The new Campus Common Mobile Version 2.0 is coming soon!

Later this week, when you log in to the Campus Common (mycampus.aionline.edu) on a smartphone or tablet, you’ll be able to easily and quickly do the following:

• View a snapshot of your grades
• See real-time assignment and discussion information
• Read and respond to discussion questions
• Check campus or course news and announcements
• Call or email key contacts with one click

What if you already use our current mobile site at m.aionline.edu? Don’t worry; you’ll still be able to use the same URL to access our improved and more robust mobile site.

Students should be prepared to see some changes to the Top Stories area of the regular Campus Common as well. Look for more information about these exciting changes on Thursday!

We're proud of the distinguished faculty members who lead our online classes, and we'd like to help you get to know them better. Today, we're featuring Collen Engle, a faculty member in the Culinary Management and Hotel & Restaurant Management programs. Learn about his background and see how he answered our questions below.

Chef Engle has had a lifelong interest in food, sparked by a mother that had him cooking from Betty Crocker’s New Boys and Girls Cookbook as a child. After earning his MBA at Boston University and a stint in the business world, Chef Engle attended culinary school in Kentucky, receiving an AS in Culinary Arts. He then went on to work as a cook, chef and restaurant owner and has been teaching since 2003.

His career has allowed him to have experiences he never dreamed of—from publishing articles in professional journals to cooking at the Beijing 2008 Olympics—and he looks forward to every day in this exciting field. Chef Engle’s many certifications include certified executive chef, certified culinary educator, certified food and beverage executive, certified hospitality educator and approved certification evaluator. He also holds a master’s degree in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport.

What is the most rewarding aspect of teaching?
In the online environment, it is difficult to sometimes grasp what level of learning is occurring. When a student says that an assignment or a post that I make allows them to learn or helps them in any way on their educational path, it is extremely rewarding.

Why did you decide to get involved with teaching?
I wanted to give back to the community that got me to where I am. I could do that through my restaurant or I could do it through education. Initially I was going to do both but ended up dedicating my career to education. The career keeps me young and it keeps me connected.

What areas of your field are you most interested in at the moment? 
I enjoy learning a lot about molecular gastronomy and garde manger. I also try to connect health and nutrition to food as much as possible.

What are you involved in outside of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division?
I participate in local food events whenever possible. I recently gave a talk to members of Plant a Thousand Gardens connecting a school garden and curriculum. I enjoy speaking about food since the public has more of an interest than ever before.

What advice would you give students to help them succeed in online classrooms?
Answer on time. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Ask for help if needed. Get involved in the discussions.

Is there anything else you’d like your students to know?
I got into this career late. It is never too late to start anything. I also take time to relax away from work and I think it is important to balance work and play.

By Guest Blogger, Dr. Natalie Hruska
Faculty Member in the Web Design & Interactive Media Program

My resume includes projects such as building a fundraising website for a Tsunami relief organization in India, developing a Flash presentation for United Nations Volunteers in the Philippines and researching grant contacts for an organization assisting children with handicaps in Pakistan. I’ve also created a website for a soccer team in Cameroon, a child’s rights organization in Zambia and a health movement in Uganda.

In the United States, I have researched sleep disorders, marketed a children’s book, updated an animal shelter’s website, designed graphics for a cancer prevention organization and more.

Best of all, no travel was necessary for these projects! I did all of these things from the comfort of my own room, using tools like Skype, email and Google Drive.

E-volunteering, online volunteering and virtual volunteering—you might have heard at least one of these names before. All you need is your computer and a connection to the Internet, and you can help a non-profit organization without having to leave your desk. Plus, you can usually devote as little or as much time as you want to the organization.

With it being National Volunteering Week, why not give volunteering online a try? A number of organizations support online volunteers, including the UNV Online Volunteering Service, Idealist and VolunteerMatch.

Not only would you be doing something for the greater good, but you would also be building your resume, making new connections and developing new skills. In the process, you might win an award, certificate or be recognized in another way. From translating and web design, to grant writing and tutoring, positions are available for all kinds of interests and skills. If you have a special interest, you can write directly to the organization and ask if you can help out as an online volunteer.

Join the Volunteer Club

If you are a current student and virtual volunteering intrigues you, join our Volunteer Club in Connections and attend one of the monthly meetings to learn more. Or if you are already involved in an online volunteering position, tell us about your experience! Our next meeting is Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 2pm ET. Click here to register.

