Lee College - Vindauga Yearbook (Cleveland, TN)

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The best definition of time is change, and the only way to measure time effectively is by the change that is produced. Since the beginning of time man has consistently grown in knowledge about himself as well as the world in which he lives. Scientists are constantly learning how to produce a better way of life by finding cures of long-dreaded diseases and by creating machines and computers that make the more difficult things in life easier. All of this change falls under the field of education: knowing there is a better way, learning how to make it better, and teaching it to others so that we can all grow with the times. Lee College is fortunate to have an Education Department that is concerned with being in tune with the times. Each year this department undergoes changes that will benefit the student by helping him to learn, under the most advanced techniques, how to cope with the world after graduation. The responsibilities o f the teachers and professors are great. Teachers are held accountable for how much students learn under their supervision. In the past many persons have graduated from high school without being able to read. They were not capable of reading a job application form in order to gain employment. The government saw the need for change by placing more importance on the teachers ' role. At this time each state has its own requirements for persons with the desire to teach. The state of Tennessee has an exam especially for those graduates with a degree in education. Those who pass this examination then have the qualifications they need for teaching. During the past year the Governor of Tennessee, Lamar Alexander, has promoted a plan that he has entitled Master Teacher Program. This plan will determine the salary of the teacher by his degree. A person who has his fm $m doctorate would receive higher pay than those who teach with only a B.S. degree. These major changes that have been brought about are causing those with a degree in teaching to take their career more seriously. First, teachers have to be sure they will teach and then decide whether or not to continue their education in order to receive better pay should Governor Alexander ' s Master Teacher Program go into effect. The Education Department at Lee is aware of the changes made outside of this school and is organizing its system to help its students achieve in the areas necessary to become competent, dependable teachers. Dr. Jim Bilbo, Director of Teacher Education, says that the teaching techniques have a lot to do with how well the student performs. The typical lecture technique is not used as much anymore. Visual aids, such as films, slides, and models, have proved to be more effective in helping the student grasp what is being taught. Education touches so many areas of our lives. Due to the changes in the times, more importance is placed on getting a good education. Persons with a college degree are apt to receive better jobs than those seeking employ- ment straight out of high school. The technique and procedure that are used in teaching are very important, but also the atmosphere and surround- ings of the student prove to play a major part in how well he learns. Lee College has also seen to it that the classroom and study areas are conducive to the student ' s learning. Every way you turn, you can see change, but you can also see progress. Without time, there is no change; without change, there is no progress. — LaDon Hart StmrfiA

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3tm£s Education (l. to r., from top) Stephen Dubose, Jack Souther, Jim Bilbo, Herbert CHne, James Lemons, Vernon Harmeson, Morris Riggs (Chm.), Eugene Christenbury, Debbie Murray, Ron Evans, Mary Ruth Stone, JoAnne Higginbotham StmraA

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3tmra Natural Sciences and Mathematics Of about six hundred students of the class of nineteen hundred and eighty-four surveyed at Bradley County High School, over thirty-two percent are planning to enter college to pursue studies in math and science related fields. National studies seem to indicate similar statistics, with business, computer, and science related fields having the highest ratings. As jobs become harder and harder to find, people will be turning to the science related fields of study because as Dr. Lois Beach points out, The jobs right now are in the physical sciences, computer sciences, business, and biological sciences. There is a renewed government interest in the high school level lab sciences. As Dr. Clifford Dennison says, We ' re in the computer age. It ' s a technological age where people are going to have to turn to the sciences to even understand the news anymore. The question of course is, how is the Math and Science Department of Lee College meeting the demands of society. Perhaps one of the most prominent ways of meeting these demands is through the science and math alumni. As Dr. Beach (Chairperson of the Department of Math and Natural Sciences) points out, Our alumni are the ones who keep us abreast of what ' s going on in industry, medicine, health needs, public health, computers; and they come back and tell us what we need here and then they don ' t only tell us, they come back and work with us. The science and math students automatically become part of LIASONS upon graduation from Lee College. LIASONS is an acronym for Lee ' s Involved Alumni in Science Offering Noteworthy Service. This group meets twice a year every year to play an active role in the further development of the Math and Science Department. They meet at homecoming and grad- uation every year for a speci al breakfast. One might wonder if such a plan would really be effective; would alumni really turn out for a breakfast twice a year to discuss Lee and the changes to be made in the Science Department. At the homecoming breakfast this year there were three medical doctors, three dentists, and four people with their Ph.D., along with a whole room of other alumni, all of whom were happily employed and still interested in their majors. In industry Dr. McPherson points out that you look at the product and see if you need to change anything. The alumni are one very effective way of looking at the product. Of last year ' s graduates, Dr. McDaniel is quick to remind us that all of the graduates with a math degree are now working in a field related to their major. There are such reports every year from the Math and Science Department. At this time there are several Lee alumni in medical schools, medical technology programs, dental schools, and master and Ph.D. programs in the fields of study they chose while at Lee. Any department that is adapting to this rift among its students? Dr. McDaniel has set up extra lab time, as much as ten hours a week extra, just to help the needy students. Another hope of the Science De- partment is the active role the learning center is beginning to play. There are audio-visual learning aids in practically every field of study covered in the Math and Science Department. They include filmstrips, tapes, movies and a whole gamut of other equipment. Also, there are several tutorial labs that use the learning center as a meeting place. Tutors are another big source of help to the educational process in this (I. to r.) (from top) J. L. McPherson, Ray Hughes, Jr., Robert Griffith, Morris Riggs, Roland McDaniel, Robert O ' Bannon, Milton Riley, Clifford Dennison, Ronald Harris, Lois Beach (Ch.) the changes of today ' s times must not only promote changing plans to meet new demands, but in addition, they must recognize weaknesses in their present situations. Then they must act on these weaknesses to strengthen their programs and adapt to today ' s society. One of the major problems this department faces now is the incoming students. According to Mr. Riley, We seem to have two categories of students; the category where students are well prepared for college and the category where they are very poorly prepared. National ACT scores have gone down every year. And yet, every year some of the best students Lee has ever had seem to also show up. How does the Science Department hope to cope with department. Members of the Math Club offer services as tutors for those having difficulty with math. The Special Services Department also has help available for chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology, and a whole range of other classes. The various science and math related clubs are hopefully going to move into the forefront to help bridge the gap between the two categories of students. The Math and Science Department is still looking to the future with many new programs ahead. Possibilities include remedial classes for underprepared students, and a computer science program to accompany the Business Department ' s computer information systems. When compared to other SimraA