By James Ballard, News & Information
It's early Saturday morning. Instead of being at home glued in front of TV and an endless stream of cartoons, a group of grade schoolers are using their imaginations to the fullest.
They run, jump and shout in a small studio on the third floor of the Temple Building, while acting out a traditional Japanese folk tale. The narrator of the story is Karen Libman, assistant professor of theater arts and dance.
"This is called creative drama," Libman said. "What it is, really, is improvisation with youth. It gives kids an opportunity to explore different ideas and stories through their imagination while working with their bodies in different ways."
Libman, who's specialty is theater with young people, is in her first year of teaching at UNL. This is also the first semester the creative drama for youth classes have been offered, and the response has been overwhelming. The classes, which are offered for both grade school and middle school children, run for six consecutive Saturdays. Each group spends a little over an hour of their time improvising, acting and generally having fun.
Libman said kids are often put in situations where they're told to be quiet and listen. Her class offers a chance for kids to express themselves verbally and through their actions.
"As adults, we can't imagine what the future is going to be like for these young people. We really need thinkers and doers for the future and drama is a wonderful way to develop those particular skills in a fun and energetic way that is really young-people centered," Libman said.
She added that the classes are an introduction to theater and acting, but are not intended to be acting classes -- creative drama is different from an acting class in that there is no product when the class is over.
On this particular morning, the grade schoolers -- grades two-through-five -- have just completed a game called "Lemonade." The kids had to come up with a trade that someone might do in a particular place.
"There were snake charmers from India and orange juice squeezers from Florida," Libman said. "In game-like fashion they act those out and the other kids try to guess. Then we might take that and develop it into a scenario, which is beginning play building."
For the older kids, Libman said the activities are more advanced and oftentimes deal with themes that apply in their everyday lives, without causing embarrassment.
"For these older kids, it's an opportunity for them to get out of that place where they're so concerned about what everyone is thinking, or if they're being looked at," she said. "It's about being in a group and working together, which is a very important life skill."
For the kids, it's also a way to break away from the daily routine of school.
"At school, we usually just have plays from a script and we don't act out or improvise as much as we do here," said 12-year-old Dewey Meister. "Instead of having to do something, you really get to take your ideas out to the limit."
"You get to be really creative," said 12-year-old Kelli Henderson. "At school you can't be creative without being made fun of. Here, you get a chance to be someone you're not and have fun while you're doing it."
Holly Gage, a sophomore secondary education speech, theater and English major, is helping teach the class as part of a practicum for one of Libman's classes. She's encouraged that so many young people are showing an interest in drama. She said kids aren't usually exposed to it until junior high or even high school.
"It seems like there is an area of creativity that's neglected, then we get to high school or college, or even into the business world and they talk about how people need to be creative," Gage said. "You think a lot of times that's stagnated in kids when they're sitting in chairs and behind desks in a very serious sort of learning. This is an opportunity to break away from that and see the other side of education."
During class, Libman and her students are continually asking questions about what the kids like or if they think things are working. She said the questions help build aesthetics and taste, and "allow these kids to get an idea of what art is, and of course drama is part of the art of theater."
However, the most important goal for Libman is to get each child involved with the class activities, and continue to build self-esteem.
"Drama is an activity where there is no right answer," she said. "So,
here's a situation where even perhaps a kid that isn't all that
successful in an academic setting can be successful. Kids are successful
in drama and that makes them feel good and ultimately helps them feel and
be better people."
By Tom Simons, News & Information
The field of distance education could be revolutionized because of a program to be developed by the Department of Distance Education in UNL's Division of Continuing Education and three other partners.
The CLASS (Communications, Learning and Assessment in a Student-centered System) project will proceed thanks to $2.5 million in federal funding secured from the General Services Administration by U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey (D.-Neb.). The project will combine proven distance learning instructional design with cutting edge electronic resources to make distance learning a truly interactive experience.
CLASS will offer a unique on-line interactive classroom setting for students to take courses at home or in a remote setting. Individuals will be able to enroll in on-line classes and participate in a "virtual" classroom from their personal computers, able to interact with their professors and fellow students, who might be thousands of miles away. New technologies will provide learners with access to digital libraries from national, historic, scientific and research centers.
The project will be a "paradigm shift" in the traditional concepts of delivery of educational materials to distance learners, according to James Sherwood, associate director of telecommunications for the Department of Distance Education.
"This will be a learner-centered system," Sherwood said. "The individual student will determine how to proceed through the system and will be able to shape it to fit his or her own learning patterns. The second big change is that distance education used to be distributed on a one-to-one basis between and instructor and the student. Students will now be able to be interactive with other students."
"What we are announcing today was science fiction just a few years ago," Kerrey said. "Today it becomes reality -- and Nebraskans' hopes for affordable education and bringing learning into the home are a step closer to reality as well. CLASS will harness the power of information technology to change the way Nebraskans learn. Time and distance will no longer be a barrier to learning. Those who cannot attend school in the classroom will be able to learn in the living room."
