is a peer-reviewed international Open Access journal for disseminating information on the education and training of physicians and other health care professionals. It was launched in 1996 as the first ever freely available online journal in the field of medical education and has since then grown to become a highly ranked source of information in this area, with indexing in PubMed/MEDLINE and inclusion in NIH's digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature, PubMed Central. As of 2010, MEO is published by Co-Action Publishing who will also provide free access to the valuable archive.
Topics: Manuscripts on any aspect of the process of educating and training health care professionals will be considered for publication. We welcome papers dealing with but not limited to the following research areas:
- basic science education
- clinical science education
- residency education
- learning theory
- problem-based learning (PBL)
- curriculum development
- research design and statistics
- measurement and evaluation
- faculty development
- informatics/web
Types of papers: MEO publishes Feature Articles discussing issues of interest to the health education community; Research Articles presenting high quality completed research or evaluation studies; Trend Articles presenting new ideas as well as studies or descriptions of programs in the early stages of development; and Letters to the Editor discussing topics related to any aspect of educating physicians and other health professionals.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Best Way to Afford Online Education Cost
In the current economy quite a few are under employed and even though they have a full time job, these people frequently see furthering their education as their only hope for a better position. Thankfully there is now the opportunity of taking classes on-line at most of the major colleges and universities. Even the more conventional college age student is finding the online alternative an even better choice, due to the flexibilities it provides for a student to hold down a better occupation, when going to classes.
The one misconception which ought to be exposed is that getting a higher education online is actually less costly than attending a brick and mortar University or college. This generally is not accurate, and it may even cost more. It is important to understand is actually there is student loan opportunities available to assist in paying for online lessons, the same as with a standard education.
Four years ago the federal financial assistance programs were opened up to include pay for your education with regard to online classes. . There is a requirement of which these online courses have got to be part of a degrees program in order to be eligible for financial aid. You can't acquire aid, simply to take further education classes that are not part of a degree-ed program.
Locating money with regard to an online education is not very much different than obtaining grants and loans for regular education. Step one in discovering what loans or perhaps grants can be obtained is to fill out the FAFSA application just like you would if you were attending a conventional school. The financial assistance allotted with regard to online and offline education is awarded to college students whom show a need according to the FAFSA application. Even if you don't qualify for finical assistance it can be really worth submitting the FAFSA application, so that you can discover what federal government sponsored loans you could make an application for.
You can find many different types of scholarships and also grants or loans that you might submit an application for to pay for your online education. If you are searching for a way to further your education online while holding down a full time career, you need to talk to your company to see if they give you a tuition reimbursement program. Another area to look is professional organizations to see if they offer scholarships or grants within the industry you will be studying.
For those that are prepared to do the research and submit the forms, it's simply no more difficult to find financing for the online education than to fund a more conventional education. You simply need to begin early on and be persistent in your endeavor.
The one misconception which ought to be exposed is that getting a higher education online is actually less costly than attending a brick and mortar University or college. This generally is not accurate, and it may even cost more. It is important to understand is actually there is student loan opportunities available to assist in paying for online lessons, the same as with a standard education.
Four years ago the federal financial assistance programs were opened up to include pay for your education with regard to online classes. . There is a requirement of which these online courses have got to be part of a degrees program in order to be eligible for financial aid. You can't acquire aid, simply to take further education classes that are not part of a degree-ed program.
Locating money with regard to an online education is not very much different than obtaining grants and loans for regular education. Step one in discovering what loans or perhaps grants can be obtained is to fill out the FAFSA application just like you would if you were attending a conventional school. The financial assistance allotted with regard to online and offline education is awarded to college students whom show a need according to the FAFSA application. Even if you don't qualify for finical assistance it can be really worth submitting the FAFSA application, so that you can discover what federal government sponsored loans you could make an application for.
You can find many different types of scholarships and also grants or loans that you might submit an application for to pay for your online education. If you are searching for a way to further your education online while holding down a full time career, you need to talk to your company to see if they give you a tuition reimbursement program. Another area to look is professional organizations to see if they offer scholarships or grants within the industry you will be studying.
For those that are prepared to do the research and submit the forms, it's simply no more difficult to find financing for the online education than to fund a more conventional education. You simply need to begin early on and be persistent in your endeavor.
The FutureVision School – A Day in a Life
It is September, 2015. “Joey the Tasmanian,” as he is known to District #123 in the rural suburbs of Litigation Falls, arrives at 9am today at The FutureVision School for his first day. As Joey and his parents enter the gates of the newly expanded and updated campus, they are filled with emotions of anticipation, questions of success, worries for their son’s health and education, and relief at the prospect of a unique solution to fit their exceptional child.
They do not notice that their arrival on campus is announced simultaneously on large plasma monitors in: (a) Joey’s future home – to his staff and caretakers who now switch gears to prepare his room and ready a “Welcome Joey” party, (b) in Joey’s future classrooms – to his teachers and aides who quickly dispatch a paraprofessional to prepare his workstation and meet the new arrival, (c) to the infirmary – where a doctor and nurse ready the files for parental review and prepare his medications so he does not miss a dose, (d) to the admissions office – summoning their case worker to greet them at the front door, (e) to the cafeteria – where Joey’s meals require special preparation and staff is informed of Joey’s feeding profile, (f) to the Billing and Accounting department – where the records system is “activated” to begin tracking Joey’s case expenses, (g) to the Information Technology department – where Joey’s data will be tracked and distributed, and (h) to Psychology – where Joey’s new psychologist and behavior specialist are meeting to discuss his arrival.
And Joey’s parents haven’t even parked the car yet.
As Joey scrambles out of the back seat, clutching his PECS book in one hand and in the other brandishing a fluorescent plastic sword, his parents rush to restrain him as he bolts into the open parking lot. With only urgency in their minds, the parents race to get a grasp on him but he eludes them, twisting and bending to get away; they do not know that one of many outdoor small cameras informs the monitoring supervisor of a potential renegade student, and that she immediately dispatches two additional paraprofessionals to manage Joey. They arrive thirty seconds later in the parking lot, where Joey’s two parents are frantically trying to surround him on all four sides. Joey, who was headed for a swim in the lake (Joey loves water and saw the lake on the drive in and decided the lake was there for swimming), is now being escorted to the health offices by the parents, the admissions staff member, and two aides, while Joey protests his inability to indulge his impulses. The parents wonder where the aides came from, and how they got here so quickly. How did everybody know they were here…or that Joey bolted for the lake? Was it coincidence?
Not even through the front door, and Joey’s parents are exhausted. A “New Student Update” flashes across all the plasma monitors, “Joey is on his way to Health”.
The Doctor greets Joey with a high five and a giggling and dancing Elmo Muppet, and Joey seems interested. It’s time for Joey’s new “Data Shirt”. This very special shirt looks like a t-shirt on any other kid (except that it has a large picture of Joey screen printed on the back with the words “Got Data?…been there, done that” underneath). Actually, this shirt is woven with biometric fibers indistinguishable from cotton. As Joey puts the shirt on, two darkened plasma monitors fire to life, displaying the incoming stream of biometric data belonging to Joey. Heart rate, Pulse, blood pressure, temperature, and geo-location, EKG…all jump to maps and charts on the wall, completely profiling what’s going on with Joey, physiologically at this very instant. Blood pressure is elevated – the PDA on his aide’s belt begins to buzz again, displaying the incoming message, “Joey’s BP is elevated…monitoring”. The message is also sent to ELMO. Elmo, meanwhile, is not what he seems. Elmo, cleverly disguised as a Muppet, is actually a sophisticated artificial intelligence unit, capable of monitoring, recording, sending, and even verbalizing, instructions based on environmental factors. ELMO stands for “Environmental Linguistics Moderator Online”. ELMO can trans-code instructions sent to the unit and verbalize them, as well. It is a “talking electronic companion,” capable of managing and intelligently negotiating complex interactional schemas using natural language delivery paradigms; ELMO monitors the relationship between Joey specifically, and the environment in general, and transmits the information about that relationship back to a Data Center where the information is displayed in real time. ELMO is an interactive, intelligent, sensor driven, matchbox sized, always online unit that can be embedded in any toy; ELMO is a super high-tech communication robot without arms and legs.
