Monday, June 25, 2012

A Look At Distance Education

Are you looking to help those who are unable to go to school due to a physical disability or are you a student who is unable to go to school? You should look into distance education or distance learning.
What is distance education though? Distance education is a field of education that uses technology and instructional systems to educate students who are not physically able to receive their education. Instead of the student who is unable to attend a class either buys the video of a teacher teaching a subject or, more popular today, the student watches the teacher over a webcam.
Now that you know what distance education is, when did it start?
The oldest university to use distance education would have to be the University of South Africa which has been offering distance education since 1946. It has been available since the 1840s in Great Britain though.
The early forms of distance education would use a commercial correspondence to deliver the piece of education to the student. Many colleges in America use distance education today, although any student can receive it, not just the disabled. Many students have at least one internet class a semester which is where you stay at your house and watch the teacher teach over a live webcam feed.
If you are going to do distance education it is important for you to know the options you have on having it delivered to you. The most obvious choice is for you to do what is called virtual classrooms which is where you watch the lesson on your laptop over a live webcam feed. You can also order DVDs and VHS tapes or just order books or other written print and read them.
There is a difference between open learning and distance learning, but what is it? Open learning is when the student is allowed to choose the time and place he/she wants to learn. Distance learning is when the student and teacher are unable to meet at the same time. This is important because not all open learning schools use distance learning and not all schools that use distance education are open learning schools.
Distance education is definitely on the rise as many more schools are beginning to use virtual classrooms and provide more options for the disabled and those who are unable to attend classes. If you are thinking about becoming a distance education teacher you should consider it. You will be able to choose the time you want to record a lesson and just send it to your students to watch at the time they want.
Distance education is a great thing because it allows many students who were originally unable to attend school to do so and it also allows teachers the chance to teach more students then they would originally be able to teach.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Online Nursing Continuing Education - Benefits Over Traditional Method

The online nursing continuing education has been accepted by the professional world is evident with the fact that more and more people are joining the online nursing schools to get an online associate nursing degree. Another reason behind the growing popularity of online nursing continuing education is that it offers a wide range of accredited course for the aspiring students. Moreover, the working professionals are using it for moving ahead in their career. In fact, it works as a stepping-stone for rising higher on the ladder of success.
Increasing Importance of Online Schools
Different programs offered by the online associate nursing degree school have further increased the importance of online nursing continuing education. Both students and the professional fraternity have realized the importance of online nursing continuing education. With the help of the online nursing continuing education you can earn the degree of any level of your choice. Online nursing schools not only teach the concepts of the nursing to the students but also give them the opportunity of gaining practical experience. Thus, they become capable of handling any responsibility they get at different managerial and administrative positions.
While deciding from where to get the online nursing continuing education you must ascertain that the caliber of teaching staff is unquestionable. You may rest assured if the teaching staff is of higher caliber and have the required practical experience. There are several benefits of online nursing continuing education over the traditional method of getting education for nursing. The biggest benefit of online system of education is that you get the convenience of learning at your pace. You can complete the education without disturbing your day today working. Moreover, you can fulfill your personal commitments also while earning an online associate nursing degree.
Another advantage is that almost every body can afford it because one does not need to spend a big amount of money while getting online education. On the other hand when we compare it with the traditional method of getting education in standard nursing schools we will find that traditional schools are very expensive. If you believe that the online nursing continuing education is not as effective as the traditional one because the instructors and the students do not interact personally with each other then your assumption is not correct. In fact, online education is equally effective as the education we receive in the traditional institutes. Furthermore, the students of online nursing continuing education have the advantage of receiving the written lectures of the instructors.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Online Education, the Advantages and Disadvantages

