Portfolio

Cate R. Kincaid

Associate of Applied ScienceMedical Administrative Assisting

Aims Community CollegeMay 2013

Table of Contents

Cate R. Kincaid

Cover Letter......................................................Page 2

Resume.............................................................Page 3

Classes..............................................................Page 4

Report...............................................................Page 5

Proposal..........................................................Page 11

Communication Competency..........................Page 17

Professional Developments.............................Page 20

Cate Kincaid

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2605 Bluebells Drive

Evans, CO 80620

(720) 937-9126

[email protected]

Dear Hiring Professionals,

I am interested in a position with your company. Attached is my resume for you to consider for this position.

Ten years in the customer service industry has equipped me with the experience I need to conquer anything. Handling stressful situations is my specialty. While working at Collins Collision I have helped organize their filing systems.

I am very interested in learning and growing with your company. I appreciate you taking the time to review and consider my resume. I am interested in an interview and look forward to speaking with you at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully yours,

Cate Kincaid

Cate Kincaid2605 Bluebells Drive, Evans CO 80620

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(720) [email protected]

Objective: Position as an Operations Director, in a metropolitan hospital with opportunities to use my attention to detail, customer service and office skills and experience.

Education: Aims Community College (Summer 2011 – Present)Associate’s Degree, Medical Administrative Assistant

Attention to Detail:

Organized store inventory and back stock Complete store inventory regularly Compile end of month reports Complete multiple projects without sacrificing quality

Customer Service:

Research customer problems and find solutions within a reasonable time

Create and edit customer files for brochures, postcards, newsletters, and other misc. projects

Relates to people well Excellent communication skills Understands customer relations

Office Skills:

Provide support to Sales, Accounting, and Management staff Copy, file, fax, data entry Make credits to accounts without errors Organize end of year reports and files correctly 45 wpm Microsoft Office applications, Mac, PC, Internet, QuickBooks

Work Experience:

Collins Collision Loveland, CO, March 2011 – Present, Accounting Assistant

Walmart Greeley, CO, October 2010 – April 2011, Overnight Stocker/Cashier

Aqua Spas Greeley/Loveland, CO, March 2010 – November 2010, Salesroom Clerk

References: Can provide professional references at the interview

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Classes

Cate Kincaid

Summer Semester 2011-

Basic Anatomy and Physiology Medical Terminology

Fall Semester 2011-

Legal Environment of Business PC Spreadsheet Concepts/Excel Word Processing Techniques 1 Technical Writing

Spring Semester 2012-

Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 Principals of Macroeconomics Introduction to Business Art History 1

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Medical Administrative Assistant

Overview

With more than 11 million jobs, healthcare is the second largest employer, and the largest industry in the U.S.(explorehealthcareers.org). Whether you enjoy helping people or you want a stable career in healthcare but can’t handle nursing, medical administration is the right choice. In as little as two years you can be on your way to a great healthcare career in medical administration. With a degree in medical administrative assisting you have many different choices when it comes to your career.

What is a Medical Administrative Assistant?

Medical administrative assistants have many different duties. Basically a medical administrative assistant is a specially trained office worker. Their duties would include data entry, scheduling, checking in and out patients, and assisting patients with questions. The medical administrative assistant is in charge of keeping the office clean, neat and presentable to patients. If it wasn’t for these medical administrative assistants the patients could lose faith in their doctors and choose to go elsewhere. This position is more than just filing and data entry. It is more about keeping a relationship with the patients that come in to your doctor’s office.

Why Medical Administrative Assisting??

o Do you love helping people but can’t stand the thought of giving someone a shot?

o Can you handle the sight of blood as long as it is from a distance?

o Do you want a stable career in the healthcare industry but can’t handle nursing?

Why I Chose Medical Administrative Assisting

I chose medical administrative assisting because I can’t stand the thought of giving people shots but I love helping people. I want a stable career so I can support my family. I decided after getting my associates in medical administrative assisting, I would get my Bachelors of Healthcare Administration. I then want to get my MBA in Healthcare Administration so I can some day be Director of a hospital in Hawaii. I know, I know kind of far out there but a girl can dream.

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What kind of education do I need?

You can obtain an Associates degree in Medical Administrative Assisting from many community and junior colleges. Many of the classes you will take will be computer oriented. For example you might take Microsoft applications classes and other program classes. You will also take medical terminology as well as an anatomy and physiology class. You will also learn about business law. You may also be required to take transcription, accounting, and insurance processing classes. All of these classes help you learn what you need to know for your future career as a medical administrative assistant. You can also get certificates to specialize in different areas.

