Looking For Free Online Distance Education?

By : Ras Reed
Is there anything like free online distance education? Yes and no. Want to know what I mean? I said yes because it’s available online. If you log on to the internet now and conduct a search using google, you’ll discover that there are lots of online institutions offering people like you free online distance education. This means that it does exist. I said no because nothing is free in this world. You have to pay the price before you can get anything good. In other words, there is no free lunch. It must be paid for.

Because of the power of the word ‘free’ many institutions are using it and luring many people into what they term free online distance education. Many of the institutions doing this are online fraudsters. I believe you know them. They have a way of getting their victims. Many times I have received mails in my Inbox and bulk box offering free online distance education. I don’t normally waste time about this. I delete them immediately. I advise to the same.

If any school claims to be offering you free online distance education, kindly and politely ask them who will pay for the downloaded materials, the building and maintenance of the website, the online instructors, the certificates etc. their answers will help you know the type of school they are. The fraudulent will have no answer while the reliable ones will give you good answers.

What you’ll get from free online distance education won’t benefit your career in the long run. This is because the certificates you’ll be issued will not only be bogus but won’t be useful for getting those good jobs you’ve always dreamt of. And moreover most employers of labour out there are very skeptical of online certificates. And they won’t waste time contacting the online school you get it from. If the school is not genuine, they won’t spend their precious time interviewing you for the job.

Once you’re sure that somebody somewhere has to pay for everything used in transferring knowledge and skills online, you won’t have detecting fraudulent free online distance education institutions.

Instead of frantically searching for free online distance education, its advisable you do comparison shopping in order to get affordable online institutions. There are online schools whose fee is quite affordable. Some exist that can even give you a loan for the duration of the program you want to enroll for. However, I urge you to consult your attorney before putting to such papers.

About The Author

Ras Reed provides more detailed and free information on his website. Get more info at http://distanceeduguide.com/sitemap.html.

Simple Homeschool Success Tips

By : Mary Joyce
There certainly is an abundance of homeschooling information available and this is a good thing… for the most part… as long as you don’t get bogged down in overload and suffer paralysis by analysis. There are a lot of wonderful articles and tips to help you insure your homeschool success.

So, through the experiences of my own and reading about those experiences and advice of others, here are some of, not only the best, but most universal home school success tips.

First of all have fun. Make learning fun. It should be for kids. And by the way, enjoy learning new things with your kids. There is some much in this world that we cannot control, so let’s let control what we can… our attitude and how we approach each and every day. Children will absorb your attitude and mood like a sponge, so stay upbeat and enthusiastic and your successes will reflect it.

Next, limit (or eliminate) your interruptions. This was my nemesis.

In this communication age in which we live, interruptions come at you from every direction, so you’ll need to stay focused. If don’t have an answering device, get one. Turn the ringers off.

Educate your family and friends as to your homeschool schedule. And it’s not just the phones (cell included); it’s the drop by visitors as well. Keep your time you spend homeschooling your kids very sacred.

And while I’m on this subject, this means that you can’t be a distraction to your kids. By this I mean you can’t be running around doing other things while your kids are trying to study and complete their assignments and projects. Stay focused on your children’s education during this time.

I mentioned paralysis by analysis earlier and this one dovetails off of that. Keep your teaching and homeschooling simple. With so much information and programs readily available to you, it’s easy to find yourself using an educational buffet of plans, curriculums, and approaches. Ultimately your kids and you won’t like nor benefit from this.

Be flexible, be pragmatic if something isn’t working, but don’t be mercurial. And when it comes to being a homeschooling parent, you must take steps to organize and simplify your life. During your homeschooling year limit your commitments and outside activities… keep your life simple and you’ll be happier; and with happiness comes success.

Don’t beat yourself up! Have confidence. Know that you can do it. Your faith is your beacon. Reward is directly related to effort. If you are doing all that you can, your children will learn and be successful. Children learn throughout the world in all kinds of environments. Be enthusiastic with each new day, get help when you need it, stay on a path continual improvement, and your children’s educational success will follow.