Ensure you do the Groundwork before Making a Decision
There has been a huge increase in online schools and colleges across the United Kingdom, North America and the United States in the past couple of years, which shows that there is an increasing popularity of online education and learning. However, jumping into online education without doing the groundwork can be dangerous, as educational needs of students do vary quite a lot depending on their levels of intelligence and social and economic status. Therefore, the student's parents and tutors must ensure that the students weigh all the pros and cons of an online education and prompt them to decide the best course of action. The aim of this article is to educate the student's on some of the more major advantages and disadvantages of an online education.
The Advantages of an Online Education
Accessibility: The Distance from a university campus is no longer a barrier in the education of students. Today's generation have the advantage of utilizing time effectively, since there are numerous choices in distant online education for them. For the student to access online education, all he or she needs is a personal computer with internet access with which he or she can find the desired courses online and enrol. The online education systems ensure that the student's put all their energies into studies.
A Flexible schedule: The good thing about an online education is its effective use of time. As a student of online education, you have the ability to maintain a flexible schedule, which is of particular help when you are working simultaneously.
Student-Centred Learning: As a student of online learning, it is you who dictates your learning experience. As your tutor will not be teaching you all of the time, you can prioritize your schedule and complete any and all assignments accordingly. You will also be given the choice of which learning methodology you wish to use, such as audio, visual, or oral components. Fair Playing Field: Online education is in vogue also as it provides a level playing field for all the students. Learning online provides a situation where decision-making is not based on the candidates' gender, ethnicity, physical appearance, or race. Instead, the evaluation is only based on your performance. The provision of this fair-playing field has significantly contributed to the popularity of online education.
Disadvantages
Employment: Not many industries will acknowledge an online professional degree.
Oral Communication: Since, the majority of online learning systems encourage communication through e-mails and text chatting only, the student's may be deprived of the ability to improve their oral communication skills.
Fraud: A large number of online courses are not accredited and hence are not valid.
Courses: Not all of the courses which are available elsewhere are available online.
Moreover, online learning requires a complete dedication and patience from the students to ensure they achieve superb results. It is most advisable that the students first, patiently and persistently familiarize themselves with online learning technology. Additionally, they need to always keep themselves abreast of the latest updates within the online education system, since there will be no instructor to turn to in this respect.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Wooden Educational Toys

It is advisable for parents to sometimes break the monotony of purchasing plastic and electronic toys for their children. Wooden toys are an excellent alternative to the usual modern toys. Wooden toys are a unique selection of toys that have gained immense popularity. The companies that manufacture wooden, educational toys offer high-quality wooden toys. Wooden educational toys are preferred by parents all over the world, because they are environmental friendly and do not have sharp edges that can harm children. They are also highly durable and are a wise investment for learning, enjoying and giving as gifts to friends and relatives.
Wooden puzzles are great for teaching children problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination. An elegant wooden educational toy like a bead sequencing set, introduces children to complex spatial processing. This toy teaches hand to eye coordination, matching and sorting colors and advanced reasoning skills. Wooden toys in the shapes of puzzles and jigsaws that tease the intellect are very popular playthings for small children. They entertain children, while helping them develop their lateral thinking skills.
Puzzles, jigsaws, shapes, buildings with different pictures and in different shapes are a few commonly found wooden educational toys. These wooden toys, because of their colorful looks and solid structure, make great companions for infants.
There are wooden educational toys for all ages. Baby toys like wooden alphabet and alphanumeric blocks are soft and colorful. They are crafted for safety and durability, and are designed to stir a child's senses and curiosity. Other wooden toys for children include different kinds of animals, sorter pounding toys, vehicles and action toys. Most toy manufacturing companies have their own websites and offer a facility to order online. These sites display pictures and prices of the entire range of toys available.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Cheap Educational Toys

The market today is flooded with a number of educational toys both branded and locally manufactured. Educational toys are very popular among parents, as they provide a good medium to educate their children. No matter how rich or poor, parents want to purchase educational toys for their children. However, the high price tags restrain many people from buying them. The offer of cheap educational toys by retailers and shopkeepers has been a solution to this dilemma.
Many companies on the Internet offer cheap rates on educational toys. Their web sites carry details of the products such as the toy description, learning objectives, pictures and prices. Customers typically register on these sites, place an order and pay online. There are also companies that provide toy rental services at affordable rates. Toys can be rented on a monthly basis.
There is a wide range of inexpensive, quality educational toys for children who are as young as three months. Wooden toys are a favorite with parents as they are cheap, safe, durable and high quality. Cheap educational toys also include storybooks, learning activity kit, construction toys, puzzles, craft kits and baby toys. Books, games or animated movies are also categorized as educational toys and are available at cheap rates. The most popular categories of toys among little children are organic stuffed animals, dolls, block-games, cars, and wooden toys. They are carefully designed and crafted to help shape young minds.
Social service organizations that concentrate on children?s welfare believe that it is essential to regulate the prices of toys and make them affordable for everyone.