In the CLASS Project partnership, Distance Education will develop an initial four courses in global perspectives, chemistry, writing and geometry through its Independent Study High School, the only university-based, fully accredited independent study high school in the United States. Charlotte Hazzard, program specialist in Distance Education, has been named project coordinator.
The National Information Display Laboratory at the David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, N.J., will develop the technology for the project; Nebraska Educational Telecommunications, a partnership effort of UNL and the state of Nebraska, will production and distribution of project materials; and the Nebraska Department of Education will serve as the educational framework and subject matter specialist. The Central Intelligence Agency will help develop the global perspectives course and help fund the technology.
The first course, global perspectives, will be available in July.
By Tom Simons, News & Information
This year's 5,563-member freshman class at the UNL is not only 500 students larger than last year's, it's also higher in quality, according to figures released by the university.
Lisa Schmidt, director of admissions, said the average ACT score for first-year students at UNL increased to 23.1 in 1995-96 from 22.7 in 1994-95 and the percentage of new freshmen with ACT scores of 28 or higher increased from 14.4 percent last year to 17 percent this year. She said the number of first-time freshmen who graduated in the top 20 percent of their high school classes increased by 281 students -- 56 percent of the overall enrollment increase.
"Clearly, as we recruited roughly 500 more students to UNL, the number of high achievers increased at a greater rate than the remainder of the population," said James Griesen, vice chancellor for student affairs. "This is particularly significant in that the competition from other universities is greatest among those in the top 20 percent of their graduating classes."
Griesen said the reasons for the increased enrollment among high-achieving students include UNL's higher admissions standards and new scholarship programs, including book scholarships for those admitted to the UNL Honors Program.
"I believe one of the reasons for improvement has been the new admissions standards announced three-and-a-half years ago," Griesen said. "We are still a year away from the 1997 implementation of those standards, but students are adhering to them on a voluntary basis because they want to come to UNL prepared to succeed. In 1997, we will probably only have to deny admission to 200 or fewer students who would have been admitted in the past. We remain committed to accepting any student who is prepared to do well here at the university, and we believe that is best achieved by taking the specified prerequisite courses in high school."
Schmidt said it's not unusual to take several months to analyze a
freshman class, but said there were indications of the quality of this
year's group early in the academic year, when 38 National Merit Finalists
enrolled. That was a 46 percent increase from the 26 National Merit
Finalists in the 1994-95 freshman class.
Four final candidates for dean of the Division of Continuing Studies at UNL are scheduled to visit campus in March.
The candidates and the schedule for their visits are as follows:
Each visit will include a public reception where UNL faculty, staff and students and other interested parties will be able to meet the candidate. The schedule for the receptions is Van Kekerix, March 4; Swoboda, March 7; Pappas, March 11; and Bankirer, March 25. Each reception will be from 3-4 p.m. in the Nebraska Room of the Clifford Hardin Nebraska Center for Continuing Education.
UNL seeks a replacement for Robert Simerly, who resigned last summer to become dean of university outreach and professor of higher education at Florida State University. Ruth Randall has served as interim dean since July.
Van Kekerix has been assistant vice chancellor for university extension at Wisconsin-Stevens Point since 1993. Before that, he had served with UNL's Division of Continuing Studies for 20 years, the last eight as director of academic telecommunications and professional development. He earned a bachelor's degree in education (1966) and a master's in history (1968) from the University of South Dakota, then earned his doctorate in community and human resources at UNL in 1986.
Swoboda has been dean of extended university and summer sessions at Arizona since 1994. Before that, he was vice provost for extension and professor of higher and adult education and foundations at the University of Missouri-Columbia from 1987-94. He earned his bachelor's degree in agricultural economics (1966) and his master's in agricultural education (1968) from the University of Nebraska, then earned his doctorate in adult and continuing education from UNL in 1974. He was assistant director for agricultural programs and extension reports for the UNL Cooperative Extension Service from 1974-79, then was associate dean and associate director of the Cooperative Extension Service and professor of agriculture education at UNL from 1979-87.
Pappas has been vice provost of continuing education and associate vice president for research and public service at Oklahoma since 1987. Before that, he had been an administrator and faculty member at the University of Utah for 18 years, the last nine as associate dean of the Division of Continuing Education. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Utah, his master's degree in counseling psychology from Ohio University and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Purdue University.
Bankirer has been director of extended and continuing education at
Iowa State since 1994. Previously, she had served 19 years as a faculty
member and administrator at Colorado State University, the last two as
associate provost. In 1982, she took sabbatical leave to establish a
technology-based outreach program at the University of Wyoming. She
earned her bachelor's degree in biological science (1975) and her
master's degree in adult and continuing education (1975) from Colorado
State, then earned her doctorate in adult and higher education
administration from Wyoming in 1987.
