Hofstra Continuing Education Blog

Agile is everywhere these days.  You see it especially in the world of software development where it was developed, but it’s also being adapted for use in many other arenas, essentially anywhere that project management or product development is involved.  Some families are even adopting it for managing everything from chores to significant life challenges!

That’s because the principles of Agile can help in nearly any effort.  Thus, nearly any business can see benefits from harnessing Agile’s principle foundations:  rapid delivery, welcoming of changing requirements, iterative deployments that confirm working products, close cooperation, co-location, trust, excellence in design, simplicity, self-organizing teams, and regular adaptation to changing circumstances.

Agile is not difficult to understand, but as David Liebman, Hofstra University CE course instructor notes, while it is easily learned, it can be difficult to actually perform.  “For Agile training to be effective, it must provide the required mindset by teaching the principles via lecture and real world experience through exercises and simulations.  However, with proper grounding in theory and real world experience, Agile Project Management offers outstanding results as well as great personal satisfaction.  As an Agile Coach, I have seen that successful transformation in team after team.”

In other words, project managers and Agile practitioners need training to understand how to actually apply Agile principles to real-world situations.  How do you actually use “close cooperation” and “self-organizing teams” when your real-world scenario has your software coders in Denver, your client in Miami, and you in Dallas, and testing reveals a bug in the software?

Believe it or not, it’s possible.  But as you can tell from that example, it’s not enough to simply know the principles of Agile.  That’s why Hofstra University Continuing Education is offering our 3-day PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Training.  It’s specifically designed to help students prepare for the PMI-ACP examination. With lectures, games, group interactions, and simulations, you’ll get the tools, techniques, and knowledge you need to pass the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner exam and to apply the knowledge to your own projects.

T8141: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Training

July 19-21 (Friday-Sunday), 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Classes fill up quickly, so register today online!  Or call, 516-463-7200.

Is obtaining a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification worth the time and money you’ll invest in it?  If you’ve been wondering this, you aren’t alone.  Google returns more than 55,000 hits on that question!

One of the most valuable articles we found on the subject is from SoftwareAdvice.com called, “Should You Get Your Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification?” by Derek Singleton.  He carefully articulates many of the potential considerations, including:

Real-world experience

Not only do you need real-world experience to meet the rigorous requirements just to take the PMP certification, but also you need to consider whether the certification has real-world value in your field and career.  Singleton provides the example of someone pursuing a career in sales and notes that the PMP might not be a particularly helpful choice in that case.

Resume attention-getter

For companies seeking project managers, the PMP is a valuable way to sort through candidates.  Singleton notes that some companies may sort resumes on this criteria first without even looking at your other experience.  They can find great candidates in both resume piles, but are more likely to find them in the PMP pile, so they don’t bother looking at the others.  The more you can ensure your resume stays in the “keep” pile, the better.

Higher salary

Singleton notes project managers with PMP certification command a higher salary than those who without ($14,000 more on average).  Even project managers who don’t have the certification but have the training can see their salary boosted. 

Common language/framework

One of the reasons the PMP is so valuable is that it allows project managers from a wide variety of backgrounds to share a common language and framework.  PMP-certified project managers will understand one another better because of their common training.  This saves time and reduces risk for a project since fewer misunderstandings are likely to occur.

Our instructors have similar conclusions.  Instructor Jack Cronin, PMP, notes that even his students with years of project management experience are amazed at the benefits of the PMP training.  They frequently admit they were unaware of sound project management methodology before the training and that they see immediate benefits in the real world.  Cronin’s conclusion after reading Singleton’s article was “Yes, it requires lots of work and dedication to prepare for and attain certification, but the rewards are as he says; I know because I’ve reaped them.  Those rewards in and of themselves are worth the effort.  Certification will definitely take your career to the next level.”

Ready to take your career to the next level?  Click here to see Hofstra University Continuing Education’s project management courses, including our popular PMP prep course.

One of the great things about living in the modern age is having nearly immediate access to learning resources.  No matter what you want to learn, books, search engines, and classes are likely available.  We’re big fans of self-development here at Hofstra University Continuing Education (CE); in fact, lifelong learning is what we’re all about!  For example, if you’d like to learn French or learn about the psychology of your own emotions, Hofstra University CE’s new June courses are for you.

FRENCH I

Mondays; June 3-July 8 (6 sessions); 6:10-7:40 p.m.

Parlez-vous français?  Not yet?  If you’d like to learn to speak French, start at the very beginning.  This course will teach beginner students the proper pronunciation and most basic French grammar.  Progress in the course will be matched according to the student’s mastery of each level. 