What types of certificates are available?

o Medical Transcription and Coding Medical Transcription is making a written copy of various

medical information in a certain manner dictated by your employer. Coding is translating all of the different foreign words into normal English so that others can understand it.

Includes Anatomy & Physiology, Word 1, Internship, Law/Ethics for Health Professionals, Medical Terminology, Medical Office Administration, Medical Office Financial Management, Insurance Billing and Coding, and Medical Transcription 1

o Advanced Office Specialist This would be helpful to know how to use different

programs that you would use at work. Includes Microsoft Word 1 & 2, Excel, and Business

Presentation Software 1 & 2o Word Processing Skill Enhancement

This is also another on that would be helpful with different activities at work.

Includes Microsoft Word 1 &2o Multimedia Presentation Skill Enhancement

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This would be very useful if you needed to give many presentations to your employer.

Includes Business Presentation Software 1 & 2

How long will it take to complete?

If you are going to a community college full time you should be able to complete this program in 2 years. If you are looking at getting a specialized certificate you should be able to get one in a year or less depending on how many classes are required.

What type of salary am I looking at?

Depending on the location and the company you work for it could vary. You are looking at anywhere from $27,000 to $45,000(Medical Assistants Salary). If you decide to further your education to get a Bachelors and Masters, and become a Medical Facility Director, then you are looking at $100,000 to $700,000(Huynh).

(Medical Assistants Salary)

What kind of benefits will I receive?

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Dentists offices $34,790

Hospitals $30,670

Outpatient centers $30,130

Physicians’ offices $29,960

Other practitioners’ offices

$27,940

Working in the healthcare field has many advantages. You will have a sense of satisfaction from helping others. Since you will be working in the healthcare industry, your healthcare benefits will be outstanding. If you work in a doctor’s office that is only open Monday through Friday, you will always have weekends and holidays off. You shouldn’t have to do much traveling, unless it is for training.

Where will I be able to find jobs?

This is not a career that is limited to certain parts of the country. Medical administrative assistants are needed all across the country. You might even score a position somewhere in Hawaii or Alaska. Who knows maybe you might even move to Canada and find something there. Anywhere there is a hospital, doctor office, or dentist office. You have the potential to go anywhere your heart desires.

What is the Career outlook?

Medical administrative assistants are in a fast growing industry. “Half of the 20 U.S. Occupations projected to grow the fastest over the next few years are in the health services fields (Healthcare).” With all the changes that are being made to healthcare, administrative assistants are in high demand. Careers in doctor’s offices and in home healthcare are expected to grow the fastest. The career openings are just going to continue to increase as healthcare continues to change.

Career Growth

Occupation Employment in 2008

Expected Employment in

2018

Change, 2008 -2018 (percent)

Medical Administrative

Assistant

471,100 596,600 27%

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Conclusion

With careers in high demand and continuing to grow this degree choice is a great one. Not only will you be able to help people in the medical setting but you will also have a stable career. Medical administrative assistants can be in charge of many different duties. Mainly they are in charge of all of the office duties for their employer. Becoming a medical administrative assistant only takes about 2 years. There are also many different certificates available to specialize in different areas of interest. Your salary range can vary depending on the location and company you work for. Medical Administrative Assisting is a great career choice. Good luck with everything as you embark on this amazing journey through college!!

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Works Cited

"Careers in Healthcare Management: Getting Started." Careers in Healthcare Management, a Resource from the American College of Healthcare Executives. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www.healthmanagementcareers.org/started.cfm>.

Health Administrator | Explorehealthcareers.org." Home | Explorehealthcareers.org. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/56/Health_Administrator#Tab=Overview>.

"Healthcare Administration Major | What Can You Do With a College Degree in Healthcare Administration?" Online Degree Programs from Online Colleges & Universities | WorldWideLearn.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://www.worldwidelearn.com/online-education-guide/health-medical/healthcare-administration-major.htm>.

HUYNH, THUC. "Medical Director Salary." MD Salaries. MD Salaries, 6 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://www.mdsalaries.net/2011/04/medical-director-salary.html>.

"Medical Assistant Salary – How Much Do Medical Assistants Make? - Medical Assistants." Medical Assistant Career Guide: Find Schools & Training Programs. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www.medicalassistants.net/salary/>.