Elmo looks up at Joey and speaks, “Hi Joey. My name is Elmo. Are you cold? You feel cold.” Escaping Joey’s notice, sensors in Elmo have compared the ambient temperature with Joey’s physical body temperature, and initiated a sequence to inform staff. As Elmo’s words drift through the doctor’s office, the PDA device on Joey’s aide buzzes quietly. He looks down to see the message, “Joey may be cold. Please check and regulate ambient environment. Press -0- to adjust ambient temperature automatically”. The aide presses “0” and the A/C in the room shuts off, temporarily, until Joey leaves. Elmo pipes up, “Is that better?” Joey smiles his first smile of the day.
Joey couldn’t care less about the shirt. He’s trying to figure out if Elmo’s eyes come off (the don’t, and the pin-head size irises of ELMO’s eyes which hide the ultra micro cameras won’t ever budge, either, even if submerged in water). Meanwhile, Joey’s parents are being informed by the doctor that through a special website they can check in on Joey’s biometrics at any time, around the clock. The doctor touches one of the monitors on the wall and the internet flickers into being; he shows Joey’s parents how to log on, and instantly a small-scale replica of the biometrics info sent to the Data Center is displayed. Joey’s parents sigh with relief…they will always know exactly where he is at any given moment…and they will know how he is.
It’s now 10am, time for Joey’s first classroom visit. As Joey leaves the health offices in his new shirt with Elmo in tow, a sensor in the door recognizes Joey’s shirt and sends the information to the Data Center, where the supervisor is tracking Joey on a virtual campus map. Simultaneously, Elmo silently transmits his Joey-specific data to the Data Center and moments later the A/C system turns back on. At the Data Center, by the “Locator Desk,” small labels drift across a virtual map, as individuals traverse the sensor driven campus, some blinking in red, like Joey’s; it blinks in red because biometrics indicate his elevated blood pressure. Just then the red dot starts blinking green, indicating Joey’s blood pressure has returned to normal. The supervisor smiles a wry smile, “Not so different, this one” she tells herself silently…people’s blood pressure generally goes up when they visit the doctor. The data streams to the PDA on Joey’s aide, where the text message silently appears in green font, “BP nominal”.
As Joey and his entourage walk down the corridor, passing the school offices (where another bank of monitors displays staff, schedules, activities, and events associated with the next hour), sensors plot and predict his destination…his new classroom. In room S123 another PDA buzzes on the classroom teacher’s belt, “Joey’s coming”. The teacher deftly moves a student away from the door, thereby reducing the likelihood of an impending aggressive encounter between Joey and his new classmate, once referred to as “Ivan with the Left Hook”. Ivan is sitting at a desk working when Joey enters, and there is no opportunity for aggression incident (Ivan has been known to slug unfamiliar faces).
Joey, his parents, and his new aide enter quietly, while ELMO makes a quick assessment of the changing environmental conditions. None are needed. ELMO pipes up, “Hey Joey, lets go play with the blocks! Let’s get the red ones first!” Joey, a little surprised, complies…he’s still fascinated by ELMO’s eyes…he’s noticed the contraction of the lenses…the eyes seem to change with the light intensity. As Joey and ELMO wander off to Joey’s new workstation, the teacher takes a moment to show Joey’s parents around. At the Health offices the nurse silently watches the monitors, looking at the video feed from Elmo’s eyes, and the real-time information coming from Joey’s data shirt…Joey looks interested and happy. She notes on her tablet application interface in Joey’s chart, “Biometrics nominal”.
Like the new school, the new classroom is state of the art. All workstations are special desks with a coated, layered, touch sensitive, “data field array” as a surface. Each Desktop is displayed on separate monitors in the new classroom’s control room (called the CCR), where one of two full time classroom teachers watches all students all the time. The other teacher is in the classroom itself, instructing the behavior specialists and the aides, and monitoring the students from within arm’s reach. The desktops, like ELMO, are “intelligent”; since the entire desk surface area is one large sensor field, exact dimension measurements of any object placed on it can be correlated with weight information and other descriptors to build an electronic “image” or “footprint” of any object in the classroom; to aid the accuracy of this process, a still picture of the object is compared to a live video feed from one of the many classroom-cams to determine a “match” (like facial recognition software applied to household educational objects). Since the desk “knows” what object it is, it also knows which of Joey’s custom designed academic programs makes use of this object.
Instantly, as Joey puts the first red block on the desk, a monitor in the classroom control room (CCR) lists the program name, “Matching Program,” the present IEP goal, the associated objectives, and all other relevant information. The information fills the upper half of the large plasma monitor. A data sheet seems to etch-a-sketch itself into being while a video feed appears in the lower left corner, and ELMO’s data appears in the lower right. Joey’s ready to work, and the data center, the classroom control room, ELMO, and Joey’s shirt are all on-line and linked. In Joey’s new residential living group home, the Home Coordinator watches her new student in the classroom, learning about her new charge before ever meeting him – all programs available in the classroom are available and online as well in the home, to promote skill generalization. The classroom teacher shows Joey’s parents how to log into the classroom environment from any web accessible device, and access all the data being generated in the classroom that very moment. Joey’s real-time performance chart seems to scroll into self-existence at the bottom of the screen.
ELMO is at it again, “Joey, look at all those other blocks in the basket….which one of those is the same? Put SAME WITH SAME.” The last instruction had a decidedly different tone – very clear and measured, raised in loudness…and Joey, quite predictably, reacts. He repeats, “Same with Same,” looking at the red block on the desk in front of him…he reaches into the basket beside the table and produces another red block…but it is smaller in size…he puts it on the desk. A box seems to shade itself on the electronic datasheet displayed in the CCR as the video feed magnifies the desk area coverage. The answer was incorrect. ELMO prompts Joey to try again…Joey’s getting frustrated and slams the desk with a pumped fist. It’s the first inkling of “Joey the Tasmanian”.
In the CCR Joey’s parents talk about Joey, his personality, his needs, his likes and dislikes; in the classroom, the aide sits down with Joey, to de-escalate the event in a way only another human being can…with a kind touch, a warm smile, and the radiating the confidence of impending, and close-by, success, and the determined voice of experienced authority. Executing the matching program now in tandem, the aide begins to observe the behavioral dynamics of Joey’s workflow. This aide is no ordinary paraprofessional; “Big John” is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who leads the “New Arrival Team.” Over the next ten days his team will produce a custom behavior plan based on their observations of Joey in the classroom, in his extracurricular activities, at his new home on campus…at every waking and sleeping moment and wherever he goes.
This behavior data matrix is managed by a new artificial intelligence computer, capable of modeling hundreds of thousands of possible behavioral responses to certain behavioral events in an instant, and constantly checking the models against real time data coming in. It does this for every student on campus. The computer’s name is “HBO” – Human Behavior Organizer. When ELMO detects a change in the environment, the modeling process is influenced, and expected behavior outcomes are consequently and appropriately modified. HBO also incorporates the biometric data, and all other program data. All of the information generated about Joey and the environment is fed into this matrix, and stored on virtual server shares, which will travel with Joey throughout the rest of his life. It is a new beginning for Joey, and for his family – a new life-span service program.
“HBO” will then code the response associations and organize the data tool palette for Joey’s specific behavior measurements; then it will serve that data tool palette in all option fields in every program that Joey is a part of. The behavior plan will be based on data entered into a behavior matrix from all points of data collection…automatically. In fact, John’s only task is to guide the team to generate more data-opportunities…the data recording, processing, and analysis is left to sensors and technology itself. The result is a behavior plan based on real-world observations, outlining real-world response behavior schemas, based on the statistical likelihood of each behavior’s recurrence, having apprehended all personally significant and environmentally relevant factors.
HBO is highly experimental, and focuses on a task well beyond special education: to predict behavior outcomes in advance of the events designed to initiate them. HBO’s recommendation set is available at any instant by touching the “HELP” button on any of the monitors in any data section – three “re-direction” outcomes are offered, and three event sequences are available for initiation, ranked by probability of successful outcome. HBO can even initiate these events directly through ELMO; HBO can call the fire department, an ambulance, or the police…about events going on with a student wherever they are. It’s HBO who sends all the text messages to the PDA’s and monitors.
This new experimental technology at this new school is the result of a long collaborative effort with technology leaders in the world, a willingness to deploy extreme technology for educational purposes, and a will and recognition that helping us help children begins with open opportunities for development — in all areas, academic, technological, and interpersonal. It is a reflection of the understanding that technology can help organize human behavior and further a culture of education focused on determinate outcomes behaved into being. “HBO” represents the synthesis of non-profit education experience and for-profit business technologies – the merger of know-how, finance, R&D, product delivery, customer satisfaction, and outcome competence; it’s a trans-national, collaborative effort to completely rethink education.