UNL's 1996 women's leadership conference, "Dimensions of Women's Leadership," is scheduled for March 9 at UNL's Wick Alumni Center.
The conference will include a keynote address by Dolores Simpson-Kirkland, counselor at Lincoln's Park Middle School at 9:45 a.m., three concurrent workshops from 10:45-11:50 a.m. and a panel discussion from noon-12:40 p.m.
Simpson-Kirkland's address, "Dimensions of Women's Leadership: Developing the Courage to Act," will focus on enabling conference participants to develop skills, attitudes and behaviors that foster the development of full leadership potential.
The three workshop sessions will be "Introduction to Conflict Resolution," conducted by Elizabeth R. Kosier, executive director of the Lincoln-Lancaster Mediation Center; "Gender and Communication," conducted by Kathryn Carter, assistant professor of communications studies at UNL; and "Follow Your Dreams to Your Full Potential," conducted by Janet Waage Lingren, a counselor in private practice in Lincoln.
The panel discussion, "Mind, Body, and Soul: A Holistic Perspective on Women's Leadership," will include Kathleen Allen of the Women's Clinic of Lincoln, Vicki Highstreet of UNL Campus Recreation, Jearlyn Schumacher of HealthAmerica and Jane Close Conoley, professor of educational psychology and associate dean of UNL's Teachers College.
The conference is designed for women students and community leaders to
share ideas and experiences. There is a registration fee of $5 in advance
through the Student Involvement Office, 472-2454, or $7 at the door. The
fee includes a 9 a.m. breakfast and 1 p.m. refreshments. The conference
is sponsored by the UNL Women's Center, Residential Education and Student
Involvement.
Regional and national experts will explore the Missouri River's past and future at the 25th annual Nebraska Water Conference March 11-13 at the Red Lion Inn in Omaha.
"This is the first time the Nebraska Water conference is focusing solely on the Missouri River. It's an important topic, and the expertise of our speakers should draw a wide audience," said Bob Volk, director of the Water Center/Environmental Programs unit at UNL.
Susan Williams, a shareholder in Gover, Stetson and Williams, P.C., an Indian-owned law firm in Albuquerque, N.M., is one of the featured speakers. She is an enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Nation and a graduate of Harvard Law School. In 1989, Williams successfully argued the Big Horn case before the U.S. Supreme Court. She represents other tribes in water matters and will speak on Native American water rights.
John Thorson, special master for Arizona's general stream adjudications, also will address the conference. Thorson is the chief hearing officer in the Gila River and Little Colorado River adjudications, which comprise 77,000 water rights claimed by 27,000 parties. His book, River of Promise, River of Peril: The Politics of Managing the Missouri River, was published last year.
Other conference speakers will give presentations on the history, current solutions and future challenges involving the Missouri River. Floodplain management, conflict resolution, landowner's perspectives and habitat restoration related to the Missouri River will be addressed.
Special highlights include a photo exhibit, videos, a tour of the Boyer Chute Restoration project and presentations on H2Omaha, an educational project.
Full conference registration is $110, including meals, but excluding
hotel accommodations. Pre-registration deadline is March 4. For more
information, contact Water Center/Environmental Programs, Room 103,
Natural Resources Hall, phone 2-3305.
Not only does NET bring Nebraska "television worth watching," but it will also bring $13.5 million worth of direct economic activity into the state during fiscal 1996. And that, according to a report by UNL, will generate $54 million impact on the state's economy.
Along with UNL Television, NET operates KUON-TV/Lincoln, the flagship of the nine-station Nebraska ETV Network. NET also operates NPRN and other public telecommunications operations in Nebraska.
In addition to state funding, NET receives income from a variety of sources. They include: grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other national sources; Nebraskans for Public Television, a non-profit fund-raising organization; grants to produce programs such as "Fate of the Plains" and series such as Last of the One Room Schools; Public Radio Nebraska Foundation (PRNF), a non-profit fund-raising organization for NPRN; the Public Television Outreach Alliance, a national coalition of public television stations; and Great Plains National library, an NET-based organization that co-produces the Reading Rainbow series and markets educational videos nationwide. NET also receives outside income by providing contract services for other agencies.
This direct income has a multiplier effect on the state's economy, according to a report by Charles Lamphear, director of the Bureau for Business Research at UNL. Lamphear's study concludes that "for every dollar put into UNL from its various funding sources, nearly four dollars is returned to the state's economy." When applied to NET's outside funding, this formula means that NET will contribute $54,191,124 to the state's economy in fiscal 1996.
NET General Manager Jack McBride said that study endorses the need for
continued public support of NET. "By remaining a strong and viable
operation, we place ourselves in a position of competing more effectively
for federal grants and production grants," McBride said. "And that, in
turn, will bring more money into Nebraska."
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