Academy Events

Join Us at Boom! this Sat. Register Now!

Posted by: Karen Long
Categories: Academy Events, Articles of Interest, Community Partner, General News

The Academy helped host Boom!, a day dedicated to the the upside of aging. We sponsored a few booths and took our experts to this roadshow.

Headliners:

Judith Viorst, Best Selling Author, lunchtime speaker, Noon
Ashton Applewhite, Aging Activist, 4 p.m.

Special Guest Stars:

Woody Emlen, Panelist for Lifelong Learning, Board Member, The Academy, a.m.
Patricia Cox, “Write to Save Your Life,” Course Leader, The Academy, p.m.

Aging is Optional, Finding Purpose, Brain Health, Creativity, Lifelong Learning, Encore Movement, Meditation, Conscious Aging, Financial Gerontology, Caring for Caregivers, Life Reimagined, Volunteering/National Service, Social Enterprise, Technology, Embracing Aging, Philanthropy, Cannibus, Entrepreneurship.

Here’s Who We Brought

Woody Emlen, Board Member, organizer of Cutting Edge Research from the Anschutz Campus
Emlen Woody

Patricia Cox, Course Leader, Write to Save Your Life2-Cox-Patricia

 

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One-Day University Aug. 12 is FREE

Posted by: Karen Long
Categories: Academy Events, Articles of Interest, Featured Courses, General News, Uncategorized

Invite your friends who mayn’t have experienced the learning and community The Academy for Lifelong offers for the FREE One-Day University on Wednesday, Aug. 12 from 10 am-1 pm.

Print an Academy ODU flier here

One-Day University, Course Round-Up, Registration & Breakfast!

 Wed., Aug. 12, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

 ONE-DAY UNIVERSITY–We like to call it the ODU.  This is a fun way to see your friends and get a little taste of what Fall 2015 courses at The Academy look like. And, yup, it’s free. Come to one or more of the 45-minute presentations throughout the day.

10:15           Female Songwriters of a Generation: Joni Mitchell to Bonnie Raitt,  Paul Turelli

11:15           Hidden Heroes of the Holocaust,  Judy Schwartz

11:15           Bridge:  Learn the 2 Most Important Agreements in the 2 Over 1 Bidding Convention, Sally Kneser 

12:15           The American Dream: Rumors of its Death Are Greatly Exaggerated,  Jim Kneser

COURSE ROUND-UP FOR FALL ‘15.  Many of our fall course leaders will be onsite to share details of their classes.  This is a great opportunity for more learning with our amazing course leaders, and to help you (and hopefully the scads of friends you invite) to narrow down which classes to take. We’ll have some breakfast vittles to keep your energy up.

REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE! Having trouble printing your registration form?  We will have printed forms and friendly helpers if you need assistance completing them.  Drop-off registration will also be available.

No Reservations Required!  Pick Up a Friend, Come on Down!
8081 E. Orchard Rd. Greenwood Village

 

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Short-Film Festival Tuesday, July 14

Posted by: Karen Long
Categories: Academy Events, Community Partner

It’s almost show time at The Academy, and we hope you will join us for a fun, inspiring and interactive afternoon at the movies.

 Short-Film Festival + Vote, Tuesday, July 14, 1-3 p.m.

Brian Steward from the Colorado Film School will provide industry commentary and tips on movie critiquing.

$5 Admission
Cash or check made payable to the Academy Includes popcorn, candy and drinks
(and covers our viewing rights)

NO RSVPs – PAY AT THE DOOR

8081 E. Orchard Road, Auditorium – 2nd floor (park near Door 11 for quickest access)

 The following films will be screened:

Cindy’s New Boyfriend  - Action/comedy
24 minutes
An actor tries to scare off the new boyfriend of his buddy’s ex-girlfriend by reprising his role as a tough guy in a bad movie, but the new boyfriend turns out to be a real gangster who isn’t easily intimidated and kidnaps him instead.