HBO is the only computer in the world of it’s kind; it is why Joey is here. Joey’s “behaviors” in the last year have caused more harm, more damage, more mayhem, and more tears, physical and psychological, than some people experience in a lifetime. The inability of anyone to anticipate Joey’s behavior (which has frequently endangered his own life as well as the lives of others) have brought him to this special place, where Joey’s parents hope that once and for all, someone will figure out why Joey acts the way he does…and do something about it. The intricate data algorithms will try to correlate Joey’s physical state to his behavior sequences, looking for “predictors” of behavior-onsets, so that aggressive or self-injurious behaviors can be “pre-managed” or even completely “redirected”.
As Big John, Joey, HBO and ELMO finish the “Matching Program,” a small chorus of cheers erupts from the classroom control room. Off to a rocky start with a mismatch, Joey got the gist of the program pretty quickly, and ended up scoring a majority of successes in his first twenty trials. Joey’s first program at his new school is a success…all systems go. In the background, Joey’s data automatically translates into a new goal structure with three associated objectives; the next time Joey returns to this task, the outcomes bar will be based on his past performance and raised a couple of notches, due to his success. It’s 10:30am now, and the PDA on Big John’s belt buzzes to life, flashing “Snack Time!”. John introduces the idea to Joey, and Joey likes it. Joey’s favorite snack is diced peaches, and they are ready and waiting for him in the cafeteria. “Enough classroom for now…today is a big day, there is so much more to do!” John chides Joey. The doorway and hall sensors announce Joey’s impending arrival in the cafeteria silently for the kitchen staff, and in the Data Center the supervisor watches the small entourage make their way as the group enters the serving area. Snack Time is uneventful.
As Joey returns the empty snack dish to the “clean up counter,” another sensor keys a message in John’s PDA, “Proceed to GYM for A.P.E.” This is a change in schedule; ordinarily they would have headed over to the home, but another student is having a tantrum and Joey’s arrival could create two new problem scenarios – one for Joey and one for the other student. John leads Joey to one of the large interactive display monitors in the hallway, and – as they approach – the monitor switches displays to present Joey’s visual picture schedule for that day. John shows Joey “what’s next”. The Home coordinator and Data Center Supervisor adjusted the order of events based on another student’s current behavior, and instead the Adapted Physical Education teacher makes time now instead of this afternoon. The same instant John received his PDA message, the scheduling board in the new Gym begins to beep and alerts the teacher of the schedule change, “New Arrival Evaluation: Joey, NOW AT 11:00am”. Behind the scenes, far from the recesses of Joey’s or his parents’ concerns, a seamless flow of opportunity and successful outcomes is paving the way for Joey to learn, driven by human beings who make strategic decisions, and executed by technology in synchronization with an individual subject and the general environment. The “big behavior picture” of all students is successfully driving “individual” behavior success of each student.
Adapted Physical Education has reached a new threshold of meaning at the new school. Once confined to rudimentary “adaptive” constructs such as Velcro closures over foot pedals on large tricycles, technology has forced a new “adaptive” envelope. Joey’s new biometric shirt, and it’s streaming online data feed, offer a whole new set of tools to the instructor. Now able to monitor biometrics exceptionally closely and at all times, precise thresholds for Joey’s “workouts” can be determined, worked towards, achieved, and managed and sustained. Since all data enters the HBO, goals and outcomes are automatically adjusted and refined based on performance. While official IEP (Individual Education Plan) goals are registered and displayed, the daily events of task-goal execution are incrementally managed in microscopic steps by an intelligent system able to “safely push the envelope for that specific individual”. In the case of A.P.E., Joey loves the treadmill…an ideal choice for physical exercise. Today’s performance data from Joey’s 10-minute walk will determine tomorrow’s walk-length and speed, and so forth. Data from Joey’s shirt will figure into this process, as will ELMO’s data, as will all the other data fed into HBO.
Besides the treadmill, all the other athletic equipment is similarly equipped; Joey enjoys the scooter game (which measures hand to eye to muscle coordination), basketball (building upper body strength), and, of course, the therapy pool – where isometric aquatic exercise builds whole body muscle tone. On the scooter proprioceptive input force and upper body strength is measured and fed into HBO via Joey’s shirt; while playing basketball an intelligent backboard and net register the number of attempted baskets, and the number completed and missed; in the pool several systems combine, including video footage and isometric and biometric data. Meanwhile, HBO calculates the amount of energy expended and adjusts Joey’s caloric intake menu accordingly; post-it size alerts are sent to the Health center with baseline data for routine exercise, as well as to the inbox of the A.P.E. Instructor’s email. Roughly an hour later, exercised and showered, the small group is ready to move on, and PDA’s and monitors light up everywhere, “Lunch-Time.”
It is noon, and the data center has already logged almost three hours worth of evaluation material; one crisis event (the bolting episode) has been deftly managed, and several possible crisis events (aggressive encounters involving other students) have been swiftly, pro-actively avoided; Joey has been equipped with data generating tools, and he is already part of the Heartspring Behavior Organizer matrix; goals and programs have been logged and adjusted, objectives for several tasks have been catalogued and redrafted; physical exercise thresholds have been measured and baselined; Joey has been medically, academically, and socially supervised at all times by a combination of human and electronic elements…and Joey hasn’t even had his first meal here, yet.
Joey ate his gluten-free, MSG free, and lactose-free meal laughing intermittently at ELMO, who was singing Sesame Street’s newest blockbusting hit, “It’s Monsterful To Be Me.” Joey didn’t touch his vegetables, a fact only briefly registered by Big John as they returned Joey’s tray. Next to the tray return is a touch-screen, and sensing Joey, it displayed Joey’s lunch broken down into portions with caloric and nutritional values. Next to that, a descending scale allows the user to enter how much of each portion is consumed. John briefly touched the “None” button next to the vegetable serving icon, and the screen processed and refreshed the information. It took less than three seconds, an action as natural and out-of-awareness as can be imagined.
HBO processed the data, and readjusted Joey’s evening meal to augment the missing nutrients and calories, taking care to remain within gluten-free, MSG free, and lactose free parameters. Joey’s medical history requires this level of intervention; if Joey doesn’t maintain his natural chemical balance, he becomes weak, lethargic, will not eat, will not learn…he will simply deteriorate. But without the need for a nutritionist, Joey will acquire these intake values before going to bed tonight. In the kitchen, later this afternoon, the cook will scan Joey’s dinner preparation chart – tonight’s dinner will include an extra floret of broccoli, an extra teaspoon of butter, and a change from mashed potatoes to mashed sweet potatoes. Joey’s requirements will be met.
The PDA on Big John’s belt buzzes again, and glancing briefly at the display, they head towards Joy’s new home…Group Home A. As HBO sends messages ahead of them, Joey once again notices the lake as they walk across the college like quad area. Pulling away from Big John, the twelve year old delivers a swift kick to John’s shin and bolts towards the lake, still clutching ELMO; as Joey’s heart rate increases, the biometrics monitor jumps off the scale having received ELMO’s distress call, sounding a chirping alarm in the Data Center. The supervisor, glancing briefly at the location and the display, informs two more dutiful paraprofessionals that help is needed. They arrive roughly a minute later, too late to intercept Joey, but early enough to help Big John manage his young, lanky but powerful, and out of control charge.
After some time to calm down and refocus, they begin anew for the home…and the update on monitors everywhere instantly refreshes, “Joey is on his way to Group Home A”. Joey’s parents and teacher, having returned from lunch, are already at the Home, waiting. As the sensors detect him, they watch on a large display monitor in the home as Joey rounds the curve on the virtual campus map and as the distance between the green blinking dot and the blue outline of the home decreases. As he walks through the door, Joey is met with a Welcome party, and John has a chance to update the parents on what has transpired. He pulls out his PDA and accesses the video behavior link, and replays the behavior event sequence as seen from one of the schools may outdoor high resolution cameras. The parents are relieved. They understand what happened.