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Proposal for Dental Clinic Initiative in the Weld

County

School District

Author: Cate Kincaid

Prepared for: Weld County School District 6

Date: November 15, 2011

Table of Contents

Introduction..........................................................................Page 1

Summary..............................................................................Page 1

Plan of Action.......................................................................Page 1

Problem Analysis..................................................................Page 2

Facilities and Equipment......................................................Page 2

Personnel.............................................................................Page 2

Budget..................................................................................Page 3

Testimonial...........................................................................Page 3

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Conclusion............................................................................Page 4

Introduction

Oral health is a very important part of our lives. Visiting the dentist is just as important as getting our children immunized. Tooth decay is a major problem for children without dental insurance and easy access to a dentist. 40% - 50% of children will be affected by tooth decay by the time they turn five (Healthy Smiles). If these children had easy access to a dental professional we could keep them in class. In Colorado an estimated 7.8 million hours of school are lost annually due to oral pain (“Snapshot”). If we can do more to help keep our students and children healthy and in school, why aren’t we.

Summary

Chopper Topper is a program partnership between the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Oral Health Program and Kids in Need of Dentistry. Chopper Topper is a program that travels around to schools and provides free dental screenings, preventive dental sealants, health education, and referrals to students (“Locations”). Schools must have student populations of 60 percent or more qualifying for the free or reduced lunch program (“Locations”). Since 2003 Chopper Topper has placed 21,751 sealants on children’s teeth (“Spotlight”). This is a great program that provides free services and has provided them to over 50 elementary schools. Their staff includes one full time dental hygienist and one part time dental hygienist (“Spotlight”). Dental students also volunteer their time to this program.

Plan of Action

I propose we bring Chopper Topper to Weld County District 6 Schools once a month. At the beginning of the school year we can send out the consent forms for parents to sign and then we can put them in the students file so we can keep it for later use. Also at the beginning of every school year, Chopper Topper will come out and give a demonstration to the school about oral health and also offers incentives to the classes with the greatest amount of participation. This encourages more students to participate in the program. We can set this program up on an appointment basis. The school nurse can set up a separate calendar in their computer just for Chopper Topper

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appointments. Parents can choose a date, which Chopper Topper will be in the school, for their child to be seen. Chopper Topper will then bring all of their equipment that they need for the screenings and set up in a classroom or office in the school. As a way to help raise money for Chopper Topper, the schools in District 6 could do fundraisers. This would help cover any costs that Chopper Topper has and does not pass on to the students and their families.

Problem Analysis

Access - With so many families out there struggling to put food on the table dental health is one of the last things on their mind. Children should visit the dentist every six months. 14.8 percent of the total population in Weld County is living in poverty (“Colorado”). This means most of that 14.8 percent most likely does not have health insurance. Without the means to take their children to the dentist regularly, children are going without and suffering.

Tooth Decay - Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. Putting sealants on these children’s teeth will help prevent tooth decay. Sealants can last two to 10 years. Regular check-ups with a dentist will help them last longer and if they are no longer there they can be reapplied.

Pain/Sick Days - With 7.8 million hours of school being lost because of oral pain (“Snapshot”) visiting the dentist regularly is very important. Oral pain can cause headaches and loss of concentration, making schoolwork harder than it already is. Pain can also cause children to lose sleep and then make it harder to stay awake in class and may also weaken immune systems. Weakened immune systems make children more susceptible to illness and will spend more time out of the classroom learning. If we start teaching our students good habits now, they are more than likely to continue these good habits later in life and live healthier lives.

Fear - A major factor in a lot of families is being scared to go to the dentist. A lot of parents have had bad experiences with a dentist and now refuse to put their child through the same thing or just the fact that they have to be in the dental office scares the parent. With Chopper Topper the staff is extremely gentle and make sure the child is very comfortable. They make sure to tell the kids what they are doing and what it will feel like. They take every step possible to make sure these kids have the best experience. If there is ever a time when the child feels uncomfortable or is hurting in any

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way the hygienist will stop and wait until they have calmed down or stop all together if necessary.

Facilities and Equipment

Weld County District 6 Schools would not need to build or add any new buildings or rooms to implement these programs into their schools. Chopper Toppers brings their equipment to the school and sets up everything in a classroom or office. They bring a portable dentist chair to do all of their work on. They also have portable tools that they use and any medicines or samples are easy to carry with them. This would not require much effort from the school, other than making some room for them to work.

