Course Description: This class will look at our relationship with machines, and some disastrous accidents, and incidents, that have happened over the years in the aviation, maritime fields, and some even some unusual criminal activities. We will look at what went wrong and what was done to fix the problems. Accidents are normally a series of small incidents that end up causing something to fail. I will provide visual aids and summaries for each class.

Class Leader Bio(s): Robert Huffman retired as an Air Force NCO after 27 years of service. He was a C-130 Crew Chief and Air Force Instructor. He also worked for Boeing. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Course Description: Birds, sensitive to changes in their environment, are literally canaries in the coal mine when it comes to global environmental issues. This 8-week course will cover the biology, ecology, and ethology of the more than 11,000 species of birds that populate our planet as well as global topics of climate, biodiversity, conservation, biomes, and terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems. This is a university level study. If you are a serious birder, an environmentalist, or just enjoy watching birds in your yard, this course has something for you.

Class Leader Bio(s): The instructor, Dr. Ron Weiss, earned a doctorate degree in Avian Population studies, Directed the Bird Observatory in Central Indiana, held a Master Bird Banding license, and taught Ornithology and field methods at the university level. He conducted avian population research for the US Army at their Newport Indiana Chemical Depot, for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and directed a tropical bird research effort in Central America. His research and general interest publications appear in Scientific Journals and popular magazines both here and abroad.

Course Description: Are you ready to learn how to use your iPad effectively? This course will take you from the very basics to making your iPad your own. Individual needs will be addressed to make sure everyone has an opportunity to learn. We will explore the most popular iPad tricks and topics, including how to get the most out of your iPad experience. Students must bring their own iPads to class. This is a six-week course.

Class Leader Bio(s): Dolores Noechel is a former Ruckel math teacher, OCSD Instructional Technology and Media Services Specialist, and Assistant Principal at Fort Walton Beach High School.

Notes: This is a six-week course meeting on January 15, 22, 29, and February 5, 12, and 19. Prefer room 836

Course Description: In today’s world, your phone can be your best travel companion. What do you do when you arrive in a foreign port? How do you find internet access, restrooms, restaurants, or stay in touch with your family? This class will help you travel with confidence by exploring the best apps for communication, navigation, photography, and security. Learn how to take, edit and organize photos, protect your information, use AI for travel, and discover which apps can simply make your journey more fun. This will be a hands-on working class, so be sure to bring your iPhone or android.

Class Leader Bio(s): Dee La Garde has a MBA from the University of Kansas. She has over 700 days cruising and has circled the World 4 times touring all 7 continents. On the Cruise Ship one of the featured classes was “Tech for Travel.” Sean La garde has an engineering degree from Widener University in Philadelphia, PA. He is currently working as a system engineer.

Notes: Bring your phone (iPhone or android) to every class, it will be a key tool throughout each session.

Course Description: Ashley Bailey from the Crime Prevention Unit will discuss how AI is currently being used in frauds and scams and ways to prevent being a victim. This one-time class will meet on Wednesday,  February 25, at 1:00PM at UWF.

Class Leader Bio(s): Ashley Bailey is the Crime Prevention Manager with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. She has been working for the Sheriff’s Office for over 20 years educating citizens, business owners, and tourists in Okaloosa County. In addition, she started and continues to manage numerous programs and services for residents.

Course Description: Destin-FWB has the most active artificial reef program in the state having deployed over 500 reefs. Due to lack of natural bottom habitat and coral reefs in the northern Gulf, artificial reefs and structures are put on the sea floor to provide habitat for marine life and provide divers and fishers with known sites. This presentation will talk about the process of deploying artificial reefs, what materials can be used, and will highlight some of the most popular reefs deployed in the last 10 years. This one-time class will meet on Thursday, March 5 at 1:00.

Class Leader Bio(s): In March of 2021, Jessica Valek became the Natural Resources Manager for the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Natural Resources Team where her main focus is running the County’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Nesting Program. She also manages marine debris removal efforts and assists the team with lionfish removal, research and restoration projects, as well as education and outreach efforts.