Joey’s room number is 5. Like Joey’s classroom, it is rigged with technology and learning opportunities. The bed monitors the quality and depth of sleep; lights turn on and off automatically when someone enters or leaves; the closets and dresser have lit compartments which can “teach” how to put clothes away appropriately; the desk has another intelligent data-surface; the cabinets contain the same programs and items found in the classroom, such as the red blocks; the rooms are self-vacuuming and the windows tint with exposure to light from the outside. The adjoining bathroom, made of all stainless brushed steel appliances with not a single sharp edge to be found, is self cleaning; when needed, the empty room seals itself and fills with bursts of hot steam, effectively sanitizing the entire bathroom area. HBO controls all Home functions automatically, and the entire home is focused on providing as much “functional independence” as possible to each student.
Supplies for the Home are managed through an intelligent supply chain management system, where consumed (missing) goods are replaced by on-line delivery services summoned to do so. Food materials are requisitioned from a local supermarket after having checked the weekly specials at all stores (electronically), and deliveries are made directly to refrigerators and pantries capable of monitoring stocked goods. Non-consumables are requisitioned from supply companies who deliver and publish their catalogs online. Physically, the Home requires little more than an aide for each student.
The coolest thing in Joey’s new room is the large multi-purpose monitor on which he can watch TV, work the internet, and play one very, very special video game. Joey loves video games, especially the car-racing kind; he loves driving the cars, and crashing them. But this video game is unlike any other…it comes with a special baseball hat. The hat is made from the same biometric fiber material that constitutes Joey’s new shirt and positions wireless EEG electrodes strategically around Joey’s head. It feels like a cotton cap, but it is so much more. This new video game incorporates a new wireless, interactive biofeedback schema to increase Joey’s attention span over time. As Joey plays the game, information from the hat is sent to the game…and the game makes adjustments. One apparent anomaly: Joey cannot succeed in crashing the car. As the car increases speed and is on the verge of getting out of control it mysteriously slows down and forces Joey to regain control, thus increasing the variable length of beta-waves his brain is generating…indicating sustained attention. If Joey were to crash the car the beta wave cycles would become much shorter, indicating the breakup of sustained attention. Since Joey cannot fail with this game, and since the biofeedback data is sent back to HBO, HBO manages the gradual progressive increase in attention by varying and managing the game. Joey gets to play this game during time scheduled for recreational activities, so even when Joey is playing and having some “down time” doing what Joey likes to do best, Joey is learning, getting educationally stronger, and pushing the envelope on his own cognitive self. He is also training his eye to hand coordination, significantly, while playing this game. Data from the gaming outcomes is sent to HBO and fed into the matrix, allowing teachers and psychologists to better profile the length of Joey’s attention span, and incorporate that information into other tasks.
Joey is having such a good time that Big John finds it hard to redirect his new student. HBO is buzzing John’s PDA, reminding him that Joey is to meet his new Physical Therapist in 10 minutes. As Joey reluctantly gives up his baseball cap and game controls, John shows Joey his visual picture schedule on the big wall mounted monitor, and they set off for the PT lab. In the Lab, a brand new therapy aid is available, “The 3-D Gait Trainer.” The new gait trainer is an ambulation modifier…it can change the way you walk. In Joey’s case, his tendency to lean forward and walk on the balls of his feet impedes a normal gait. The new gait trainer allows a laser targeting system designed for aircraft combat to measure the precise amount of space Joey is taking up as he walks; it measures distances between multiple points in space given an “origin point,” which in this case is Joey himself. Joey has a forward lean angle of 8 degrees, which will be gradually reduced over time, one degree after another, until his measurements fall within the “normal” gait parameters of “everyday” walking activity. These measurements allow the therapists to concentrate on correcting one part of the gait at a time; they enable the therapists to build and document improvement in previously impossible ways, and then move on to the next part of gait construction and/or modification.
After the gait-training session, it’s a short walk across the hall to the Music room, where Joey’s eyes light up with delight. He loves music, anything rhythmic, anything auditory and physically related. He immediately heads for the interactive drum set, and as he sits down, a click track starts playing through a small speaker in the drummer’s baseball cap that comes with the set. As the click track pounds out its simple beat, each drum lights up, prompting Joey to hit it with a drumstick. Immediately the drum set measures the delay between lighting up and Joey’s response “hit” on the drum surface, and adjusts the light-up cue so that Joey is successful at hitting the drum “on the beat” of the click track. The beat is then reinforced with a short “vibrate” cue of the seat; the entire drum set individualizes the student’s successful rhythm completion – with visual, auditory, and sensory feedback. Over time, the rhythms and drum sequences will get more complex. The data generated, like all data, is fed into HBO and turns itself into a goal with associated objectives. Joey is having the time of his life, as the teacher turns on the sound system, and the computer picks a song with the same beat count Joey is currently pounding out…all of a sudden Joey sounds like a concert drummer with a back up band. Joey is grinning, laughing, shouting with delight, and the teacher smiles a knowing smile — Joey will definitely be back for more of this.
The group heads back to Joey’s classroom, and a speech therapist is waiting for Joey at one of the new surface computers. It’s time for Joey’s reading lesson, and as Joey sits down, the surface computer fires to life and presents Joey with a large font sentence on the interactive, multi-touch coffee table style monitor. As the speech therapist prompts Joey to read the sentence, a microphone records Joey’s voice and analyzes the speech patterns using more natural language paradigms. The high resolution audio recording is attached to the program record in HBO, along with the performance data. As Joey completes the first sentence successfully, a Sesame Street video pops up on the display as reinforcement for the task completion. On the large display monitors on the wall, a new speech analysis graph of consonant and vowel sounds illustrates areas of strength and weakness, to confirm the speech therapist’s assessments and detail Joey’s program performance. As the video ends, the next sentence is presented on the computer’s surface monitor, and the prompt-task-reinforcement sequence begins again. Next comes the vocabulary section of the program; the computer prompts Joey with a single word, “Circle”. The speech therapist uses a finger and draws a rainbow colored circle on the surface monitor, clarifying the referent, and Joey repeats the action – although his “circle” attempt looks more like a square. Instantly the computer pops up a “circle-guide” which outlines a circle shape with two concentric circles a half inch apart. Joey tries again, this time staying within the guidelines of the circle. As he completes the circle drawing with his finger, the surface display visually explodes into a full screen fireworks display, celebrating the accomplishment. Joey giggles – he has never had this much fun learning. Ten sentences and ten vocabulary words later, Big John’s PDA is buzzing again.
The afternoon has flown by – it is already 5:00pm. As Joey’s parents drive to the Hotel to rest from today’s hectic and emotionally charged events, from all the meetings and all the commotion, Joey and Big John head out to the school’s playground to play with the other kids. Of course, it is an “intelligent” playground. Sensors identify all students, and the playground “offers” access to certain activities. For instance, Ben has very serious bone fragility; the playground will not let him use the slide by “disappearing” the steps on the ladder as he places his hands on the ladder’s rail. Susie needs to use a back-supported swing…as she approaches the swing-set, the open-back swings rise upward and become unavailable, while the chair-swing “leans” forward to let Susie sit down. The carousel is unavailable to Joey, as he gets violently ill and possibly initiates the onset of seizures when made dizzy; as Joey approaches the colorful carousel, it locks up and refuses to spin. The basketball court “records” the number of attempts and scores, and transfers the data to HBO where it is incorporated in Joey’s data set.
The dinner bell buzzes on John’s PDA, and it’s time to walk to the cafeteria. Joey’s HBO-modified dinner is waiting for him, and as he reaches for his tray, sensors release his evening medication into a small cup. The nurse monitors the medicine consumption from her offices via video-link, and John confirms the medicine intake by brushing across another steel framed touch screen on the wall, which blinks accordingly and registers the data.
Back in the Data Center, where shift changes are happening, the day supervisor gathers her things, rubs her eyes, and wonders about the new boy, Joey. He’s had a very intense day, full of new experiences, and fraught with new boundaries. His bolting was contained, she muses…he ate well, didn’t slug anybody, didn’t get hurt. She has seen much, much worse in other settings she has worked, where there was a total lack of supervisory control. How did they do it before all this technology, how archaic did it all seem previously? She smiles as she thinks about how much she loves her job, and then grins at the pun crossing her mind, as she envisions having to make dinner for a family of seven, “I really should get HBO at home.”