Life Cycle Project - Documentary/sport
16 minutes
Awaiting the results to see if she has the deadly ovarian cancer gene, first-time filmmaker Debora De Napoli shares her personal journey as she starts the charity Life Cycle, an adventure that sends this cubicle dweller biking up (and falling down) nine harrowing summits in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Ripple - Thriller
32 minutes
A dead-end life, a dead-end job and a dead body in the fridge. A destitute man finds purpose while attempting to cover up a deadly accident.

Notes On Ice - Documentary/nature
25 minutes
A beautiful documentary about the world’s only ice musical festival where all instruments are made from natural ice. Set in Norway.

Your friends are welcome. This is a great way to get a taste of The Academy’s Indie Film Inspiration class,
Tuesdays at 10 a.m. starting Sept. 22.

**  On-site registration will also be available at this event.  If you are having trouble printing or completing your form, come on down, and we will be happy to assist you.

 Presented in part by:

www.filmfestivalflix.com

 

 

 www.coloradofilmschool.net

PRINT THIS DOCUMENT BY CLICKING HERE: Film Event

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Back to School: Sept. 10 Health Insurance Commentary

Posted by: Karen Long
Categories: Academy Events, General News

The American Healthcare System:  the Present and the Future

Back to School Presentation and Registration Event

Thursday, September 10, 1- 3 p.m.

Dr. Bill Wright talks to Fred Margolin about the presentation he just gave at The Academy about the state of health care, how things might change how we’re affected.

On Thursday, Sept. 10, we heard from Bill Wright, Executive Medical Director and President of CPMG (Colorado Permanente Medical Group), who provided a candid discussion of what some call “an ideal healthcare system,” vis-à-vis the Kaiser model and the Affordable Care Act. How does prevention and chronic care management fit into improved patient outcomes? Wright gave a balanced discussion and educated us on the different models of healthcare and what the future may look like.

Dr. Bill Wright, Executive Medical Director and President has served in a variety of administrative positions during his 21 year career including physician-in-charge of the Kaiser Permanente Smoky Hill Medical Offices, regional department chief for Family Practice, chief of Primary Care Departments, associate medical director for Primary Care and Quality, associate medical director for Primary Care Operations and associate medical director for external relations.  Dr. Wright was CPMG’s associate medical director of market and networks charged with assessing and developing community network relationships with the medical group in partnership with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado.

This was a free event and included with your membership benefits. If you missed this, join us next time!

 

 

 

 Click here to join us on Facebook

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Ebola: Preparing for a Substantial New Challenge, Feb. 12

Posted by: Karen Long
Categories: Academy Events, Community Partner, Uncategorized

Please join us for our Back to School Lecture
Ebola: Preparing for a Substantial New Challenge
Thursday, Feb. 12
1-3 p.m., Please join us for a snack and scintillating conversation after the event!

Is a “new normal” of scary infections upon us?

Join virologist Dr. Eric Poeschla, formerly of the Mayo Clinic and now the Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at CU’s School of Medicine, and epidemiologist Dr. Michelle Barron, Medical Director of Infection, Control and Prevention, at the University of Colorado Hospital as they discuss Ebola—the disease, the science, the epidemic and the challenges it presents to the health care system. Get the facts on how Ebola causes disease, where it comes from, how epidemics are managed, the value of quarantines, updates on Ebola treatment and prevention, and understand the deep need for supporting research so that in the future we can prevent these outbreaks before they happen!

NO RSVPs needed, please bring a friend.
We will be taking registrations that day.

Program takes place in the Auditorium, on the 2nd floor, at 8081 E. Orchard Rd, Greenwood Village

Park near Door 11 (not in the FIT DTC spots, you could get towed!)
***BUT, If it’s snowy or icy, DO NOT PARK NEAR DOOR 11, park in the basement (entrance on southeast side of the building), and take the elevator to the 2nd floor. 

