Author: Emily Gautreaux

Nicholls In Top 25 Affordable Online Programs

Nicholls State University was recently listed as on of the top 25 affordable online programs.  Online education has radically changed the landscape of education. We’re learning in a new and more efficient environment, one with endless opportunities for students of every kind. The virtual learning environment (VLE) is innovation that is replacing an office-building’s worth of administrators, teaching assistants, file cabinets, and paperwork. VLE such as Blackboard, Canvas, and Renweb extend both the classroom and the administrator’s office. Automatically handling teaching and administrative duties such as gradebooks, auto-scoring, attendance sheets, enrollment, updating class lists, auto-sending emails for absent students, notifying people of unpaid bills, and tracking payroll and accounting information.

Along with the convenience and efficiency, online learning is moving more toward heavy use of mastery learning which requires students to master a concept or skill before moving ahead. Instead of treating a 60 or 70 as a “passing grade,” students have to demonstrate mastery in that topic by answering all or almost all of the questions correctly.

Our own Nicholls State University has been ranked one of the top 25 Most Affordable Online Business Bachelor’s Degrees by College Choice (CollegeChoice.net) which is an online resource that aims to help students and their families as they research and compare colleges to find one that fits their interests and needs based on its research and analysis.

Nicholls earned the 25th spot out of 30 and is one of four to make the list from Louisiana. College Choice analyzes several factors to come up with their list including the cost of the degree, the value of the degree and the convenience of the degree.  Nicholls charges no out-of-state fees to distance learners and  “there are no set login times for online classes; it’s important for students to be independent and self-motivated.”

Nicholls has been ranked among the nation’s Top Public Schools  and Best Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News and Worlds Report.

Students say that Nicholls does a great job of incorporating Project Based Learning (PBL) despite the challenges that online education present.  Online PBL programs cover all the main learning outcomes while also training students to share and organize responsibilities.  Students would be responsible for tasks such as: giving peer review, working in teams, engaging in self-directed learning, breaking down projects into smaller parts, and solving complex problems. To be successful, online ed students must stay plugged in to the process and will need to learn how to communicate with peers and be a good team player. A great deal of your online education success in a PBL setting depends on your ability to work with other students.

PBL helps to avoid the isolation that many online ed students face in poorly-designed programs.  It’s easy for online ed students to drift through their studies as strangers who never truly engage one another. Fortunately, Nicholls has made great strides to implement collaborative online learning strategies to confront this challenge.

In online education, collaborative learning is carried out by various programs and platforms to allow for video conferencing, texting, email, teleconferencing, and workflow programs. Chances are, you will use these programs and skills later on in your professional life as well.  Students claim feeling much more prepared for their careers after being trained in an online degree.

For more education news and information, click here.

Remembering Leah Chase, New Orleans Icon

Leah Chase, New Orleans legend, passed away at age 96.  She left an indelible impact not only on the New Orleans community, but the world at large.

Leah Chase was born to Catholic Creole parents and grew up Madisonville, Louisiana. Chase was one of 13 siblings and they all helped cultivate the land, especially on the 20-acre strawberry farm her father’s family owned, which Chase described as having significant impact on her life and her vast knowledge of food:

“I always say it’s good coming up in a small, rural town because you learn about animals. Kids today don’t know the food they eat. If you come up in a country town, where there’s some farming, some cattle raising, some chicken raising, you know about those things … When we went to pick strawberries we had to walk maybe four or five miles through the woods and you learned what you could eat. You knew you could eat that mayhaw, you could eat muscadines. You knew that, growing up in the woods. You just knew things. You got to appreciate things.”

Chase moved to New Orleans to pursue a Catholic education since her hometown did not offer a Catholic education for black people.  She started waitressing in the French Quarter and learned a lot about the restaurant industry.

Later on, she met and married jazz trumpeter Edgar “Dooky” Chase II. His parents owned a street corner stand in Treme and Chase began working in the kitchen at the restaurant.  Later on, Leah and Dooky took over the stand and converted it into a sit-down establishment and named it: Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. She eventually changed the menu to offer some of the Creole recipes she grew up with. These types of recipes, at the time, were only available in restaurants for white people, where black people were barred.