Personnel

Chopper Topper - Chopper Topper staff consists of one full-time and one part-time dental hygienist. They also have many dentists and dentist assistants that volunteer their time, so that Chopper Topper can provide services to more children. They bring their staff and volunteers to the school to perform the procedures and educate the children and their parents.

School Personnel - School nurses will need to help implement and run this program in the schools. Nurses will be responsible for making sure every parent receives the consent forms at the beginning of the school year. The school nurse will also be responsible for getting those forms turned in after being signed. Once a month the school nurse would be involved in making sure the dental clinic runs smoothly. They would be involved in bring children to the Chopper Topper staff and then getting the student back to class after the procedure. If this took too much time for the nurse, the school could ask for parent volunteers to come in and help run the clinics once a month.

This program really would not take too much time or effort to get started and then keep running. It would require one more copy made and inserted into the “Welcome” packet for every student. One more reminder from the nurse to get those consent forms turned in.

Budget

This program will not require much money to be set aside. Chopper Topper is a program that operates mainly off of donations. They do not request any

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money for the services they provide to the students that are eligible. They also do not require the school to pay for any gas money that they use to get to the school. Chopper Topper also provides the educational materials that they hand out to the parents. As a way to help raise money for Chopper Topper, the school could have fundraisers to donate. The schools would be responsible for making copies and handing out consent forms to parents. The schools would need to order more copy paper and copy toner. This would be taken out of the money already budgeted for office supplies.

Testimonial

Carra is a student in Denver, CO that has had great success with Chopper Topper (Terran). Carra is in third grade and started seeing the Chopper Topper staff last year. This program has helped her by giving her sealants to help protect her teeth from tooth decay, they have also taught her how to care for her teeth in a better way. Carra had a horrible cavity six months ago and needed more extensive dental work than what Chopper Topper could provide at her school. Without any hesitation the Chopper Topper staff provided her with a referral to go to an emergency pediatric dentist and receive the care that she needed. All of this was free of charge thanks to the wonderful and caring Chopper Topper staff. Without Chopper Topper Carra would not be able to receive regular dental healthcare. Before Chopper Topper saw Carra, she was afraid to visit the dentist because her parents had told her stories of their bad experiences. Now, thanks to Chopper Toppers she has no fear of going to visit the dentist.

Conclusion

This program could help many families struggling in Weld County. If we take action now we will be able to help more students succeed. By teaching good habits now we can help students learn to take care of themselves and their families. Take the few steps to get this program started in our schools and start making a difference in many families lives. As a community we can make this happen and make this program successful in our schools.

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Works Cited

"Colorado Health Information Dataset (CoHID)." Colorado Health and Environmental Data. Colorado Health and Environmental Data. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.chd.dphe.state.co.us/cohid/Default.aspx>.

"Healthy Smiles Healthy Children - Home." American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry -. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. <http://www.aapd.org/foundation/>.

"Kids in Need of Dentistry: Programs." Giving First. Giving First. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <https://www.givingfirst.org/KidsInNeedofDentistry/programs>.

"Locations in Denver and Colorado Springs @ Kids in Need of Dentistry." Kids in Need of Dentistry. Kids in Need of Dentistry. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.kindsmiles.org/kind/en/About/Locations/DenverAndColoradoSprings/>.

"Snapshot of Oral Health in Colorado." Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. <http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/pp/oralhealth/Snapshot.html>.

"Spotlight On: Colorado Mission of Mercy." Be a Smart Mouth. Be a Smart Mouth. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.beasmartmouth.com/spotlight.php>.

Terran, Carla R. "Chopper Topper Success Story." Telephone interview. 18 Nov. 2011.

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Demonstration of Online Communication Competency

Welcome Message - August 24, 2011 - Hey everyone,I am Cate Kincaid. I

grew up down in the Denver area. I live in Evans with my boyfriend of 6

years, in our house we bought 3 years ago. I am 23 years old. We have 2

dogs, an 11 year old husky and a 2 year old terrier mix, and we also have a

cat. This is my second semester here at Aims and I'm in the Medical

Administration program. After finishing my associates here I plan to transfer

to CU Denver to further my education in Healthcare Admin. I love the

mountains and can't imagine life anywhere other than here in beautiful

Colorado! I enjoy hiking, camping, fishing and sports. I love Tom Brady! I like

to play volleyball. I love having friends over for a good old-fashioned adult

game night! Cranium and Scategories are a couple of my favorite games. I

have an older brother and 2 younger sisters. I wish we all lived closer

together so that we could get together more often, but right now we aren't

able to make that work. I love spending time with my family and my

boyfriend, Dillon. Dillon works nights at Vestas in Windsor, so we don't get to

spend much time together because we have opposite schedules. Which is

nice most of the time because then we can't drive each other crazy. I'm just

joking.... I love him very much and wish we had more time together. I am

currently working part-time at an awesome company called Collins Collision.

