom of not rocking the boat. But they didn’t and participated in the founding of a new nation unlike any other the world had ever seen. And then went on to be presidents of that nation.

What change is going to happen if you decide to ignore conventional stereotypes? Leave a comment below!

To find our more information about CollegePlus click here or if that does not work copy this address below and copy it into your browser - http://www.collegeplus.org/requestinfo/?tellafriend=7186

New CP ACE Courses

2012-08-10T07:52:00.001-07:00

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible!" Those were the not-so-visionary words of the British Royal Society's Lord Kelvin...in 1895.

That was before the airplane. The Internet. The Ziploc bag. Air conditioning. The iPod. Turns out that Lord Kelvin was just a wee bit off in his prediction.

Our world changes quickly. New ideas emerge daily, and we're used to seeing companies like Instagram and Netflix rise to fame (or fall flat) nearly overnight.

Change is Everywhere

Neighborhoods that were once filled with church-going people are now called home by a growing number of Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, naturalists, and agnostics. Today, our churches are more consistently challenged by myriads of divergent worldviews than they were fifty years ago. Truth is constantly debated and contested, argued about and fought over.

We can't prevent change, but we can plan for it. How are you preparing for change? More importantly, how will you translate what you believe into our 21st century world?

Let's Anticipate Change Together

CollegePlus launched a brand new line of courses that will earn you credit for your degree and equip you to meet the changes happening in your world.

With each course you can:
• Earn college credit for your current degree
• Study at your own pace
• Watch video lectures
• Learn from trusted Christian professors
• Become equipped to respond confidently to competing perspectives and changing culture.
Prepare Now for Change
Here's a brief synopsis of each course.

• Comparative Worldviews unpacks the different beliefs roaming around in our changing culture. John Stonestreet is an engaging, dynamic speaker, weaving narrative and biblical worldview together into a compelling presentation. He'll explain how to engage in truth-laden conversations with a world that looks for wisdom and hope from Buddha, Confucius, and Oprah. You'll emerge with college credit, equipped to communicate your faith in a changing world.

• Social Justice from a Biblical Perspective prepares you to effectively engage justice in your community. You'll study alongside Ryan Messmore, an Oxford PhD and researcher at the Heritage Foundation. He'll explain how biblical justice is not about wealth redistribution but about right relationships. Dr. Messmore will lead you on an exciting tour of churches around the country who are making a difference by living out their faith in their communities.

• Community Service Learning strengthens your resume while giving you steps to affect change in your own community. Dr. Freddy Cardoza has a grasp of community service that only a battle hardened veteran can. He grew up in urban housing projects before working in the inner-city and leading service groups and teaching at Biola University. He knows what works and what doesn't and draws in listeners with an engaging teaching style.

Here's a quick preview from Comparative Worldviews.

You can view these new courses at http://www.collegeplus.org/courses.

To find our more information about CollegePlus click here or if that does not work copy this address below and copy it into your browser - http://www.collegeplus.org/requestinfo/?tellafriend=7186

CollegePlus partnership with Liberty University

2012-08-09T12:09:00.002-07:00

How CollegePlus Turns Into a Degree From Liberty

CollegePlus Coach

Every CollegePlus student is matched with a highly trained and knowledgeable life coach who provides accountability and insight into the student’s life purpose journey. They help students think beyond academics to the greater goal they have of making an impact on the world around them.

Life Purpose Discovery

CollegePlus students, guided by their coach, embark on a life purpose discovery journey that ties their gifts, interests, and college studies together into a unified purpose. Completing carefully crafted exercises, students build self-awareness and better understand how their degree fits into their life goals.

Study Skills

All CollegePlus students learn how to maximize their learning capacity by taking a credit bearing study skills course that teaches critical reasoning skills, memory techniques, and speed reading. This equips them from the start to study with great efficiency.

Education

Accelerated Courses

For about $33 per college credit, students complete accelerated courses online and take an exam after each course that is credit-bearing. CollegePlus students complete their general education and free electives through accelerated courses.

Degree Consultation

Once students have completed Life Purpose Discovery and have passed their first few accelerated courses, they formulate a degree plan with the help of their coach and CollegePlus degree consultant. The degree plan lists all the courses that will comprise the student’s degree so they can complete them on their own timetable.

CollegePlus Courses

In addition to taking accelerated courses and exams, CollegePlus students can earn credit through biblically-based online courses that take 8 weeks or less to complete. They are taught by Christian professors and cover topics like leadership, worldviews, social justice, and service learning.

Success

When students have completed 60% to 75% of their degree, or roughly 75 to 90 college credits, they transfer all of these to Liberty University Online. The remaining credits needed to graduate are completed through online courses taught by Liberty professors. On average, CollegePlus students will earn their degree from Liberty in about three years and for less than $25,000.

To find our more information about CollegePlus click here or if that does not work copy this address below and copy it into your browser - http://www.collegeplus.org/requestinfo/?tellafriend=7186