Dooky Chase’s Restaurant played an important role in the civil rights movement. Leah Chase and her restaurant have hosted Dr. King and the Freedom Riders at the restaurant for secret meetings. People in the African American community leaned on Dooky Chase for support and knew it was a safe place to go.  For instance, since there were no banks available to African Americans, Leah and Dooky would cash checks for trusted patrons at the bar every Friday. Friday nights at Dooky Chase soon became legendary, as people would cash their checks and have a poboy.

Leah Chase served famous people from all over the world, including Presidents and famous actors. The Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. liked barbecued ribs, while James Baldwin’s favorite was her gumbo. Nat King Cole loved a four-minute egg. She once had to stop Barack Obama from putting hot sauce in her gumbo and she fed President George W. Bush crab soup and shrimp Clemenceau.

“In my dining room, we changed the course of America over a bowl of gumbo and some fried chicken,” she was often quoted saying.

Chef Leah Chase also published several cookbooks detailing her delicious, tried-and-true recipes:

The Dooky Chase Cookbook (1990)

And I Still Cook (2003)

Down Home Healthy : Family Recipes of Black American Chefs (1994)

Princess Tiana, the first black princess featured in a Disney movie and the waitress who wanted to own a restaurant in the animated feature “The Princess and the Frog,” was based on Mrs. Leah Chase.

Mrs. Chase had intellectual curiosity, a deep religious conviction and always tried to lift others up, which would make her a central cultural figure in both the politics of New Orleans and the national struggle for civil rights.

For more Louisiana news and info, click here.

Perfect Cities to Beat the Summer Heat

It is summer time, which means vacations. Living in Louisiana, the heat could drive anyone insane. But also researching the best place to go can also be a little overwhelming. Travel Trivia posted an article on the 8 U.S. Cities with Perfect Weather in June. We are here to share seven of the eight cities in the United States that have the perfect weather in June.

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles can be extremely hot but summer is a perfect month to visit. Take a slow stroll along Hollywood Boulevard; the TCL Chinese Theatre and Walk of Fame give their visitors the perfect opportunity to stop and see the sights. The beaches of Venice and Santa Monica are also the perfect getaway. The ocean is right there meaning there is a breeze, and there is always the opportunity to take a dip in the water.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

This island is famous for its horse drawn carriages and no cars are allowed on the island. May might be cold and rainy, but June  and other summer months are the perfect time to visit this beautiful island. The island is actually a state park, which means the views are amazing and nature is always around. Take a carriage tour or even visit a Horse Stable/Carriage Museum.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe has unlimited options for all of its visitors. The beautiful architecture makes anyone want to walk around outside all day, but the outskirts of the city make the view even better. The city offers over 400 miles of different types of terrain for its visitors to hike and bike.

The National Historic Landmark the Puye Cliff Dwellings are also in Santa Fe.

San Francisco, California

Famous for its fog, San Francisco’s weather during the early summer is perfect. Stop and check out the San Francisco Bay, but make sure to bring a jacket because it can get a little chilly. Who wouldn’t want to get a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge?

Flagstaff, Arizona

Not only is this city perfect for the summer, but it offers its visitors year round opportunities. June temperatures during the day are usually high 70s mid 80s, but bring a jacket for the evenings. However, you might want to avoid the city in July and August because the rain can feel like a monsoon.

Denver, Colorado

Denver can get really hot during the summer, so June is the perfect month to visit. This city if filled with outdoor activities. Farmers Markets are usually always around somewhere. Rocky Mountain National Park is a great escape. Or even take a bicycle tour of downtown Denver.

Make sure not to miss out on the festivals that also go on during the summer.