If you get stuck… read. Without reading skills your children will never reach their full potential. If your day becomes shot full of holes with life’s unplanned and uncontrollable events… then take some time and read to and read with the kids. There is no better life preserver for a day that has spun out of control than to cuddle up and read with your children.

There are so many wonderful people involved in homeschooling, and with today’s technology it is so easy to get in touch with these invaluable resources, you should not go wanting for advice, answers, or just some rejuvenating conversation and reassurance.

Online there are forums and support groups. Offline there is your church or library. Get in touch and be a part. As a homeschooler, you are in a sense a professional educator. Find yourself a couple of good publications and subscribe, or opt in to a few of your favorite newsletters. The message here is that you need not tackle everything solo.

When it comes to resources there is one out there that is often shadowed by the prevalence of the internet… and that is your local library. Your library is a wonderful resource. Libraries are a tremendous resource for videos, audio tapes, learning materials for all subject matter… (And of course books!). If you could only pick one resource and one resource only… choose a library.

Take breaks. For me, taking shorter more frequent day breaks as opposed to less frequent longer breaks always worked better for my family and kids. Of course, the dynamics of every family is different, but if you’ve haven’t tried this approach you should. I think you and your kids will like it. Of course, I’m not talking about a day off every other day… but shorter more often day breaks give you a chance to re-energize and catch up.

I mentioned family dynamics; and since you will be homeschooling you will naturally be introducing a very different and time consuming aspect into your family dynamics.

There will times when there just aren’t enough hours in the day. This is why it is very important to stay focused and plan as best you can. Avoid those activities that steal your day away. Remember, you are homeschooling. Try to organize outside activities all into a day or two instead of spreading them out across your week and having constant ‘little’ interruptions on a daily basis. I would much rather have longer days of outside activities, if it meant I could keep my homeschooling days uninterrupted. I found that my kids and my family appreciated this approach.

Unless you are an incredibly organized and efficient person that operates like a well oiled machine, you’ll find that all of the above won’t come together for you over night. Don’t feel disheartened… it doesn’t for anyone that I know of! No schedule is perfect all the time and no two schedules and organizational skills are the same. Work to sand, buff, and polish what works for you and over time you will find your stride.

The Popularity Of Learning Online

By : Lucy Bartlett
Online courses help students to further their learning abilities and education. No matter where a student is located, the resources are available at their fingertips when one studies online courses. There are innumerable online courses and training methods available.

A course on personal development, to continue with a hobby, training for a new career or enhancing business skills are just some of the possibilities available in online courses. Their area of interest can be explored at the students own pace. There are thousands of online courses covering hundreds of topics.

Online Courses in Business among others include a course to start your own business or training in time management. Other available online courses include leadership skills, techniques on conducting interviews and marketing courses – online or offline.

Online courses in training includes programming languages, marketing through internet, personal computer hardware, Linux, training in office software, graphic designs, web design and other certificate courses in information technology.

Online courses for training in a specific career are also possible. The available resources includes various vocational training programs in wedding planning, carpentry, bookkeeping, real estate, automotive courses, medical transcription and lot of other options to get a diploma. Find more info at http://www.online-courses4u.info

Professionals who would like to continue their education have various options available in online courses. Engineers, architects, lawyers, physicians, real-estate professionals, social workers, teachers and massage therapists and others, can pursue online CEU and CE courses.

Online courses in personal development are meant for developing a hobby or pursuing a personal interest. Home improvement, investing, gardening, cooking, art and design, digital photography and traffic school and many others are included.

Languages can be learned through various online courses available on the internet. Expanding the existing language skill or learning a foreign language is made easy. Supplementary help for courses such ESL, TEFL are also included in various online courses. Languages such as Japanese, Spanish, Italian, French or German can be easily learnt through online resources.