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Summer Events 2014: School is Cool — and FREE

Posted by: Karen Long
Categories: Academy Events

Someone once said “There are really only two requirements when it comes to exercise. One is that you do it. The other is that you continue to do it”. As with bodily exercise, the same can be said of “brain exercise,” which is the essence of The Academy for Lifelong Learning, the Athletic Club for your Mind. Give your mind the opportunity to exercise this summer with a variety of FREE events:

Click here for a printable copy of Summer 2014 Events at the Academy.

 

 

Wednesday, June 25: RECEPTION 2:30, CONCERT 3-4:00 (Auditorium,
2nd floor, park at door 11). Come in from the heat and enjoy an afternoon of chamber music. The Lamont School of Music’s Summer Academy will showcase its top chamber ensembles — string quartets, piano quintets, musical theatre and wind quintets — performing the classics.

Tuesday, July 1: FALL ’14 REGISTRATION OPENS Watch your mail for the Fall schedule featuring an array of new courses as well as some encores. Get your registration form in quickly to confirm your first class choices—many popular courses fill up quickly. Remind your friends to do the same.

Tuesday, July 22 – 1-3:00 – MOVIE DAY AND DISCUSSION (Auditorium, 2nd floor, park at door 11). To introduce you to our newest literature and music course offering this fall, Alice’s Piano: Survival through Music, we will show a viewing of the Academy Award-winning International film, The Lady in Number 6. This documentary follows a woman in the 1940s Czech Republic who uses music to survive and overcome the worst of the war.

Wednesday, August 27: 1-3:00 – MOVIE DAY AND DISCUSSION (Auditorium, 2nd floor, park at door 11). The Denver Botanic Gardens is hosting an exhibit by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly at its downtown Denver location through November. Enhance your experience at The Academy: view footage of Chihuly’s artistic development in a DVD and then hear Gardens’ expert Lisa Eldred (Director of Exhibitions, Art and Interpretation) as she showcases his exhilarating and colorful work nestled perfectly in Denver’s favorite green space.

Tuesday, Sept. 9: 2-4:00 Dr. Larry Hergott (Auditorium, 2nd floor, park at door 11). Plan to stay for a cocktail reception at the Café De France for more fun and discussion.
4:00-6:00 Drinks at the Cafe de France are $3 each and a happy hour menu will be provided.

September 16-17-18: FALL SEMESTER CLASSES BEGIN…FINALLY! It’s back-to-school. Sharpen your pencil, bring your notebook (if you choose), and come prepared to learn and grow. Classes run through November 18-19-20.

All classes meet at 8081 E. Orchard Rd. in Greenwood Village, home of The Academy.

No reservations or RSVP’s required: your friends and your curiosity are welcome!

Print this: Summer 2014

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Registration Is Open!

Posted by: Kathlene Sutton
Categories: Academy Events

What should you do? 

To read all the course descriptions

To register

  • Hover over Registration
  • Click on Registration Form PDF
  • Print the form
  • Fill out the first 2 pages (and keep the remaining pages)
  • Mail the first 2 pages with your check

The Academy
PO Box 371318
Denver, CO 80237

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Online Courses: What’s Out There?

Posted by: Kathlene Sutton
Categories: Academy Events, Articles of Interest

E-learning (online course) Opportunities for Academy Members
By Jackie Dobrovolny, Ph.D. UCD elearning faculty and member of the Academy’s Elearning Committee

~~Jackie Dobrovolny’s career has encompassed teaching and co-teaching numerous online courses at the University of Colorado-Denver.  Those courses include graduate degree courses, as well as open-admission adult continuing education courses. The content of all these courses is how to design online (elearning) instruction. In each of these online courses, students design and develop an online course which is either self-paced or instructor led. The students in these courses are from all over the U.S., as well as from outside the U.S., e.g., Germany, Israel, and Puerto Rico.