New York, New York

The harsh winters can be made up by the amazing weather New York City experiences during the first month of summer. Central Park is the perfect setting for a picnic and relaxing in the sun. Take a book and lay out. Visit Staten Island on the free ferry and catch some amazing views of the Statue of Liberty. This is even the perfect time to walk along the Brooklyn Bridge.

For more travel related news and information, click here.

Skillet Breakfast Recipe To Please Everyone

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, however, many of us skip it. Taste of Home delivers with the perfect one skillet breakfast. This recipe is so good you will want to eat it for every meal. The best part? This recipe is so versatile that all the vegetables can be switched out to match the ones that are in season.  Picky eater?  If one ingredient doesn’t fit your taste buds, this recipe is just a base. Feel free to put your own spin on it.

 INGREDIENTS

  • ½ pound of fresh chorizo, or you can use bulk spicy pork sausage
  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped up
  • 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped up
  • 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped up
  • 1 medium onion, chopped up
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 small zucchini, chopped up
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Make sure they are minced
  • ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt

UTENSILS

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step to this great breakfast skillet is to place the large skillet on the stove and turn the heat up to medium. Add the chorizo, the red and yellow peppers, and onion. Cook these ingredients for 4 to 6 minutes, making sure the chorizo is fully cooked. You want to make sure that it is broken into pieces/crumbles once it is fully cooked. This will make the chorizo easier to distribute throughout the mixture. The next step is to actually strain the ingredients in the skillet. There will be excess grease, so make sure to get rid of it before adding the next set of ingredients.

The third step is to add the tomatoes, zucchini, and garlic or your choice of veggies. Mix all of the ingredients together in the skillet. Add the 1 teaspoon of paprika, stirring once again to make sure everything is distributed evenly. You should then cover the skillet and cook everything for 5 to 7 minutes, it could take longer. Make sure to check and see if the vegetables are tender to know if they are cooked enough.

The last cooking step is to take the spoon and make wells in the mixture. Four wells to be exact. Once the wells are made, take an egg and break it into each well. This is where the salt and pepper should be added. Feel free to add any other seasoning you desire. Cover the skillet again and cook the eggs for 4 to 6 minutes. You want the eggs whites to set completely, but the yolks should just be thick. They should not be hard.

Remove the breakfast skillet from the heat. Take the ½ cup of cheddar cheese and sprinkle it on top of the skillet. Cover the skillet again so the cheese will melt.

Cooking tips:

Buy tortillas to use to make breakfast wraps. It makes it an easy to-go breakfast and you can prepare them in advance.

You can substitute the chorizo for regular breakfast sausage if spicy food isn’t your favorite in a breakfast skillet.

Make for dinner and serve with biscuits. Use the biscuits to get every last bite.

For more delicious recipes, click here.

Scuba Diving Trips Worth Planning

What a better way to kick off summer than to take a deep dive in our deep seas? Scuba diving gives you one of the most personal encounters with ocean life. Scuba gear has given us the opportunity to see how one of our largest ecosystems on the planet functions. When you dive below the surface you are diving into a whole different world. Not only are you able to explore marine life, but shipwrecks and lost treasure could possibly be found. EscapeHere has an article with The 10 Best Scuba Diving Locations in the World, we are here to share five.

Cozumel, Mexico

Up to 100 feet of visibility, the opportunity for scuba diving in Cozumel is endless. The Maya Reef that runs for 600 miles, reaches from Central America to Cozumel. This gives its visitors multiple opportunities to see what lies beyond the surface. Maybe the sun isn’t really your thing; try looking into night dives. Summer is the best time to visit because the cheaper hotel prices and the water is a lot warmer.

Hawaii, USA

Due to the location, Hawaii’s marine life is not as plentiful as those in the Caribbean. However, this also means that their marine life is unique to its location. The manta ray night dive is one of the more popular scuba dives, located off the island of Kona. Diving into complete darkness, the rays swim overhead. Diving off of Moloka’i gives its visitors the opportunity of getting to see hammerhead sharks and more importantly, the Hawaiian monk seal (pretty rare). Summer isn’t the only time visitors can enjoy diving, humpback whales migrate during the months of December to April. This means divers might have the chance to hear them.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

1,430 miles, the Great Barrier Reef is visible from space because of its size. This size also enables the unique marine life. The coral reef itself is breathtaking, but the large sea turtles can really turn some heads. This is one of the most recognizable scuba diving spots around the world, and there are obvious reasons why.

