Memorial Day Events in San Diego-Spend Your Time Wisely

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Everyone loves Memorial Day as a day of festivities and fun. It is also a day of sorrow and the many souls sent to the reaches of some other place so that each of us can enjoy life as we currently know it. On Memorial Day every minute is borrowed. Borrowed from the man who perished in a trench, the one who sunk at the helm of a ship or the secretary that burst up the stairwell in a mad dash to ensure the next order was telegraphed without delay. Minutes don’t come cheap on this day and every clock hand was earned through blood, sweat and tears. Memorial Day is just one day in the sequence of days borrowed and each generation will need to add their contribution to keep the clock working properly.

 

The festivities are part of that day of souls and every laugh, social gathering, bbq sandwich and bratwurst should be a feast; feast for being in the moment of life. Some will remember those who left us a future while many have already forgotten. Some heroes were well known and some died unknown but each willingly traded their time. Memorial Day is a day to eat, sing, and most of all spend that borrowed time well. 

 

US Midway

If you are looking for events San Diego has a smorgasbord of options and opportunities. Many of the events are free while others will charge you a pittance; a few may charge you more. Ideas range from walks in the part, memorial services, placing wreaths on grave sites, visiting historical landmarks and social parties. Perhaps you prefer to donate.  Choose one but most of all just remember-that all time is a gift from one generation to the next.

 

Events: 

• http://www.sandiego.org/members/attractions/go-san-diego-card-by-smart-destinations/articles/10-things-to-do-on-memorial-day-weekend.aspx

• http://www.sandiego.org/events.aspx 

• https://www.eventbrite.com/directory?q=memorial+day+weekend+events&loc=San+Diego%2C+CA

• http://www.vetfriends.com/Memorial_Day_Parade/directory.cfm?state=CA 

• http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2010/May/31/san-diego-county-memorial-day-events/ 

Veteran’s Donations: 

• http://www.veteransinc.org/donations/ 

• http://www.dav.org/  

• http://www.vva.org/

• http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=531 

• http://www.military.com/spouse/military-life/military-resources/military-charity-associations.html

Augmenting Military Skills with Online Education

Online education in the military is a growing trend related to the needs of modern life and military effectiveness. “Computer literacy is now considered an essential battlefield skill” (Stapp, 2001, p. 26).  The modern use of technology is important for successful completion of military objectives and use of advanced weaponry. Online education also offers greater cognitive development for military students that seek to balance their military learning with their educational pursuits to create greater personal and professional advantages. A presentation by Susan Bricker (2012) offers some insights into the needs of online military learners and some of the challenges they face. 

There are many similarities and differences between military and non-military learners. The greatest success seems to come from self-motivation and time management. Self-motivated learners engage in learning for learning sake by setting goals and engaging in those goals. Independent time management requires learners to start work early and continue to work on their assignments to finish them before their work is due. 

Self-Motivation: Self-motivation is something some students have and some don’t. It requires the ability to stay on task and continue to work on defined goals despite the many challenges the student faces. Those who can stay motivated often show a confidence that other students do not. They are willing to work and challenge self-doubts despite the difficulties of the task. 

Time Management: Time management is as important in the online world as it is in the working world. Time is a resource and students must make judgments between how and when they will use their time. Learning to make judgments to expend time on one’s goals and to start projects early is a major factor in online learning success. 

Military students come with some unique challenges that are not necessarily faced by other online students. In addition to time management and self-motivation they must also deal with potential combat situations, alienation into other places of the world, and lack of support among some of their military companions who may encourage them to engage in other activities. 

President Bill Clinton issued an the Executive Order 13111 on January 12^th, 1999 that put in motion the President’s Task Force on Federal Training Technology. It states, “…provide leadership regarding the effective use of technology in training and education.” The program began the development of large-scale distance learning options within the Armed Forces to raise human capabilities (The White House, 1999). 

Online education has some differences when compared to traditional education and requires different skill sets to complete. The good news is that students who make their way through online programs show that they are self-motivated and have time-management skills that enhance their new career knowledge. Military members can serve both their countries and themselves by educating themselves and applying that education to combat, military management, and within their future career choices. Learned higher skills can transfer to higher technology requirements of the modern era for a wide range of uses. 

Bricker, S. (2013, Nov.). Responding globally to the online learning needs of military students. Virtual presentation offered at 2012 Global Education Conference.

Stapp, Katherine M. (2001, June). Benefits and costs of Distance Learning: A Perspective from the Distance Learning Literature Since 1995 – Annotated Bibliography. White Sands Missile Range, NM: Department of the Army. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA396197&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf 

The White House. (1999). Executive Order 13111. Using Technology for Federal Government Employees. Retrieved from http://www.opm.gov/pressrel/1999/eo.htm

The Changing Nature of Military Education

Military education has come a long way over the past hundred or so years. The authors John Persyn and Cheryl Polsen (2012) discuss the changes in military education and how it has adopted new technologies as well as more complexity to match the environments in which members now find themselves. They discuss the trends in military education that includes more distance education as well as higher levels of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 

During the Civil War education was primarily focused on learning how to read. The first textbook was the Bible as this is something many of the military members carried. The skills needed for successful service were relatively simple and the ability to read was of minor concern. As the military grew in ability the needs to read and write instructions become more pronounced. 

Today’s military is very complex and even lower rank enlisted members have needs for education and the ability to handle complex equipment. Higher level officers need additional training in complex problem solving and critical thinking skills. The modes of learning have adjusted to keep up with the needs of learning in the modern military. 

The military education market includes 3.2 million active, National Guard, civilian and other members (US DoD, 2012). The needs range from skills training on the entry level ranks all the way up to complex thinking skills at the upper end of the ranks. Finding a method of training this wide and diverse group of people across the globe can be a daunting task. 

The authors discuss the history of training, needs of training, and the overall educational landscape. This ranges from veterans returning to active duty members in need of updating skills. They do bring forward the concept that professional military education should include curriculum  that helps members make sound judgments in a rapidly changing environment.  The goal of learning in the military should include developing higher-order thinking skills for all soldiers as they prepare for a dynamic, complex, ambiguous environment that includes high technology equipment and global distribution networks. 

Comment: The authors acknowledge the benefit of online training with game simulation. It is possible to develop officer learning series that allow for updating skills in virtual locations. Changing technology is affording the possibility that online military colleges can be developed that include concepts such as critical thinking, situational games that teach complex skills, videos, test taking, personnel management, food management, distribution, strategy development, etc... Programs and courses often mirror those learned in their civilian counterparts but are more focused and specific.

Persyn, J. & Polson, C. (2012). Evolution and influence of military adult education. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 136.