Currently, Jackie is investigating the possibility of developing elearning focused on environmental and/or humane education topics. With respect to members of the Academy using elearning, there are basically three types that might be fun and informative: (1) Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), (2) self-paced courses, and (3) webinars.

MOOCs
MOOCs are instructor lead and often the instructor is a leader in the field. MOOCs are free, have a start and stop date, based on either a quarter or semester calendar, and students don’t have to finish the course, i.e., they can focus only on those parts of the course they find relevant and/or interesting. Students who satisfactorily complete a MOOC, can usually receive a certificate of completion.

Examples of MOOCS

Coursera.org – Supported by 33 different universities

UDACITY.com – Supported by Stanford University

edX.org – Started by MIT and Harvard. Partners currently include University of Texas system, UC Berkeley, Georgetown, and Wellesley College.

MIT Open Courseware Consortium – Includes 250 universities, providing over 13,000 courses

See below for additional information about MOOCs and the providers listed above.

Self-paced elearning
Online, self-paced courses are another type of elearning that members of the Academy night enjoy. They are often free and students can take as much time as they want to learn parts or all of the content. Typically, self-paced, elearning courses take between 5 minutes and 5 hours for students to complete albeit some students may take several months, spending only a few minutes in the course at each sitting.

Examples of self-paced instruction: “libraries” of courses (All but two of these libraries offer free courses.)
iTunes U
Khan Academy
Lynda.com (monthly and annual subscription options)
Merlot
MetEd (through COMET in Boulder)
National Repository of Online Courses
PBS
Smithsonian.edu
Ted Talks
Virtual University ($10/course and up)
Terra Incognita

Examples of individual self-paced courses (All of these courses are free.)

African Voices
Ancient Astronomy
Becoming Human
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
Freeskills (software coding)
Japanese Americans and the American Constitution
Mission US (history)
Physics
Polar Science
Theban Mapping Project (Egypt)

Webinars
Another online learning opportunity for members of the Academy is the synchronous webinars offered by various professional
development organizations and software companies. These are typically 45 minutes to two hours. Everyone is online at the same time and there is a presenter/faculty presenting the content. Some webinars are free; for others there is a fee.

Use Webinar Base or PBS (Public Broadcasting System) to search for a webinar on a specific topic or field of interest.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – MORE DETAILS

MOOCs: Massive Open Online Courses
Instructor-led courses with hundreds or thousands of students in each course. Currently, few MOOCs offer college “credit” albeit many offer certificates of completion. The learning theory supporting many MOOCs is called Connectivism, which assumes that learning is neural, conceptual, and social. Stephen Downs, a Connectivist expert, said, “to teach is to model and demonstrate, to learn is to practice and reflect.” For more on Connectivism see the following:
* “What is Connectivism?” This is a 15 minute presentation by George Siemens, a Connectivist expert.
* Connectivism: Wikipedia article.

Information about current providers of MOOCs
Coursera.org –
* 33 universities support Coursera
* Two venture capital firms fund the organization.
* 213 free courses primarily in technical sciences, i.e., science, computer science, math, and engineering
* The following is a partial listing of courses outside of the technical sciences.
o Humanities – 35 courses including:
o Language of Hollywood – Storytelling, sound and color – 5 weeks
o Science, technology and society in China – 3 weeks.
o Sports and society – 8 weeks
o Archeology’s dirty little secrets – 8 weeks
o Writing in the sciences – 8 weeks
o Listening to world music – 7 weeks
o Economics – 23 courses including:
o Fundamentals of personal financial planning – 7 weeks
o Microeconomic principles – 8 weeks
o Macroeconomic principles – 6 weeks
o Generating the wealth of nations – 6 weeks
o Climate change – 9 weeks
o Computer Science – 22 courses
* Recent major problem: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/02/04/coursera-forced-call-mooc-amid-complaints-about-
course

UDACITY.com
* Started February 2012
* Set up by Stanford University
* Has offered 15 free courses as of March, 2013
* All courses in technical disciplines
* Partnering with San Jose State to offer $150/course under graduate courses.
* Charles River Associates appears to be their sponsor.

edX.org
* MIT and Harvard started
* Partners include:
o University of Texas System
o UC Berkeley
o Georgetown
o Wellesley College
* Have offered nine free courses in chemistry, computer science, and electronics so far.
* First liberal arts courses to be offered in the Fall 2013 by Wellesley.