I am the accounting assistant. I am hoping to be moved into accounts

payable/receivables this fall, making me full-time. Writing this I have realized

how hard it is to write around 300 words about myself. I'm excited to see

what I can learn from this class!! Can't wait to get to know everyone else!!!

Good luck everyone!

Capital Letters Discussion - September 7, 2011 - I found this on http://shadesbreath.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-write-the-term-bachelors-degree. As of right now I do not have any degrees so this kind of is for future reference for my resume. I have always wondered about the proper way to write the degree that you earned. If you abbreviate the degree then you

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would capitalize the first letter of the main words (ex. Ph.D., M.A., M.B.A., B.A.). If you refer to a specific degree then you would capitalize the first letter of the "important" words (ex. Master of Science, Master of Healthcare Administration). 

Resume Workshop - October 13, 2011 - Person who wrote the report: Sharon Crespin Person who is responding to the report: Cate Kincaid What is this report about? Does it meet the guidelines for the assignment? Accounting. Yes is for sure meets the guidelines! List one place that this report was clear and easy to understand. I understood the many different areas of interest within accounting. List one place where this report could be more clear. I kind of got lost in all the quotes in bold. My eyes want to go directly there and then move on to the next bold heading. List the most valuable information you learned from this report. The many different areas of interest within accounting. List one place in the report where you needed more information about a subject. I think more information on the education part. More about what they need to do now to get to the career of their dreams. What is the most effective use of design/layout in this document? I like that you broke it up and kept with one topic within each paragraph. Give one suggestion for improving layout and design. Maybe less bold. List the two library/internet sources used in this report. Do these seem to be incorporated properly into the report? <http://careers-in-accounting.com>. Startheregoplaces.com. Web. Yes I think they were incorporated properly. Write two questions you still have after reading the piece here: Are accounting jobs in high demand? What are the highest paid accounts doing and how much do they make? Respond to the author’s three questions. When I cut and pasted my document in here, it really messed up my little graphics that I had for my quotes. Would added graphics be too much on the appearance? Depending on the graphics. I think a little would be nice though Did I really answer a new student's questions about what accounting will be like? I think you did a pretty good job answering alot of questions. Do I have too many headings (quotes) and not enough content? The bold headings make me want to just read those and then skip the rest and read the next heading. I think your content is nice you just might want to put more specific headings and then take the bold off of the quotes and stick them in the paragraph. List any other comments you have for the author here. I love that you put the David Letterman Top 10 at the end! That is awesome! What a great idea! I really like the quotes

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that you have too, just might want to take the bold off of some of them. Great job though!!!

Resume Workshop – October 13, 2011 - Person who wrote the report: Jackie Garcia Person who is responding to the report: Cate Kincaid What is this report about? Does it meet the guidelines for the assignment? Medical Administrative Assistant, Yes is meets the guidelines. List one place that this report was clear and easy to understand. I understand what it is to be a Medical Administrative Assistant. List one place where this report could be more clear. The Average Salary section is unclear. You list other numbers at the right of the page but you don't show what those numbers mean. List the most valuable information you learned from this report. The demand for this position. List one place in the report where you needed more information about a subject. More information about the places you can work for after the degree program. What is the most effective use of design/layout in this document? I think your entire layout is great. Very easy to read. Give one suggestion for improving layout and design. I think it looks great. Might want to have your Conclusion heading in the same font as the rest of the document. List the two library/internet sources used in this report. Do these seem to be incorporated properly into the report? www.indeed.com. , www.innerbody.com. Yes I think they seem to be incorporated properly. Write two questions you still have after reading the piece here: Where can I work after getting this degree? Where is the most demand for this career? Respond to the author’s three questions. 1.Do I cover everything that a student would like to know? I think you briefly cover a lot of questions a new student would like to know. I think you need more detail though. 2.Is my report to short? I think it is a short. More detail for sure. 3.Is the information informative? Yes the information that you list is informative. 4.Would you like to become a medical administrative assistant?? This is a funny question.... I am also seeking this degree. So yes I would like to! Great start!!