An Open Special Education Contract
Recently, I came across a classroom blog that struck a profound chord in me. It contained a teacher’s “manifesto”, with the promises the teacher made to his students. I love this idea, and thought about special education. I have never seen a Special Education Contract of that sort, and immediately started jotting down ideas. Then it occurred to me that this really needed to be an “open” project, and that I should seek the input of the special education world at large. If you are a special education professional, service provider, teacher or administrator, or a parent or advocate or a person with special needs, please contribute to this project. The items below are a beginning, and presented in no particular order, and I welcome your feedback and additions. I would love to see this grow and saturate the online special education community – so please share this with your friends, colleagues and contacts. Thanks!
- I promise to do no harm.
- I promise to individualize your education to the best of my abilities and resources.
- I promise to focus on your outcomes, and to be able to explain what difference the current education program makes to your functional independence later in life.
- I promise to listen to your parents, and work towards their goals, and yours.
- I promise to champion your success, and value your failures.
- I promise to promote your opportunity, and to seek opportunities for you to succeed.
- I promise to educate myself, to help educate you.
- I promise to use technology, and to help you use technology, so we can both succeed.
- I promise to strengthen your skills, and use your strengths to further strengthen your weaknesses.
- I promise to put your outcomes and needs first, and keep them close and centered, in your heart and mine.
- I promise to gather data on all your outcomes, and to only use data-informed, peer-reviewed, scientifically established interventions that document measurable progress.
- I promise to respect you and your wishes, always.
- I promise to involve you in decisions about your future, as best I can and as you are able.
- I promise to center your education around your needs today and your needs in the future.
- I promise to help generalize your skills in the classroom, and the home, and the community.
- I promise to use the most appropriate tools available for us to learn.
- I promise to remember daily that you are a wonderful human being, and that data and statistics rarely tell the whole story of YOU.
- I promise to help you fill your life with rich experiences in art, music, science, social studies, physical activity, etc… because reading and math are not more important than everything else. Everyone deserves to find his/her own passion.
- I promise to introduce you to, and teach you how to interact with, your peers. You will need both friends like you and friends that are different from you, and you’ll need to know how to interact with them.
- I promise not to think of you as data or outcomes, but to think of you as feelings and desires and wants and needs.
- I promise to advocate for you, always, everywhere, even when my boss disagrees, or the community disagrees, or the world disagrees. I will advocate for you.
- I promise to teach you how to help yourself, how to advocate for yourself, and how to become the most independent person you can be.
- I promise to love you as my student and as a person, even when my life is tough, your life is tough, and our work together is tough.
- I promise to value function over form.
- I promise to continually work towards your independence.
- I promise to educate others about how extraordinary you are.
- I promise to say something nice or positive to you daily.
- I promise to never try to make you fit into the world’s view of “perfect.” I will value you as “perfect” just the way you are.
- I promise to help you speak for yourself.
- I promise to help you stand tall.
- I promise to remember that you are whole, just the way you are.
- I promise to do my best not to say or do anything unkind.
- I promise to listen to your eyes.
- I promise to laugh with you.
- I promise to ensure that you get to take your rightful place in the world.
- I promise to experience and celebrate you and your joy.
- I promise to do more than see. I promise to be a keen observer.
- I promise to not just say ” I hear you,” but to mean it with all my heart.
- I promise to learn from you and use what I’ve learned to help you grow.
- I promise that as hard as it may be to watch you fail, I know that “there is dignity in risk” and realize that sometimes you will fail before you succeed.
- I promise to facilitate your independence needs, and seek transparency and clarity for all in this process.
Online Library Science Degrees - What It Takes
The knowledge to maintain information resources is a skill that requires a degree. Students seeking careers as librarians will find that online education is available. Accredited online colleges and universities provide information on what it takes to obtain online library science degrees that teach students the skills for their desired career.
The education to become a librarian is very specific and students have to meet the training requirements in order to successfully enter a career. Library science is concerned with correctly managing information by specifically organizing and disseminating resources. Training in online library science degree programs is focused and prepares students for professional work.
In order to step into a career as a librarian a master degree has to be obtained. Education approaches the skill set needed from a technological and information management standpoint. With the new ways of acquiring information available students are taught to understand databases and information structure. The field is broken down into numerous concentrations. For example, students that want to work in a government library would find an online school that offers a specialization in that area. The broad scope of possibilities teaches students how information is collected and disbursed in each field. A medical library catalogs and stores their information differently than a public library. Students can expect to take the same basic courses online, which may include:
Students that haven't completed undergraduate training have a couple options available. They can train for a lower-level position or prepare themselves for graduate training at the master's degree level. A two-year associate's degree teaches how to step into support positions such as a library assistant or library technician. Education focuses on giving students the skills to prepare and organize materials. The day-to-day work of an assistant is learned, which includes inputting data, overseeing the circulation desk, and cataloguing material. Further study at the bachelor's degree level is also available.
Students that complete a library bachelor's degree program study administration while taking courses that focus on their particular area of interest such as military or medical. Literature studies, media selections, management tools, and database functions are all general subjects that students study in an online program.
The field of library science takes a master's degree for students that have the career goal of being a librarian. Numerous educational avenues can be pursued that allow students to start the process of becoming a librarian. Students should enter the level of education right for them and learn the skills needed in library science. Accredited training is approved by agencies like the American Library Association ( http://www.ala.org/ ) to offer quality educational experiences.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.
Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.
The education to become a librarian is very specific and students have to meet the training requirements in order to successfully enter a career. Library science is concerned with correctly managing information by specifically organizing and disseminating resources. Training in online library science degree programs is focused and prepares students for professional work.
In order to step into a career as a librarian a master degree has to be obtained. Education approaches the skill set needed from a technological and information management standpoint. With the new ways of acquiring information available students are taught to understand databases and information structure. The field is broken down into numerous concentrations. For example, students that want to work in a government library would find an online school that offers a specialization in that area. The broad scope of possibilities teaches students how information is collected and disbursed in each field. A medical library catalogs and stores their information differently than a public library. Students can expect to take the same basic courses online, which may include:
- Archival Practices
- Information Access
- Information Technology
- Library Services
Students that haven't completed undergraduate training have a couple options available. They can train for a lower-level position or prepare themselves for graduate training at the master's degree level. A two-year associate's degree teaches how to step into support positions such as a library assistant or library technician. Education focuses on giving students the skills to prepare and organize materials. The day-to-day work of an assistant is learned, which includes inputting data, overseeing the circulation desk, and cataloguing material. Further study at the bachelor's degree level is also available.
Students that complete a library bachelor's degree program study administration while taking courses that focus on their particular area of interest such as military or medical. Literature studies, media selections, management tools, and database functions are all general subjects that students study in an online program.
The field of library science takes a master's degree for students that have the career goal of being a librarian. Numerous educational avenues can be pursued that allow students to start the process of becoming a librarian. Students should enter the level of education right for them and learn the skills needed in library science. Accredited training is approved by agencies like the American Library Association ( http://www.ala.org/ ) to offer quality educational experiences.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.
Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.
Renata McGee is a staff writer for PETAP.org. Locate Online Library Science Degree Programs as well as Campus Based Library Science Degree Programs at PETAP.org, your Partners in Education and Tuition Assistance Programs.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Renata_McGee
Online High School Programs Help Troubled Students
As the popularity of online higher education continues to grow, a younger group of students has noticed the convenience of online learning. Online courses are a realistic option for young students with medical or behavior issues who cannot succeed in a traditional high school.
One such student, Chelsea Ballenger, 18, from Tacoma, Washington, might not have earned her high school diploma without the option of online school. Ballenger was not able to achieve success at a traditional high school, or even an alternative school. She enrolled in her local community college's Fresh Start program, a scholarship program designed to help students earn their high school diploma in a different setting and begin working toward college credits. But Ballenger, who "wanted to have a different relationship with school," found the right fit through another option- online learning.
Tacoma Virtual Learning, an online education program for high school students, launched this fall by Tacoma Public Schools. The program is popular among students who struggle in a traditional high school setting and those who have problems with time management due to family or job-related issues. Ballenger works full-time at a department store and said that "studying online, on her own time, allows her to focus better than in a traditional high school classroom." About 100 students have already enrolled in Tacoma Virtual Learning.
Nearly 500 students withdrew from Tacoma high schools last year to pursue an online learning program through another district because Tacoma did not offer one. Michael Farmer, online learning coordinator, said that this number is comparable to an entire "middle school's worth of full-time equivalent students." And, "when students leave their home district to attend school in another district, their state funding- an estimated $6,600 per student- goes with them," which can create a severe problem for school districts.