MIT Open Courseware Consortium
* Started in 2001
* The OCW Consortium includes 250 universities providing over 13,000 courses
* MIT offers free 2150 courses
* So far they estimate 100 million people have used their services.
* They provide courses in 11 major topic areas including:
o Business
o Energy
o Engineering
o Fine arts (8 courses)
o Health & Medicine
o Humanities (500 + courses)
o Mathematics
o Science
o Social Science
o Society
o Teaching and Education
* Demographics of students
o 43% are life-long learners
o 42% are students
o 9% are educators
o 44% North America
o 17% Europe and Russia
o 20% China and SE Asia
o 9% India and nearby nations

Sofia: Offer the following community college courses
* Creative typography
* Physical geography
* Enterprise network security
* Elementary statistics
* Intro to Java programing
* Intro to Macromedia Flash
* Muscianship
* Webpage authoring

General information about MOOCs
* Top 10 sites for MOOCs and good video (at the end) about what is a MOOC:
* Find a MOOC: http://www.mooc.ca/courses.htm
* How to succeed in a MOOC: Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8avYQ5ZqM0
* What is a MOOC? Some great background info and instructional design considerations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course

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DNA & CRIME: HOW FAR HAVE WE COME?

Posted by: Kathlene Sutton
Categories: Academy Events, Featured Courses

Amazing! Television crime shows have the ability to construct solid evidence and to produce DNA results all in one day! But in the real world, such possibilities are more science fiction than fact. While not the quick turnaround that we’ve been led to believe, DNA technology is steadily perfecting the use of DNA evidence to exonerate the innocent, while putting the right criminals behind bars.

In a free lecture for Academy fall participants, Mitch Morrissey, the elected District Attorney of Denver since 2005, separated fact from fiction in the use of DNA evidence in crime investigations.

Mr. Morrissey is internationally recognized for his expertise in DNA technology. He has applied that technology in criminal prosecutions, working to ensure that DNA science is admissible in court and using DNA in investigating and prosecuting serial murderers and sex offenders.

In 1999, he was sworn in as a Boulder District Attorney to work on the thirteen-month-long grand jury investigation into the death of Jon Benet Ramsey, and he continued as an advisor to the ongoing investigation until 2003. In addition, Mr. Morrissey has trained law enforcement officers and prosecutors in DNA technology throughout the United States, in Canada, and in the Middle East.

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Room Assignments! Which Door?

Posted by: Kathlene Sutton
Categories: Academy Events

PARKING—Yes, there are about 1200 parking places and many doors. Get your room assignment and check for the closest doors.  Our Facility Map highlights both the rooms and the doors.

NO DOOR 9 ON THURSDAYS— The Cherry Creek Schools Options Program uses the north classrooms on Thursdays. For security reasons Door 9 is not available to the Academy on Thursdays.

ROOM ASSIGNMENTS— Here are the room assignments.  More Announcements are below.