For this course, students should purchase the following books:

• French the Easy Way (Third Edition) by Christopher Kendis; Barron’s Publisher;
  ISBN 0-8120-9505-7
• How to Pronounce French Correctly by Stan Connell and Dominique Poiriel; Passport Books;
  ISBN 0-8442-1522-8

RELEASE YOUR FEAR AND LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT!

Tuesday; June 4 (1 session); 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Fear is a powerful and primal emotion, and no one likes it.  But it has its purposes – it’s a basic protection instinct that alerts you to danger and threats.  

On the other hand, fear can have a paralyzing effect on your life and life decisions.  It can be hard to let go of this powerful emotion and learn to use it productively.  But in this workshop, you can learn what role fear plays and how it affects your daily living; the power of your thoughts and how to calm the negative self-talk; how to become aware of your fear and the patterns we all create to keep us addicted to fear; and how to release your fears, listen to your inner voice, and live in the moment.  These two hours of your life could truly change your life!

LETTING GO OF ANGER

Tuesday; June 18 (1 session); 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Anger is another powerful and primal emotion that can affect our lives in negative ways.  However, if managed in a healthy way, we can use anger to recognize when things are not right and to make positive changes. 

In this workshop, you will learn how to recognize your anger and the different sources and types of anger.  We will discuss what triggers anger for you and how to understand those triggers.  We will also discuss the consequences of anger, both physically and emotionally, and how to let go of unresolved anger, including the use of relaxation techniques.

Not interested in French or taming fear?  Keep an eye on this blog or check out Hofstra’s University CE’s other great summer course offerings here.

Imagine your child developing solid techniques in catching, hitting, bunting, fielding, throwing and base-running – in one fun-filled, learn-a-lot day! Register your child now for our popular spring baseball clinic.

Hofstra Baseball Clinic Led by NCAA Division 1 Coach

Hofstra Baseball Head Coach John Russo will be leading this year's baseball clinic. The clinic is structured to meet the needs of players who want baseball training experience based on sound fundamentals...and the experience of learning from an NCAA Division 1 coach and player. This is one baseball clinic experience your young one will never forget!

The clinic takes place at Hofstra’s newly-turfed, state-of-the-art baseball stadium, where kids will learn how to improve a range of skills. This program is designed for the player of any ability who wishes to acquire greater baseball knowledge and have fun playing America’s pastime.

Youngsters who attend this baseball clinic are grouped by age and ability.

About John Russo

John Russo was named head coach of the Hofstra Baseball program on May 6, 2012, after serving as interim head coach since January 2012. Russo is in his fourth season on the Hofstra Baseball staff and is the 14th head coach in program history. Russo, who has served as recruiting coordinator and infield coach as well as the third base coach, joined the Pride in 2008 after spending the previous five summers as the manager of the Vermont Mountaineers of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, leading the team to back-to-back NECBL championships in 2006 and 2007.

Enrollment to John Russo’s Baseball Clinic is limited, and all registrants will receive a free gift. Act now, because spots are filling fast:

SPRING BASEBALL CLINIC WITH HOFSTRA COACH JOHN RUSSO

• Saturday, June 15
• 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
• Hofstra Baseball Stadium
• $50 (register by June 7 and receive a 50% discount)
• To register or for more information, visit Spring Baseball Clinic with John Russo today!

Do you feel the muse’s pull a little more strongly lately?  Summer is nearly here, and its beauty has inspired many writers to take up the pen (or keyboard) in appreciation. 

But whether you write about summer’s lush greenery, flowers, and birdsong, or set your characters in a starkly contrasting post-apocalyptic scenario, summer is a great time to work on your writing.  And that’s especially true with these exciting new writing workshops from Hofstra University Continuing Education!

WRITERS WORKSHOP

Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m., May 28-June 18 (4 sessions)

Bring your notebook!  Bring your writing in progress!  Come ready to write, revise, and polish your work for submission.  The workshop time will include writing and editing strategies, plus one-on-one coaching to help you apply the techniques you’re learning.

SUMMER POETRY WORKSHOP

Wednesdays, 6-9 p.m., June 26-July 17 (4 sessions)

This workshop will truly harness the power and beauty of nature in summer.  You’ll be inspired by the works of great poets who have drawn similar inspiration.  You’ll also enjoy poetry walks throughout the 240-acre Hofstra campus, which is a nationally recognized arboretum filled with trees native to America and with rare exotic species.  Perhaps you’ll be as inspired as Samuel Johnson to pen a midsummer ode:

Lay me, where o'er the verdant ground

Her living carpet nature spreads;

Where the green bow'r, with roses crown'd,

In show'rs its fragrant foliage sheds;

Improve the peaceful hour with wine;

Let musick die along the grove;

Around the bowl let myrtles twine,

And ev'ry strain be tun'd to love.