Comma Splice, Fragments, and Run-On Sentences Discussion – October 19, 2011 - I found tons on information on this website! There is even a slide presentation on commas! http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/692/1/

1) Before: Whether you enjoy helping people or you want a stable career in healthcare but can’t handle nursing medical administration is the right

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choice. After: So you want a stable career in healthcare but can’t handle nursing, then medical administration is a great choice.

I think this sentence was a run on so I decided to cut some it out. I think it works better this way.

 2) Before: Getting your Associates degree can take as little as 2 years. If you decide to further that and get your Bachelors that will take another 2 years. After: Getting your Associates degree can take as little as 2 years, and getting your bachelors will take another 2 years.

This first sentence felt like a fragment and I decided it would work better to combine the two so I don’t sound too repetitive.

 3) Before: This position is more than just filing and data entry. It is more about keeping a relationship with the patients that come in to your doctor’s office. After: This position is not just filing and data entry, but more about keeping a relationship with the patients that come in to your doctor’s office.

The first sentence was a fragment and didn’t really make sense alone. I combined the 2 with a coordination conjunction.

 4) Medical Transcription and Coding - Includes Anatomy & Physiology, Word 1, Internship, Law/Ethics for Health Professionals, Medical Terminology, Medical Office Administration, Medical Office Financial Management, Insurance Billing and Coding, and Medical Transcription 1

I believe I used commas correctly in this list because I used a comma after each class. This would be considered comma placement in a series.

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Professional Development Accomplishments

Professional Development One:

October 2, 2011 - Thanks to everyone and their awesome experience with this site I decided to check it out. I had originally planned on going to the grammar boot camp but decided that this website would be more useful for me because I need more help with my vocabulary than I do with grammar. I find myself using a lot of the same words just because it's what I am used to and it's easy. Time to spice things up. I loved that this website donates rice to country's in need. I also like the fact that if you get an answer wrong the same word comes up a few questions later so that you can try again. This makes it easier for me to remember the definitions and helps it stick in my head. I did some looking around on this website and found that this isn't just for English. They have many other subjects here that can help us with other classes while we are helping to donate rice. This is awesome! I also found out more information about what they do exactly. It takes approximately 19,000 grains of rice to feed one person for one day. I am pretty sure that after all of us that did this we should have enough to feed one person! I found this activity very addicting. Before I knew it I looked over at how many grains of rice I had accumulated and I was at 1,400!!! I learned that redundant = superfluous. I can’t wait to use that one on my mom! She hates it when I use crazy words that she doesn’t understand. I know this will definitely be something that I will continue to use. Not only to further my learning but also to help donate rice to those who need it. What a wonderful idea! Thank you Rebecca for sharing this idea with us! Also, thank you to everyone else that used this before I did and gave great feedback for it!

Professional Development Two:November 18, 2011 - For my second Professional Development I chose to do another freerice.com activity. This is a great website that actually donates grains of rice for every question you get correct. For every question you get right they donate 10 grains of rice to a needy village. 100% of the proceeds go to the UN World Food Programme.  This is great that I can have fun on this website and help people in need at the same time. To use this website go to freerice.com, sign-up for an account so that you can keep track of how much rice you have accumulated, and then choose your topic that you would like to study. They have many different topics, not just English. I know I will be using this website for many other subjects throughout my time here at Aims and even after graduating. This time I did the grammar section. I was actually surprised at how many I didn’t know. I think this really helped me develop better grammar skills. I really like that it tells you the correct way to write a sentence when you get it wrong. That way you can learn the right way to write these sentences. I know I learn better when I do something

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consistently and repeatedly. I was able to rack up 1360 grains of rice in a short amount of time. I completely lost track of time and just kept playing.

This is an example of the wrong way to write this sentence.

      "They are less happy because they have [less] holidays."

This is an example of the correct way to write this sentence.

      "They are less happy because they have [fewer] holidays."

What a great program to help people learn at the same time as helping hungry people. I also just found that if you would like to make donations to this cause you can do so by contacting the website. I think this is great! Thank you Rebecca for showing us this website. I have really enjoyed learning from this website!

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