Tacoma Virtual Learning was created about 15 years after the first online education program launched in the state of Washington. All online courses are free to students who are enrolled full-time status in a public school. While convenience is often the main factor that attracts students to online learning, a variety of options among programs is key as well. Students can transfer from one district to another to find a program they like, and can choose to enroll full-time online, or to take only part of their required courses online while completing the rest in a ground school.
One such student, Chelsea Ballenger, 18, from Tacoma, Washington, might not have earned her high school diploma without the option of online school. Ballenger was not able to achieve success at a traditional high school, or even an alternative school. She enrolled in her local community college's Fresh Start program, a scholarship program designed to help students earn their high school diploma in a different setting and begin working toward college credits. But Ballenger, who "wanted to have a different relationship with school," found the right fit through another option- online learning.
Tacoma Virtual Learning, an online education program for high school students, launched this fall by Tacoma Public Schools. The program is popular among students who struggle in a traditional high school setting and those who have problems with time management due to family or job-related issues. Ballenger works full-time at a department store and said that "studying online, on her own time, allows her to focus better than in a traditional high school classroom." About 100 students have already enrolled in Tacoma Virtual Learning.
Nearly 500 students withdrew from Tacoma high schools last year to pursue an online learning program through another district because Tacoma did not offer one. Michael Farmer, online learning coordinator, said that this number is comparable to an entire "middle school's worth of full-time equivalent students." And, "when students leave their home district to attend school in another district, their state funding- an estimated $6,600 per student- goes with them," which can create a severe problem for school districts.
Tacoma Virtual Learning was created about 15 years after the first online education program launched in the state of Washington. All online courses are free to students who are enrolled full-time status in a public school. While convenience is often the main factor that attracts students to online learning, a variety of options among programs is key as well. Students can transfer from one district to another to find a program they like, and can choose to enroll full-time online, or to take only part of their required courses online while completing the rest in a ground school.
University Bound is THE authority in online education and the ultimate resource for prospective online students.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alli_Lawrence
Online Medical and Nursing Schools - Why They Make Sense
Online medical and nursing schools are becoming increasingly popular today as more and more people discover this alternative method of getting their degree and advancing their careers. So, is this the right path for you?
The medical profession, and nurses in particular, is growing at an amazing rate. The need for LPN's and RN's is expected to be the single fastest growing profession over the next decade.
Needless to say, that as the demand for anything goes up, so does the price. Salaries for nursing professionals are no different. Did you know that 25% of all nurses are paid $64,000 or more per year? This figure will also rise over the coming years.
Training and healthcare education is also on the increase with the higher need for programs that will provide nursing degrees. This is one of the big reasons that online nursing schools are increasing. They offer serious training and education to help you in all types of medical fields.
An example would be the LPN/LVN programs at online schools. Not only can you get a basic degree, but there are also masters of nursing programs you can go through.
One of the keys to look for in any online medical school is that of accreditation. You must be sure that the program you are considering is accredited. This varies by each state, so do not assume it is, but be sure to ask instead if it is not spelled out in their program information.
Getting your online nursing degree can be accomplished much more quickly than attending classes in school. You can work at your own pace and put in more effort to get your degree in a shorter time frame. These are only a few of the many reasons why a nursing or medical school with online education programs makes sense.
The medical profession, and nurses in particular, is growing at an amazing rate. The need for LPN's and RN's is expected to be the single fastest growing profession over the next decade.
Needless to say, that as the demand for anything goes up, so does the price. Salaries for nursing professionals are no different. Did you know that 25% of all nurses are paid $64,000 or more per year? This figure will also rise over the coming years.
Training and healthcare education is also on the increase with the higher need for programs that will provide nursing degrees. This is one of the big reasons that online nursing schools are increasing. They offer serious training and education to help you in all types of medical fields.
An example would be the LPN/LVN programs at online schools. Not only can you get a basic degree, but there are also masters of nursing programs you can go through.
One of the keys to look for in any online medical school is that of accreditation. You must be sure that the program you are considering is accredited. This varies by each state, so do not assume it is, but be sure to ask instead if it is not spelled out in their program information.
Getting your online nursing degree can be accomplished much more quickly than attending classes in school. You can work at your own pace and put in more effort to get your degree in a shorter time frame. These are only a few of the many reasons why a nursing or medical school with online education programs makes sense.
Next, go to this website at Online Medical Assistant Schools where you will find information and tips on online medical schools. http://www.OnlineMedicalAssistantSchools.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Marshfield
Online College Ratings List
What are the online college ratings? This is not an official term in that schools are not formally rated by the government or even by any accrediting agency. However, there are plenty of organizations that do want to give you information about the schools that you may be considering for your education. Keep in mind that some schools may receive more favorable ratings than others simply because the organization is paid to say just that. However, it is quite important for students considering the web to determine which school is right for their needs.
There are a few things that you should look for when it comes to getting your education. Consider the following list of features to look for in these schools before you choose one or the other to enroll in.
• Does the school offer the type of program for your needs?
• What types of communication tools are offered? The more that are offered, the better.
• What types of degrees are offered, if degrees are an option?
• What types of courses are included in the curriculum? Do they meet your needs?
• Is the school, the program you are enrolling into, have accreditation?
• Does the school provide you with affordability and does it offer loans and other tools?
• Does the school meet your needs in terms of their reputation?
• Is the school providing the latest information and resources to students?
All of this information adds up to an all important tool. You simply need to know what online college ratings are but you can only know this information if you take the time to consider how well it can work for your particular needs. Many students will find that in general, ratings are only as good as providing you with information. If they do not do that, they are unable to meet your needs.
There are a few things that you should look for when it comes to getting your education. Consider the following list of features to look for in these schools before you choose one or the other to enroll in.
• Does the school offer the type of program for your needs?
• What types of communication tools are offered? The more that are offered, the better.
• What types of degrees are offered, if degrees are an option?
• What types of courses are included in the curriculum? Do they meet your needs?
• Is the school, the program you are enrolling into, have accreditation?
• Does the school provide you with affordability and does it offer loans and other tools?
• Does the school meet your needs in terms of their reputation?
• Is the school providing the latest information and resources to students?
All of this information adds up to an all important tool. You simply need to know what online college ratings are but you can only know this information if you take the time to consider how well it can work for your particular needs. Many students will find that in general, ratings are only as good as providing you with information. If they do not do that, they are unable to meet your needs.
Matt Black is the Online Degree Blogger. With hundreds of schools and thousands of degrees to choose from, making the right education choice can be overwhelming. If you are considering accelerated degrees my blog can help you make the right choice.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Black
Online Colleges Degrees - So Many Choices, So Little Time
We live in an amazing time! Today, more people than ever before are able to pursue the advanced education of their choice through almost any avenue they desire. Traditional brick-and-mortar schools of higher learning are no longer the exclusive source of diplomas and degrees as online colleges degrees are more widespread than anyone could have ever imagined a few short decades ago. The only drawback to the availability of these degrees is in the plethora of choices that are being made available. With the limited time most people have to devote to learning, there are almost too many online colleges degrees from which to choose.
The Many Options
When it comes to online colleges degrees, the world is your oyster. Whether your interests and natural proclivities run toward the creative or the practical, there is sure to be a course of study online that can provide you with the tools you need to establish a firm educational foundation. From degrees in the liberal arts to business, computers to medicine, and even various trades, there are literally thousands of programs that can provide you with online colleges degrees to facilitate your future career.
Following Trends
Of course, many people worry in a down economy that certain professional avenues may be closed off to opportunity by the time they graduate. A little study will reveal that there are always certain industries that thrive even in troubled economic times. Take medicine, for instance. Doctors, nurses, and medical technicians of all kinds are expected to be in high demand for the next several decades. Not only are there certain to be jobs in those areas, but also the salaries earned by professionals in the medical field are more than worth the effort required to earn your online colleges degrees.
Computers are another area that is certain to see continued growth into the foreseeable future. It does not take a rocket science to figure out that online colleges degrees in information technology are sure to pay off in terms of employment availability and high salaries, as more and more of the nation and the world become reliant upon these technological marvels for the basic needs of everyday existence. Computers will continue to be as much a part of our collective future as they were anticipated to be more than a decade ago.
What Do You Desire?