Volunteer Club Resources

• Connections Volunteer Club (Log in to Connections, select Organizations in the main navigation and find the Online Volunteers ground.)
• Twitter Feed: https://twitter.com/volunteeronline
• Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/vispayna/connection-s-online-volunteers/

Other Online Volunteering Resources

• Forbes’ The Virtues of Virtual Volunteering and Online Fundraising
• CNN’s Online Volunteer’s Make an Impact

It’s Earth Day! As an online student, you’re probably already being environmentally friendly. Because of the digital bookshelf, you’re not buying as many paper textbooks, and you’re probably not using as much paper in the online classroom as you would in a physical classroom.

Since the season is also right for spring cleaning, here is some information on how you can honor Earth Day by being environmentally conscious as you rid your home of clutter.

What electronics can be recycled?

Do you have old cell phones lying around somewhere? A television? Printer? Camera? Computer? Many people have at least one electronic gadget, big or small, that they don’t know what to do with. If you’re no longer using these items, the best solution is to recycle them rather than throw them away.

No matter what you are recycling, make sure you delete any personal data from the device. If it’s a computer, find someone at a local computer store to help you wipe the hard drive. You can also find instructions online about deleting information from your cell phone and other electronics.

Why recycle electronics?

With our world of ever-changing technology and innovation, what’s new quickly becomes old and out-of-date, meaning that lots of electronics end up in the garbage. When this happens, not only are we filling landfills with items that don’t decompose quickly, but dangerous chemicals such as mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium can leak into the soil and contaminate the earth.

Where can I recycle electronics?

First, consider that you might not even need to recycle your device. You may be able to trade it in for an upgrade or sell it at a yard sale or online (check out http://www.buymytronics.com/). You can also donate certain used electronic devices. For example, organizations such as Cell Phones for Soldiers, 911 Cell Phone Bank and National Coalition against Domestic Violence accept used cell phones for great causes.

If you do choose to recycle your electronics, many retailers (including Target, Best Buy, Office Depot, Staples and Walmart) frequently provide drop boxes for doing so at their locations. Manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, LG and Dell also commonly offer e-cycling programs. Sites like http://e-stewards.org, http://1800recycling.com/and http://earth911.com/recycling/ can also help you to find a recycling location near you.

Sources

• http://act.earthday.org/ewaste_info.html
• http://e-stewards.org/the-e-waste-crisis/
• http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm

Thursday, April 25 is the 20th anniversary of Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day, a day in which over 37 million adults and youth (typically ages 8 to 18) participate. This day helps kids to understand the professional rewards and gratification of education and hard work. It is an excellent way to stress the value of education, to expose children to a variety of careers, and to teach concepts such as professionalism, respect for authority and teamwork.

If you’re considering participating, here are some hints to make the day rewarding for both you and the child.

1. You can participate even if you’re not a parent. The day is called Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day, which means that you can ask your neighbors, family members and friends if their children would be interested in learning about your career or your company. The same applies if you have children, but they’ve already been to work with you several times or just aren’t interested in going.

On the same note, if you have a child who isn’t interested in going to your workplace, see if they would like to go with a trusted friend or family member. Be sure you ask your friends or family before you mention anything to the child.

2. Plan ahead. Like with any activity, a little planning goes a long way. See if your company has planned activities, and consider how your child will participate throughout the work day. What would you like them to do or see you do? Get the child’s input about what they want to learn and see. You should also explain to them what to expect and how to act while at your work.

Try to make the day interesting and interactive. Go beyond job shadowing, but avoid asking them to make big decisions or take important phone calls. If things do go off plan or something goes wrong, stay positive and adapt.

Be sure that you don’t bring your children into an unsafe or inappropriate environment. For extra insight, talk with other people who have brought their children to work and see what worked well for them and what they might have done differently.

3. Introduce your co-workers. Explain that person’s job and their role in the organization to help children better understand the concepts of teamwork and responsibility. Have them show professionalism by shaking hands. Meeting with your co-workers is also a way to demonstrate the value of face-to-face interaction in business.

4. Ask the child to share the experience. One of the goals, in addition to having children learn about a workplace, is to encourage children to educate each other about their experiences. As part of this, tell the child’s teacher what you have planned, so that the child is more likely to share what they learned. At the end of the day, sit down with the kid to discuss what they enjoyed most and what they learned. Have them write a few sentences about the experience so that they can share it with classmates.

Sources

• http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org/
• http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/04/25/the-dos-and-donts-of-take-your-kids-to-work-day/
• http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57420809/making-bring-your-child-to-work-day-meaningful/