Convenience and flexibility are the advantages in online learning. This is more so if the students have other commitments. Depending upon on the needs of the student a greater adaptability is also possible along with enhanced communication between the student and the teaching resources online. Some of the advantages of online courses include the teaching materials presented in non-verbal mode and the varieties of learning experience, using multimedia.

E-assessment or assessments made with the aid of a computer includes multiple choice tests which are automatically generated, gearing towards the specific mistakes made by the students and to navigate through a series of questions to find out what the student has learned or not learned.

How To Help Your Kids Do Algebra

By : Kenneth Williams

"Mom, I just can't do Algebra."

Of course you'd love to help. But 'Algebra'?

It's a bit outside of a parent's Job Description isn't it?

The good news is you CAN help.

And you don't have to be mathematically minded, either.

All you need is some patience, a little creativity, and being able to see the world through your child's eyes.

Imagine being led into an Egyptian temple, being shown a wall full of weird-looking hieroglyphics, and being asked to translate them.

That's how Algebra feels to some kids.

Your mission is to help your kid understand why we're using hieroglyphics. And then how to use them to solve simple problems.

Here's how you do that:

*** PHASE 1: Get used to the language ***

Algebra uses abbreviations.

It's therefore vital your child is comfortable using abbreviations in daily life.

Explain what abbreviations are and how they're used.

For example, the name Frederick is abbreviated to Fred.

The United States is often abbreviated to the USA or even just the US.

And US states are also abbreviated. New York becomes NY, New Jersey becomes NJ.

Once the basic theory is understood, start introducing abbreviations around the home. There are many ways of doing this. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

~~ Throw a party ~~

Use abbreviations to build up a guest list of invitees.

Bill becomes B.

Marcy becomes M.

And if there's a Jim and a John, use J1 and J2. Or Ji and Jo. Or use surnames to get JW and JS.

~~ Try some home cooking ~~

Teach your child how to make pancakes and give them the recipe as a formula:

2f + 2e + m + s

Where: f=flour, m=milk, s=sugar, e=eggs.

(Okay, I'm no chef, but you get the idea.)

~~ Design a 'healthy eating' schedule ~~

Yes, a little home algebra can even help your family eat more healthily.

Create abbreviations for oranges, apples, bananas, broccoli, celery, etc.

Then plan out your weekly schedule:

Mon: o + a + ba + 2br
Tue: 2ce + p + o + a
Wed: m + 2o
etc.

Once your schedule is drawn up, ask your kid to add up how many of each item you need to buy at the grocery store.

You'd never have guessed a shopping list could make such great algebra training, but it does.

When your child is comfortable with the basic language of Algebra, it's time to move on to the next stage:

*** PHASE 2: Solve some problems ***

Much of Algebra involves finding an unknown value, also known as the "x factor".

The best way to develop problem-solving skills in kids is by playing simple games and puzzles.

Here are two particularly useful games for developing the algebra mind.

~~ "Dollars & Dimes" ~~

The idea is to give your child a formula, and they tell you the amount of money.

So you say something like:

"2d plus n plus i".

This means two dollars plus a nickel plus a dime.

(Notice how the letter 'i' has ingeniously been used to represent a dIme. This is because the letter 'd' has already been reserved for the Dollar.)

The answer should be "Two dollars and fifteen cents."

Play this a few times using several combinations of notes and coins.

You can also tell your child an amount of money, and ask them to give you the formula.

So if you say, "Four dollars and five cents",your child replies: "4d plus 5c".

Ideally they should give you the answer using the least amount of coins possible. So for "fifteen cents", they should say "n + i" or "i + n". Not "15c"!

~~ "Think of a Number" ~~

This is a classic you can play anywhere. Try it on long car journeys.

The objective is to guess the mystery number.

You say: "I've thought of a number, added 3 to it, and the result is 7. What is my number?"

Make the questions as easy as possible to start with. As your child gains confidence, make the questions are little harder.

At some point, say you're going to call the mystery number 'x'. Then ask the question in equation form.

Now don't panic. It's simple.

Suppose your question is: "What number plus 3 makes 17?"