Teachers, lawyers, and business people - if you name the profession, someone online will have the online colleges degrees to match it. The choices are dizzying. However, determining your own educational path need not be overly complicated. You just need to decide what it is that you wish to do with your life and then research the hundreds of online educational opportunities to determine which of the many online colleges degrees are right for you. In other words, think about what makes you happy, and first determine whether there is a career out there that can enable you to do what you love and get paid for it too. If so, there is certainly an online degree that will enable you to follow that dream.
The Many Options
When it comes to online colleges degrees, the world is your oyster. Whether your interests and natural proclivities run toward the creative or the practical, there is sure to be a course of study online that can provide you with the tools you need to establish a firm educational foundation. From degrees in the liberal arts to business, computers to medicine, and even various trades, there are literally thousands of programs that can provide you with online colleges degrees to facilitate your future career.
Following Trends
Of course, many people worry in a down economy that certain professional avenues may be closed off to opportunity by the time they graduate. A little study will reveal that there are always certain industries that thrive even in troubled economic times. Take medicine, for instance. Doctors, nurses, and medical technicians of all kinds are expected to be in high demand for the next several decades. Not only are there certain to be jobs in those areas, but also the salaries earned by professionals in the medical field are more than worth the effort required to earn your online colleges degrees.
Computers are another area that is certain to see continued growth into the foreseeable future. It does not take a rocket science to figure out that online colleges degrees in information technology are sure to pay off in terms of employment availability and high salaries, as more and more of the nation and the world become reliant upon these technological marvels for the basic needs of everyday existence. Computers will continue to be as much a part of our collective future as they were anticipated to be more than a decade ago.
What Do You Desire?
Teachers, lawyers, and business people - if you name the profession, someone online will have the online colleges degrees to match it. The choices are dizzying. However, determining your own educational path need not be overly complicated. You just need to decide what it is that you wish to do with your life and then research the hundreds of online educational opportunities to determine which of the many online colleges degrees are right for you. In other words, think about what makes you happy, and first determine whether there is a career out there that can enable you to do what you love and get paid for it too. If so, there is certainly an online degree that will enable you to follow that dream.
For more great information about an online college degree, and an mba degree online visit our site today.
Attending Online Accounting Degrees Schools is a Process That May Not Be Easy For Everyone
Earning an online degree has various benefits to it. It is simply convenient, has become a popular method and is affordable. This allows the adult the simple opportunity to earn a degree while still continuing in his daily life. This allows the person to continue his job, spend his time with his family and/or friends as well as continuing to keep prior commitments. This also will allow a worker to still advance in his or her job before he or she actually earns their degree.
The online accounting degrees are one of the degrees that could be earned online and gives the individual the freedom to continue all of their daily functions. This has provided those who need to earn a associates degree to do so online. The associate degree is for those individuals who are just beginning to get into the accounting background. Once you have earned started earning online accounting degrees, you will move onto earning your bachelors degree.
Before earning any of the accounting degrees online, you must first apply and then be accepted into one of the many online accounting degrees programs. The online accounting degrees and programs are much like any other traditional program. There will be an application process that allows prospective individuals the opportunity to become a student.
While every online school is individual, they all have their own process that someone who is looking to take online accounting degrees courses must first do before taking any of the classes. There are procedures that must be followed before you are able to attend any of the online accounting degrees courses like you would have to do to attend a college.
The most difficult of all the processes is choosing which of the online degrees in accounting that you want to go for. Luckily for you, all of the research can be done in the privacy of your own home and can be done on your personal computer. You will want to use a reliable search engine which will allow you to find the type of online accounting degrees that you wish to earn first and foremost. This will determine which is right for you such as a associates or masters or bachelors degrees.
Once the research has been done and you find the right type of program that peeks your interest, you will want to spend some time reading up on all the information that these programs offer. You will want to pay attention to each of the details which talks about the different steps of the application and its processes.
The next thing that you will want to do is to research the different schools to find out which of the online accounting degrees schools fits your needs and what you want to accomplish. This should be academically and also economically. You should make a checklist of the different requirements when applying to each of the schools. Typically there will be an online application and also an essay with a list of different documents needed to enter courses such as past transcripts of schools attended and any past test scores. As you complete one step, cross it off the list and move on. Any applications not complete will not be accepted which will prevent you from earning online accounting degrees.
The online accounting degrees are one of the degrees that could be earned online and gives the individual the freedom to continue all of their daily functions. This has provided those who need to earn a associates degree to do so online. The associate degree is for those individuals who are just beginning to get into the accounting background. Once you have earned started earning online accounting degrees, you will move onto earning your bachelors degree.
Before earning any of the accounting degrees online, you must first apply and then be accepted into one of the many online accounting degrees programs. The online accounting degrees and programs are much like any other traditional program. There will be an application process that allows prospective individuals the opportunity to become a student.
While every online school is individual, they all have their own process that someone who is looking to take online accounting degrees courses must first do before taking any of the classes. There are procedures that must be followed before you are able to attend any of the online accounting degrees courses like you would have to do to attend a college.
The most difficult of all the processes is choosing which of the online degrees in accounting that you want to go for. Luckily for you, all of the research can be done in the privacy of your own home and can be done on your personal computer. You will want to use a reliable search engine which will allow you to find the type of online accounting degrees that you wish to earn first and foremost. This will determine which is right for you such as a associates or masters or bachelors degrees.
Once the research has been done and you find the right type of program that peeks your interest, you will want to spend some time reading up on all the information that these programs offer. You will want to pay attention to each of the details which talks about the different steps of the application and its processes.
The next thing that you will want to do is to research the different schools to find out which of the online accounting degrees schools fits your needs and what you want to accomplish. This should be academically and also economically. You should make a checklist of the different requirements when applying to each of the schools. Typically there will be an online application and also an essay with a list of different documents needed to enter courses such as past transcripts of schools attended and any past test scores. As you complete one step, cross it off the list and move on. Any applications not complete will not be accepted which will prevent you from earning online accounting degrees.
For more great information about an online college degree, visit our new website www.youronlinedegreecenter.com/ today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Patullo
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Education in India
With education increasingly becoming the primary determinant of overall development in the emerging knowledge economy, Indiaedu seeks to become a meeting point for students, teachers, and all those who are concerned. With a huge data base of schools, colleges and universities across India, we provide information on various career courses, important educational institutes like IITs, IIMs, JNU, DU and other MBA colleges. Keeping in mind the needs of the working professionals, we have details on online education and different distance-learning courses. It is also the right place for those who wish to know about education loans, scholarships in India, International fellowships and other relevant topics on education in India and abroad. The site aims to be a one-stop destination for anyone seeking information on India Education, thus spreading numerous opportunities available to the Indian students already pursuing education in India or wishing to study abroad and also to those foreign students who wish to study in India.
Electronic Literacies: Language, Culture, and Power in Online Education
Introduction
Electronic Literacies: Language, Culture, and Power in Online Education is a book that investigates the uses of the Internet and other educational technologies in four language and writing classes: an undergraduate English as a second language (ESL) writing class at a small Christian college, a graduate ESL writing class at a large university, an undergraduate intensive Hawai’ian language class at the same university, and an English writing class at a community college.Mark Warschauer, the author of this book, is an educational technology specialist at America-Mideast Educational and Training Services in Cairo, Egypt. He has taught graduate courses at the university of Hawai’i, Manoa. His research interests include technology in language education. Electronic Literacies is based on his doctoral dissertation at the University of Hawai’i, and reports on a two-year ethnographic study of the uses of the Internet and its role in the development of the language and literacy of linguistically and culturally diverse students.
Description
The book consists of six chapters, an epilogue, and an appendix that has additional notes on the ethnographic approach and methods that Warschauer used for researching the online classroom. The first chapter, “Introduction: Surveying the Terrain of Literacy,” provides an historical perspective on how technologies available for reading and writing, along with other economic, cultural, and political factors, affect people’s experiences and thinking about literacy. It also discusses three contentious issues: a) the nature of electronic literacy, b) electronic literacies and school reform, and c) electronic literacy and inequality. [-1-]The second chapter, “Computers, Composition, and Christianity,” describes the use of technology in an undergraduate ESL writing class that Warschauer researched at a small Christian college on the island of O’ahu. To understand teaching and learning practices observed in this class, he examined four aspects of the social context of learning: a) the church and college, b) the English language program, c) the teacher’s background and beliefs, and d) the triangular relationship that developed among teacher, researcher, and students.