Day/Time

Start

Course

 Room

Door

Tue-10

2/25

 Classical Period in Music

230-Auditorium

Basement

Tue-10

2/25

 CPR

130-FamRmAnnex

4

Tue-10

2/25

 Creativity & Madness: Artists

100-AltarCounsel

3

Tue-10

4/29

 Drawing

240-Fellowship

2, 9, Basement

Tue-10

2/25

 Great Decisions

150-Timothy

2

Tue-10

3/11

 Nutrition Ammunition

200-James

Basement

Tue-10

3/11

 Write to Save Your Life

210-Paul

Basement

Tue-1

3/11

 Antibiotics & Vaccines

130-FamRmAnnex

4

Tue-1

2/25

 Jazz: The First 30 Years

100-AltarCounsel

3

Tue-1

4/1

 Jazz: 30s thru WWII

100-AltarCounsel

3

Tue-12:45

3/4

 Bridge

240-Fellowship

2, 9, Basement

Tue-1

2/25

 Constantine’s Sword

150-Timothy

2

Tue-1

2/25

 Love & Romance in Brit Lit

200-James

Basement

1

Wed-10

2/26

 End-of-Life Choices

150-Timothy

2

Wed-10

2/26

 Pragmatism

200-James

Basement

Wed-10

2/26

 Presidential Powers

130-FamRmAnnex

4

Wed-1

2/26

 Español: Beginners

150-Timothy

2

Wed-1

2/26

 Español: Beg/Int

200-James

Basement

Wed-1

2/26

 Español: Int/Adv

130-FamRmAnnex

4

Wed-1

3/26

 Science Researchers

100-AltarCounsel

3

Wed-1:30

2/26

 DAM Great Art 2/26 & 4/9

at the DAM

~

Wed-1

2/26

 Experts & Entertainers

110-WrshpArts

3

Wed-1

3/26

 Haiku Workshop

210-Paul

Basement

Wed-1

2/26

 Conversational Hebrew

135-1330

6

Thur-10

4/3

 Critical Economic Issues

100-AltarCounsel

3

Thur-10

4/24

 CPR

150-Timothy

Basement

Thur-10

4/17

 Denver’s Elitch Theatre

130-FamRmAnnex

4

Thur-10

3/6

 World Religions

200-James

Basement

Thur-10

2/27

 Concert: Arias & Ensembles

230-Auditorium

Basement

Thur-10

3/6

 Russia Today

110-WrshpArts

3

Thur-10

3/6

 Writing Your Life Stories

210-Paul

Basement

Thur-1

2/27

 China Rising

100-AltarCounsel

3

Thur-1

2/27

 Short Stories

150-Timothy

2

Thur-1

2/27

 Women’s Movement

135-1330

6

Thur-1

2/27

 Great Debates & the Law

230-Auditorium

Basement

Thur-1

2/27

 Tech Training

110-WrshpArts

3

SNOW DAYS—The Public School closings will dictate our schedule. By 8:00 am, our website’s home page (www.AcademyLL.org) will announce any closure, and the message on the Academy phone line (303-770-0786) will give details. Rule of thumb: If the public schools are closed, we are closed. If they announce a late start, our morning classes are canceled and our afternoon classes will meet.

COFFEE—Coffee and cookies are available for FREE in two locations: The main atrium near the “fountain” of plants and directly outside room 200-James on the upper level.  We will have it until the budget runs out…

NAME BADGES—Badges help the course leaders and your fellow classmates get to know you. With K-12 school programs in the building, the Academy nametags help keep the children safe. Yes, it IS difficult to remember them, but please make an effort. Keep them in your car or class notebook.

ABSENCES—If you know that you will be absent from a class session, please inform your course leader in advance.

DROPPING CLASSES—If you decide to drop a class, please call the Academy, 303-770-0786, or inform your course leader.

CLASS EVALUATIONS—Comments are welcome and encouraged. Formal evaluations are given at the discretion of the course leaders. Feel free to share your opinions with Board members, the Director, or use our Feedback Form.

LUNCH—In addition to Subway and Café de France on site, there are many restaurants in the area or you are welcome to bring your own lunch and eat it in either atrium or any open room.

THANK YOU—The Academy is a nonprofit organization and is extremely appreciative of all the volunteers who help make it work. If you’d like to volunteer, call 303-770-7086 or email [email protected]. Thanks, too, to our host: Orchard Road Christian Center.

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