-From “Midsummer, An Ode” by Samuel Johnson

But inspiration isn’t all you need as a writer.  This workshop will also provide you practical feedback and advice from classmates and your instructor and will address all aspects of the submission/publication process.  The course culminates in an outdoor poetry reading and reception open to the public. 

Take your muse for a stroll this summer!  Click on the workshop titles to register today.  (Classes start soon, so don’t delay!)

If you’re currently in, or looking to join, the Information Technology (IT) field, database management and Microsoft Office knowledge are critical skills to have!  To make it easy and convenient to learn these skills, Hofstra University Continuing Education (CE) is offering online courses for beginner and intermediate database management and for the entire Microsoft Office suite (including the information you need for the Microsoft Office Specialist [MOS] Master credential).  What better way could there be to get the knowledge you need?

Note: click on the course names to go to the course page and to register.

DATABASE MANAGEMENT

Database Management Systems

May 20-July 1 (Self-paced with materials available until August 31, 2013)

This is an advanced course on database management systems (DBMS) concentrating on the relational data model and SQL.  It covers relational model theory; conceptual, logical, and physical database design; data normalization; integrity constraints; databases in the global business environment; data accuracy; and security and privacy protection.  This course requires designing and implementing databases using a mainframe and/or micro DBMS.

Intermediate Database Management Systems

July 8-August 20 (Self-paced with materials available until August 31, 2013)

This is a practical course covering the concepts of Relational DBMS (RDBMS), SQL, and Procedural Language (PL)/SQL. Topics include conceptual design, relational systems design, normalization and denormalization processes, SQL and its components; and advanced queries, joins, outer joins, subqueries, group functions, formatting query results, triggers, and stored procedures.  Emphasis is placed on data security, data integrity, query optimizations, and database administration.

MICROSOFT OFFICE

Hofstra’s Microsoft Office 2010 courses are offered in a bundle (first listing below) or as individual courses (all items below the first).

Microsoft Office 2010

Includes all five core Microsoft Office applications (Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word).  More than 225 hours of training covers beginning and advanced topics for each application and equips you to earn the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Master credential.

Microsoft Outlook 2010

35+ hours of comprehensive Outlook curriculum, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification preparation, including working with email; contacts; tasks; calendar; journal; and notes; plus organizing and finding information; collaborating with other users; and managing Outlook data.

Microsoft Word 2010

45+ hours of comprehensive Word curriculum, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert certification preparation, including editing text; formatting characters, paragraphs, and pages; working with themes, styles, tables, shapes, pictures, WordArt, SmartArt, charts, templates, forms, Web pages, mailings, long documents, and references; plus using document collaboration tools.

Microsoft Excel 2010

60+ hours of comprehensive Excel curriculum, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert certification preparation, including worksheets; charts; workbooks; page layout and printing; functions and formulas; tables, PivotTables; and objects; plus analyzing and organizing data.

Microsoft Access 2010

50+ hours of comprehensive Access curriculum, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification preparation, including creating and working with databases, tables, fields, queries, forms, reports, and macros; plus finding, filtering, and formatting data.

Microsoft Powerpoint 2010

35+ hours of comprehensive PowerPoint curriculum, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification preparation, including inserting, editing, and formatting text, objects, tables, charts, SmartArt, effects, and multimedia; formatting and viewing presentations; finalizing and delivering presentations; and collaboration tools.

The sooner you have the database and Microsoft Office knowledge you need, the better for you and your organization.  Click on any of the course links above to register for these convenient online courses today!

The “lazy days” of summer are nearly upon us, offering many hours of free time to do whatever fun things we wish.  How will you spend your summer?  If you love basketball, why not spend time enjoying the game, improving your techniques, and connecting with like-minded friends at a summer basketball camp? 

Basketball Camps on College Campuses

Around the country, many of the top universities are now beginning to offer basketball camps during the summer break.  For example, Hofstra University’s Elite Basketball Camps are located on their campus in Long Island, NY.  Participants have access to the university’s world-class basketball arena, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, dining facilities, and Olympic-sized swimming pool.

A Typical Day for Participants at Summer Basketball Camps

These summer basketball camps are incredibly helpful for young players who want training from top coaches and players.  Participants are typically grouped according to age, skill level, and experience to provide the highest quality instruction tailored to the participant’s level. 

Each day of summer basketball camps usually begins with stretching and flexibility training.  From there, it’s on to basketball fundamentals training, which includes individualized exercises developed for each player.  Instruction focuses on both individual and group skills and is designed to enable each player to reach their maximum potential.  Offensive skills are improved through one-on-one, five-on-five league play, free throws, and three-on-three competitions.  Special sessions with student athletes are also usually included, along with competitions for prizes and giveaways.