You call the mystery number 'x'. And so your equation is:

x + 3 = 17

You ask your child "if x plus three is seventeen, what's x?"

You can also reverse roles and ask them to give you some puzzles. Most kids enjoy this. And it trains them to think more creatively about algebra too.

*** Summary ***

Just a few subtle changes in the way your child thinks can have profound effects on their results in the math class.

Don't overload your child. Go in very small steps with lots of similar examples to give practice and confidence.

Even the smallest thing may be a stumbling block. Like understanding that 'x' means '1x' (the '1' is not usually written down).

Give lots of praise and reward to create and reinforce the 'feel good' factor.

As in any kind of teaching, it's better to ask lots of questions rather than keep telling someone something.

Take enough little leaps and at some point your kid will experience the "Aha!" moment when the whole algebra thing suddenly clicks into place.

Online Instructor - Is it for You?

By : Mark Stricklett, MBA

The computer and internet age has pushed the envelope of traditional educational formats. Just a few years ago, Online education was a second thought, maybe not a thought at all, in the minds of traditional brick and mortar schools. Today, if an educational institution does not have online programs – they are missing thousands of opportunities and dollars from traditional and non-traditional students.

With some extra time on my hands, I thought I would explore the world of online educators – some easy extra money – Right?

Wrong! Boy, did I have a lot to learn.

Let me share my journey to becoming an Online Instructor.

To begin the journey, I set criteria for selection – 1. Must be an accredited school, regionally and national accreditation – no diploma mills! 2. Offer degrees that match my skill and experience areas. 3. User friendly online education format. 4. Good record of accomplishment in online education – good reviews from students/peers. 5. A quality training and/or orientation program for new instructors.

From these starting points, I performed web searches and identified six potential schools. By visiting their web sites, I discovered a wealth of information regarding the schools, accreditation and online degrees offered. Next, searches included using the schools name and various criteria e.g. satisfaction, alumni, etc. These queries revealed web sites and blogs dedicated to specific topics on the subject of the school. Some were positive sites; others were dissatisfied students with an axe to grind.

The next step involved telephone contacts. Making contact with the schools online experts was a challenge – most referrals were to a website or email account. At two schools, I actually spoke to a live person! (This added some points to their score!)

With information assembled – I was now ready to move forward to the application process. The information packages requested were very similar in nature for each school. They included, a detailed educational history, including submission of college and graduate school transcripts, detailed work history resume and any experiences in teaching/training of adult learners. Three references, preferably from academics were the expected norm. (It’s been so long for me, most of my professors are retired or no longer with us!)

Two schools rejected me off-hand. Their criteria for online instructors included an earned doctorate. My MBA did not fit with their instructional criteria, for graduate or undergrad instruction. Two schools requested that I develop a course – prior to any reimbursement. They required their instructors to select a textbook from their lists, develop a curriculum and all instructional supports for an online course. These schools failed my selection criteria both in terms of instructor support and remuneration. The final two schools both had good records of accomplishment in online instruction, user-friendly learning environments and good matches for my skill areas.

The final decision key- training and orientation for new instructors. School 1 presented an online manual for instructor’s preparation. Study the manual, take an online test, pass, and you were ready to go. School 2 presented a different approach – one that set it apart from all the others.

For School 2 , I was enrolled in an online instructors training course. A month long course in which I became the student/learner. All of the requirements expected of students applied to the potential instructors. Weekly assignments were graded, participation and discussion expectations were set, and methods of instruction were tested. The course was facilitated by an experienced online faculty member – one who was dedicated to quality education and setting the bar for future expectations.

A few of the class members washed out after a week – they did not realize the instructor commitments of 16-20 hours per week were the norm – not the exception.

After passing the instructors training course, I was offered the opportunity to team teach a course. This process involved working with a mentor – an experienced online facilitator. The facilitator provided a systematic process for setting up the class. The then reviewed each instructional component prior to my posting in the classroom environment. Constructive feedback on work products was frequent and appreciated. The mentor monitored all components of instruction; feedback to students, individual and team work assignments, grading of assignments and instructor online interactions.