The French Polynesian Islands

There are over 100 islands and 11 of them offer scuba diving centers. The French Polynesian Islands are known for their beautiful beaches, but what about the water and below? This can be overwhelming, but on the bright side this means there are more options. Starting at the beginner level and then working your way up to advance, the French Polynesian Islands offers its visitors literally endless options.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Due to the choppy conditions and strong currents, the Galapagos Islands can be a better choice for more experienced scuba divers. The waters are not only full of fish and hammerhead sharks; sea lions and fur seals also fill the water surrounding the islands. Most famously known for where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution, the Galapagos Islands offers a whole different perspective to diving. July to November is prime time, but remember this isn’t just a short trip. These areas take days to explore.

For more travel related news and information, click here.

 

Louisiana Summer Musts

A Louisiana Summer is filled with endless amounts of activities. However, the overwhelming lists of things to do can take the fun out of choosing. We are here to provide two Louisiana experiences that are a must to check out this summer. Fighting the heat can be a hard thing, especially here in the south, but thankfully Louisiana is right on the water. Giving us many opportunities to take advantage of our state’s location.

Tiki Tubing

A Louisiana summer can’t go by without a trip down the river.  Located 6 miles north of Denham Springs, Tiki Tubing is a great way to cool down in the heat. Open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until the end of summer, guest pay $25 (plus tax) and receive a tube, parking, and transportation upriver. No pets, styrofoam, or glass allowed. However, you are allowed to bring your own ice chest. So need to worry about buying expensive water in the gift shop. There are ice chest floats available for $10 and there are also ice chest available to rent for $9. Opening at 8am and not closing until 3pm, visitors get the whole day to float down the river.

There is a release form that must be signed before being allowed to float, print it out and fill it out beforehand to speed up the waiting process. This link includes all of the prices for tubes. Do not bring your own tube or boat, they will provide it for you.

(225) 223-1156                                                                               Contact@tikitubing.com                                                                     www.tikitubing.com                                                                                                           Tiki Tubing, LLC                                                                                                                32625 Hwy 1019                                                                                                          Denham Springs, LA 70706

Seaplane Tours

Louisiana is famous for their swamp tours, but what about something higher in the air? Another Louisiana Summer option to try is a seaplane tour.  Seaplane tours are the best way to see Louisiana from a different perspective. Southern Seaplane, Inc. offers three specific Seaplane tours, but they also offer their guest the option to build a custom tour.

The New Orleans Bayou Tour

This tour offers a view of New Orleans that many don’t get to see. Flying over the Superdome and French Quarter, experience all the views New Orleans really has to offer. Not only are you able to see the city, the tour also offers a view of the beautiful, green swamps that surround New Orleans.

Save Our Coast Tour

Not only will you get to see the eroding coast of Louisiana, this tour includes a education. The story of what the coast use to be. This tour will not only explain and show, but they also educate people on the efforts that are being taken to preserve the coast.

Cajun Heritage Tour

Want a little bit of air and water? This is the perfect combination. This three hour tour has an hour flight tour with an authentic swamp tour through Kraema, Louisiana. You get an overhead shot of Louisiana and then jump into a boat to experience Louisiana swamps up close.

Southern Seaplane, Inc. also offers guided fishing charters. You can fish the Louisiana barrier islands. Just a short 45 minute trip will lead you to a five hour fishing trip. Click herefor more information.

(504) 394-5633                                                                              info@seaplanesafety.com                                              http://www.southernseaplane.com                                                                       Southern Seaplane, Inc.                                                                                                       #1 Coquille Dr.                                                                                                                   Belle Chasse, La 70037

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