Chapter 3, “Networking into Academic Discourse,” discusses the integration of technology into a noncredit writing course for international graduate students in the English language program at the University of Hawai’i. This course was a supplemental class for foreign students who had been admitted to the university but needed extra help with their English language proficiency. The students met in a networked computer laboratory twice a week to practice using online tools such as electronic mail, the World Wide Web, and a program for real-time chatting called Daedalus Interchange.
Chapter 4, “Computer-assisted Language Revitalization,” looks at a general Hawai’ian language class using the Daedalus Interchange software. Every week the teacher posted questions or topics for discussion. After several weeks, the students practiced their Hawai’ian by e-mailing students from another school. Near the end of the semester, they did a research paper using Internet resources and published it on the Web.
In chapter 5, “Cyber Service Learning,” the researcher reports on uses of the Internet in a service learning class for working students from diverse backgrounds. The students collaboratively used the Daedalus Interchange program at the beginning of the course; in the second part of the course they wrote service learning publications including World Wide Web pages for community organizations.
In chapter 6, “Conclusion: Striving Toward Multiliteracies,” Warschauer returns briefly to the interrelation among new electronic literacies, school reform, and the impact of the Internet on quality. He concludes that students of diverse linguistic, cultural, and class backgrounds need more than the Internet. They need to have knowledge of the pragmatic use of language and the discourse of power. They need to learn how to solve problems collaboratively with their classmates and with other students from different schools. They also need to read, write, and think about social and cultural issues and how they relate to their lives. These opportunities would help them establish a voice in society.
The epilogue shows the development of the teachers of the four classes after the semester in which Warschauer worked with them. An appendix describes the methodology of the study.
Evaluation
The technique used for collecting data is especially inspirational for researchers. Warschauer entered most of the classes as a co-teacher or a helper rather than merely an outside researcher. To be able to understand the students and their cultures, he also played the role of a learner in the Hawai’ian course. He explains: “I believe my role as a learner in the class contributed positively to the study in two important ways, it gave me insights into the issues I was investigating from a learner’s perspective, and it facilitated my contact with the other students, as I was able to interact fully with them on a daily basis” (p. 90). These multiple roles as teacher-researcher-student enabled him to construct convincing results. [-2-]The book is well written, without too much reliance on technical jargon, and easy to read. The title reflects its content well, and the design of the cover catches the reader’s attention. It is a well-organized book, except for one minor point: putting the description of the study at the end in an appendix. It may be that Warschauer included it at the end of the book as a supplement because he was concerned that discussions of research methodology would interrupt the succession of the chapters of the book. However, placing the approach and methods of the study at the beginning of the book would have given readers a clearer idea of how the information was gathered before they read the core chapters.
Electronic Literacies is a timely book filled with important ethnographic data on technology and language education, including interviews with students and teachers, observation of classrooms, and transcripts of students’ online interactions. It is one of the few attempts to explore the role of the Internet in the development of the language and literacy of minority students, who have typically been overlooked in Internet-based education. The methodology used in this study can be applied to other groups of students in other contexts.
This text is an excellent resource for teachers and administrators interested in understanding the effects of new technologies on language teaching and learning. Through this understanding, they can promote the use of technology in their classrooms. Overall, the book is a valuable new addition to the field of technology and language teaching and learning.
Receiving social support online: implications for health education
Online support groups are expanding as the general public becomes more comfortable using computer-mediated communication technology. These support groups have certain benefits for users who may not be able to or do not have the desire to attend face-to-face sessions. Online support groups also present challenges when compared to traditional face-to-face group communication. Communication difficulties may arise resulting from lack of visual and aural cues found in traditional face-to-face communication. Online support groups have emerged within health care as a result of the need individuals have to know more about health conditions they are confronting. The proliferation of these online communities may provide an opportunity for health educators to reach target populations with specific messages. This paper reviews the development of health-related online support groups, examines research conducted within these communities, compares their utility with traditional support groups and discusses the implications of these groups for health education.
Top 5 Distance Learning Myths
Myth #1 - Distance learning schools aren’t as good as traditional schools.
Online universities can offer as good an education as any traditional school. You just have to choose the right online program. Many quality programs allow students to interact with expert teachers and learn through multimedia software. Distance learning can help students develop skills, build a portfolio, and advance in their careers. More: 10 Ways an Online Degree Can Enrich Your Life
Myth #2 - Employers won’t accept degrees from distance learning universities.
While this may be true of “diploma mills” and other fake schools, degrees from properly accredited schools are accepted by employers in the same way that traditional degrees are accepted. In fact, there is usually nothing on a diploma to indicate that courses were taken online. More: Will They Accept Your Degree?
Myth #3 - Distance learning credits don’t transfer to other colleges.
Diplomas and credits from online schools that are accredited by the proper regional agency will be accepted by traditional institutions in the same way that diplomas and credits from “regular” colleges are accepted. More: Will Traditional Universities Accept Distance Learning Credits?
Myth #4 - Accredited schools always offer a good education.
Anyone can claim to be an accrediting agency, and many do. However, in order to be widely accepted, your degree needs to come from a school approved by one of the six nationally recognized regional accrediting agencies. Be aware that many “diploma mill” schools make up their own accrediting agencies in order to trick students into feeling secure. Checking with one of the big six agencies directly can help you avoid being scammed. More: Accreditation Info, 6 Snares Fake Schools Set
Myth #5 - Online schools are faster and easier than traditional schools.
While some online students choose accelerated programs, others select online schools that let them do their work slowly, over a longer period of time. Just like traditional schools, some online institutions are known for being easier and others are known for being harder. Flexibility is key in the world of distance learning and the majority of online programs tailor their curriculum to fit the needs of specific students. More: 6 Ways to Get Your Degree Faster, Stay Motivated
Online universities can offer as good an education as any traditional school. You just have to choose the right online program. Many quality programs allow students to interact with expert teachers and learn through multimedia software. Distance learning can help students develop skills, build a portfolio, and advance in their careers. More: 10 Ways an Online Degree Can Enrich Your Life
Myth #2 - Employers won’t accept degrees from distance learning universities.
While this may be true of “diploma mills” and other fake schools, degrees from properly accredited schools are accepted by employers in the same way that traditional degrees are accepted. In fact, there is usually nothing on a diploma to indicate that courses were taken online. More: Will They Accept Your Degree?
Myth #3 - Distance learning credits don’t transfer to other colleges.
Diplomas and credits from online schools that are accredited by the proper regional agency will be accepted by traditional institutions in the same way that diplomas and credits from “regular” colleges are accepted. More: Will Traditional Universities Accept Distance Learning Credits?
Myth #4 - Accredited schools always offer a good education.
Anyone can claim to be an accrediting agency, and many do. However, in order to be widely accepted, your degree needs to come from a school approved by one of the six nationally recognized regional accrediting agencies. Be aware that many “diploma mill” schools make up their own accrediting agencies in order to trick students into feeling secure. Checking with one of the big six agencies directly can help you avoid being scammed. More: Accreditation Info, 6 Snares Fake Schools Set
Myth #5 - Online schools are faster and easier than traditional schools.
While some online students choose accelerated programs, others select online schools that let them do their work slowly, over a longer period of time. Just like traditional schools, some online institutions are known for being easier and others are known for being harder. Flexibility is key in the world of distance learning and the majority of online programs tailor their curriculum to fit the needs of specific students. More: 6 Ways to Get Your Degree Faster, Stay Motivated
10 Reasons to Choose Online Education
Online education isn’t the best choice for everyone. But, many students thrive in the online education environment. Here are 10 reasons why online education continues to grow in popularity.
1. Choice
Online education allows students to choose from a wide variety of schools and programs not available in their area.2.
2.Flexibility
Online education offers flexibility for students who have other commitments.
3. Networking Opportunities
Students enrolled in online education programs network with peers from all over the nation.4. Pacing
Many online education programs allow pupils to work at their own pace.5. Open Scheduling
Online education allows professionals to continue their careers while working towards a degree.6. Savings
Online education programs often charge less than traditional schools.7. Lack of Commute
Students who choose online education save on gas and commuting time.8. Connections
Some online education programs connect students with top-notch professors and guest lecturers from around the world.9. Teaching & Testing Options
The variety of online education programs available means that students are able to choose a learning and evaluation format that works for them.10. Effectiveness
Online education is effective. A 2009 meta-study from the Department of Education found that students taking online courses outperformed their peers in traditional classrooms.
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