Weekly performance evaluations were provided by the mentor. These documents provided feedback for needed improvement areas or kudos for a job well done. The students provided formal evaluations of the instructor/mentee at week three and the conclusion of the course during week six. These anonymous evaluations shared some excellent insight into my performance as an instructor. Since the majority of the students are practicing professionals – they are experienced in providing feedback for performance appraisals.

The final step included an evaluation by the Universities online faculty committee. This evaluation included all the steps in preparation for the course work, mentor evaluations and student feedback. Having successfully passed all the requirements, I was promptly offered a position to provide instruction for future classes.

The Online instruction format is not for everyone. Students must be dedicated to a level of professionalism that has not been expected in the typical classroom. Time management is crucial for success in the online environment. Both individual and teamwork skills are tested – the experience is not just an individual effort. Working in teams to solve challenges in today’s work world is critical for the success of the organization.

For instructors, the same criteria hold true. To approach this instructional methodology is not an easy task. It requires dedication to the model and a true enthusiasm for sharing your acquired skills and experience. Personally, I have found my online instructional experience both rewarding and challenging. A vocation I look forward to enjoying for many years to come.

How To Receive An Education And Training Online

By: Mark Woodcock

It is not unusual for a person to grow apathetic toward his or her current job. Lack of stimulating work, low pay, and limited growth potential within an organization are all excellent reasons to seek out a way to make a change. One of the best, and easiest, ways to achieve this is to explore furthering your education and training online. This innovative and exciting method of personal and professional improvement has the benefit of allowing you to enhance your career opportunities by either earning a degree or by taking advantage of continuing education options. This is also an ideal option for you if you want to change your career entirely. Education and training can be sought online without interfering with work and family commitments.

In order to get that promotion you’ve been working so hard for, it’s often necessary to further your education and training. Doing so online allows you do achieve your full career potential at your own pace, without interfering with work. In many professions, such as pharmacy, it’s often required to stay up to date with new technologies and pertinent information. A convenient way to do this is to take your continuing education courses online. Some employers are even willing to pay for a portion or all tuition and fees. After all, investing money in their employees can provide long-term benefits for employers.

There are many advantages of choosing an online education and training facility if you wish to further your education and training. There is no need to live near or commute to a school or training facility when all classes can be attended and all coursework submitted online. Attending school online is a great option for those who might have misgivings about going to college as an older student or returning after many years. Furthering your education and training at an online school can make it easier to ease into the routine of class work and projects, an can reduce the stress of feeling the need to fit in with younger college students. Further, the course availability is often convenient for those who work full time and/or care for a family. Frequently, institutions offer evening and weekend sections of courses. It is also very appealing to “go to school” from the comforts of home.

The type of education and training available online is seemingly limitless. The entire spectrum of college degrees is available to a student, including Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and PhD degrees, as well as professional certificates. These degrees are available in many different fields, including Business, Social Sciences, Humanities, Mathematics, Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, and Healthcare programs. In addition to college diplomas, continuing education for professionals is available in many areas, including Healthcare programs, Business, and Information Technology.

Affording to further your education and training online is no different from doing so in a traditional face-to-face institution. Often, financial aid is available to students in the form of grants, loans, and scholarships. It is important to check with the individual institution of interest for requirements and guidelines. Also, many employers may be willing to pay for part or all of an employee’s continuing education. Investing in an employee’s future is also investing in the employer’s future.

The misconception of continuing your education and training online is that the experience might not be as enriching or legitimate as attending face-to-face classes at a traditional college or training facility. Programs offered online present the same opportunities for group work, independent study, and interpersonal communications as their traditional counterparts. In fact, continuing your education online might help to facilitate the learning process as well as develop time management and self-motivation skills. With the prevalence of the Internet and advancements such as teleconferencing in both education and the business world today, it is possible to come away from the experience not only with a degree, but also with greater knowledge and comfort with technology. Continuing your education and training online is a valuable, convenient, and flexible way to broaden your career opportunities.

