New Classes At The Center For Life-Long Learning

By: Wanda Campbell
It is the 21st Century and we are transitioning from the great Industrial Age to the Age of Knowledge (Nine Shift: Work, Life, and Education in the 21st Century, by William Draves and Julie Coates). Today many are carrying the internet in their pockets and conducting every aspect of their lives on the smart phone. About nine million have had their identity stolen or business networks hacked.

A few weeks ago (Oct 13, 2017) the headline on WHNT-TV “Cyber Security is a booming business and people are needed to fill positions” was posted by Aaron Cantrell. In that posting, Cantrell quoted Carey Pool, ISSA North Alabama Chapter President saying, “There’s a huge gap in the current industry for people who understand computers, how to secure them, how to configure them.” PeopleSec CEO Joshua Crumbaugh said that he thinks everyone should go through a cybersecurity class so they can be better educated on the matter.

At the Center for Lifelong Learning, we will be offering two classes on cybersecurity this semester. The first is an introductory class so that managers and the general public can learn the basics of threats, vulnerabilities, and attacks. Threats and Vulnerabilities in Cyberspace is offered Friday, April 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the CyberProtex Training Center in Madison. For more information about this class, call us at 256-233-8262 or go on the website www.athens.edu/CLL for more information.

The second class covers the essentials of understanding best practices in network security and risk management. This comprehensive exam preparation course will prepare the participant to take the Security+ exam. This is a foundational course and six months to one year of experience is recommended. CompTIA Security + 5-day Exam Prep Boot Camp will be offered Monday, March 5-Friday, March 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the CyberProtex Training Center in Madison.

The learning starts early in this Age of Knowledge. “A study by scientists at the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) shows that a series of play sessions with music improved 9-month-old babies’ brain processing of both music and new speech sounds.” (News release from University of Washington by Molly McElroy, April 15, 2016.)

Molly McElroy quoted lead author of the study Christina Zhao, a post-doctoral researcher at I-Labs, as saying, “Our study is the first in young babies to suggest that experiencing a rhythmic pattern in music can also improve the ability to detect and make predictions about rhythmic patterns in speech.”

The article also quoted co-author Patricia Kuhl as saying, “Infants experience a complex world in which sounds, lights, and sensations vary constantly. The baby’s job is to recognize the patterns of activity and predict what’s going to happen next. Pattern perception is an important cognitive skill, and improving that ability early may have long-lasting effects on learning.”

If you are looking for a program to encourage learning in your babies or toddlers, the Center will be offering MusikGarten classes starting March 7. Family Music for Babies and Toddlers is scheduled for eight weeks on Wednesdays, March 7-April 4. Class is scheduled from 9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m. at the Center. Suncatchers for 3-5 years olds is scheduled Wednesday, March 7-April 4 from 10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Call us at 256-233-8262 or check out all of our classes on the website – www.athens.edu/CLL.
By: Wanda Campbell
Center for Lifelong Learning – 121 South Marion Street, Athens, AL 35611 – 256-233-8262