Coupled with supervised competition, youth basketball camps deliver an enriching sports camp experience that will help players take their game to the next level.

Special Guest Speakers at Basketball Camps

Daily sessions of basketball camps often include lectures by coaches or top players.  With access to these experts, players can gain incredible insight into the game while being able to ask specific questions to help them on their path to becoming better basketball players.

Participants of basketball camps are encouraged to attend each day, and tuition often includes transportation, lunch, and insurance.  As these camps are extremely popular, it’s important to register as soon as possible.  For any boy who loves basketball, a basketball camp can be a great way to spend the summer months.

Hofstra is holding Elite Basketball camp sessions for boys entering grades 3-12: 

Session 1: July 1 - 12

Session 2: July 15 - 26

Session 3: July 29 - August 9

Have some hours you’d like to fill with the joys of basketball?  Register today for Hofstra University’s summer basketball camps! 

Batter up!  For children who love baseball, youth baseball camps are the perfect way to advance their skills and meet new friends.  These camps offer a unique opportunity to learn from top coaches and players, helping young baseball players improve their ability to hit, throw, catch, and play. 

What to Look For in a Summer Baseball Camp

Top baseball camps have full American Camp Association accreditation. Tuition for these camps should include transportation, lunch, and insurance. Experienced coaches and support staff should focus on helping campers achieve new heights of success, delving deeply into techniques for catching, hitting, bunting, fielding, throwing, and base-running. However, a special focus on teamwork and fair play should be maintained. 

Activities at Summer Baseball Camps

Each day of these youth baseball camps, players should have the chance to work on their skills while learning new techniques to improve their abilities. Hofstra University’s Summer Baseball Camp includes:

• Stretching and warm up exercises
• Throwing technique
• Footwork for ground balls and fly balls
• Base running
• Daily games
• Position breakdown and development
• Instruction and lectures

Campers will also enjoy Hofstra’s excellent athletic facilities, including batting cages and drill stations.

Baseball Camps offer boys and girls a unique opportunity to improve skills and learn the fundamentals of baseball.  By choosing one of the best baseball camps in Long Island, New York, you can help your child take their game to the next level.

Spaces for youth baseball camps are already booking up quickly for summer 2013. If you have a child who loves baseball, it might be just the ticket for making the long summer break the best one ever!

Several sessions, from two weeks to seven weeks, are available:

Session 1: July 1-12, 2013

Session 2: July 15-26, 2013

Session 3: July 29-August 9, 2013

Ready to get the bat crackin’?  Register today for Hofstra’s exciting Summer Baseball Camps.

The summer months can be challenging for boys wanting to learn new skills and meet new friends.  With lacrosse camps, boys get a unique opportunity to improve their playing ability with the help of top coaches while having the chance to meet fellow players in a fun-filled experience.  Focused on sportsmanship, teamwork, and skills building, Hofstra’s summer lacrosse camps in Long Island, New York can improve your child’s game.

Lacrosse Camps Teach Individual, Group, and Team Skills

Lacrosse has gained in popularity, and the number of summer lacrosse camps offered has risen accordingly.  The best of these offer programs specialized for players according to age, skill level, and experience to maximize the quality of instruction.  Fundamentals of lacrosse are taught for each level to ensure a mastery of skills and a greater appreciation of the sport as a whole.

Top lacrosse camps focus on both individual and group instruction to give each participant the ability to reach new heights of athletic ability.  Instruction is usually coupled with supervised competition along with team-building exercises to foster relationships with players.

College Campuses Hosting Summer Lacrosse Camps

Throughout the United States, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of lacrosse.  Thus, many top universities are now beginning to offer lacrosse camps during the summer months. For example, Hofstra University offers lacrosse camps in Long Island, NY – giving camp participants a unique camping experience that includes access to campus facilities.

What Participants of Summer Lacrosse Camps Can Expect

Typically, lacrosse camps include stretching and flexibility training, followed by lacrosse fundamentals training and exercises for improving strength, speed, and coordination.  Both offensive and defensive skills are taught in special sessions with student athletes and coaches.  With access to these experts in lacrosse, camp participants can learn new skills while having the ability to ask questions and share with others.

Top lacrosse camps often book up fast for the summer months.  So, if you’re interested in a camp for yourself or your child, it makes smart sense to research your options and register as soon as possible.  For any boy with a love of lacrosse, lacrosse camps can be a fantastic opportunity to develop skills this summer!  

Click here to register for Hofstra’s Boys’ Lacrosse Camp, being held July 15-16, 2013.