Life Experience and Online Learning

by Nancy Lambert

Many online programs now offer college credit for life experience. What does this mean? Basically, you can use skills you’ve learned in your life through work, the military, or other experiences and turn them into life experience credits. These credits will reduce the amount of time needed to complete your online courses.

Different universities offer different life experience college credit, so it’s worth searching several programs to determine which one will benefit you the most. It’s also important to ensure that it’s a fully accredited program that can give you a proper degree or certificate and not a scam.

Demonstrating Knowledge for Life Experience Credit

You will have to prove that you have sufficient knowledge to get this life credit, but there are a variety of means to do this. Sometimes it will mean taking an exam, or providing a reference letter from a previous employer, military supervisor, or community service organization.

Any previously obtained certificates might count, as may books or articles you’ve published. It’s worth checking with your individual program to discuss what in your past qualifies you for credit for life experience.

All of this removes one major problem adults find when seeking to continue their education – the amount of time involved.

Now that reputable universities and institutions have begun offering life experience credit it can significantly reduce the amount of time you must spend on your studies. And it may allow you to bypass beginner-level courses teaching skills you’ve already learned in life.

Not all education occurs in a university setting. Giving college credit for life experience recognizes this fact and greatly aids adult learners in continuing their formal education.

http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/credit-for-life-experience.htm

Smart School

'Smart School' has now become a buzzword among educator, parents and students. The smart schools are schools that are well-equipped with suitable resources including instructional media such as the computer and Internet facilities which can be utilised by the teaching staff who incorporate appropriate instructional methods to facilitate and maximise developement such as high order thinking skills, multiple intelligences etc. in the learning of the subject matter in their students. What is new in the syllabus is perhaps the elements of information technnology, which has to be cleverly integrated into the teaching and learning process of different subject areas across the curiculum.

There are seven key principles in a Smart School.

1. Generative knowledge. Schools must examine carefully what disciplinary and interdisciplinary content will most benefit students. Identifying and structuring content which has the greatest potential for students' development is an important starting point for the Smart Schools model.
   
2. Learnable intelligence. Contrary to a psychological tradition that tends to view intelligence as a fixed quantity, much of the research of Project Zero and others' indicates that students can and do learn ways of thinking that can boost their performance. The integration of the teaching of higher order thinking into subject matter instruction and the creation of a school culture that champions and scaffolds such thinking can have a significant effect on students' own views of their abilities and on their learning.
   
3. Focus on understanding. While there are many legitimate goals for students, often a focus on deep understanding gets lost in the day-to-day life of the school. In the Smart Schools model, we place an emphasis on student work that builds and demonstrates deep understanding in contrast to rote or narrowly defined outcomes.
   
4. Teaching for mastery and transfer. A simple but powerful maxim of education is that students learn much of what they have a reasonable opportunity and motivation to learn. Teaching techniques that explicitly model, scaffold, motivate, and help students to bridge what they learn to new contexts (i.e., transfer) greatly enhance the likelihood that students will learn well and actively use what they learn.
   
5. Learning-centered assessment. Assessment at its best functions as a reflective and evaluative tool for learning. It involves students as well as teachers and creates a dynamic in which students take on the ultimate responsibility for the quality of their work and their learning.
   
6. Embracing complexity. Insightful thinking and deep understanding require students to be able to deal with and even thrive on complex situations and problems. The Smart Schools model involves learning situations that help students build skills and tolerance for complexity and begin to develop a sense of excitement in the face of intriguing and difficult problems. It also supports teachers in managing the complexities of new viewpoints and practices.
   
7. The school as a learning organization. Just as schools are places of growth for children, they should be places of growth for faculty and administrators - places where the pursuit of intellectual interests and professional collaborations are supported and encouraged. In addition, the successful learning organization institutes structures that enable all members of the school community to collaborate in the processes of direction-setting and self-monitoring, creating a dynamic system that changes as the needs and the vision of the community changes.