3 Ways to Step Up Your Career by Earning Your Degree Online

A lot of people were not given the chance to earn a degree after high school because they need to work due to circumstances beyond their control. Some being the eldest in the family, must give way to younger siblings so that their parents can sustain the education of the younger ones.

Now is your chance to have the degree you dream of when you opt to earn an online degree. Once you have that career, you will have access to jobs that will be able to give you the life you never imagined you could have.

Here are 3 basic ways on how you can earn your degree online so you can get into a better job for you and your family. Read on and start to improve yourselves today.

1. Decide which degree being offered by the online colleges is to your liking. Why? If you do not like what you will study, it is most likely you will fail at completing the course.

2. Find out which online college or university offers the online degree that you have set your heart on. See the curriculum they offer. Check out their faculty and their background. It is perfectly alright for one to inspect the credibility of the people who will give them their lessons.

3. Aside from the credibility of the teaching staff being placed in the spotlight, the online college's profile must also be evaluated. Online colleges are monitored by accreditation bodies so that all the online student's efforts will not go to waste.

5 Tips For a Great Future by Earn Degrees Online Fast

Looking for ways to earn degrees online fast and have a great future to boot? The vast range of opportunities available to obtain an online degree brought about by modern technology seems to make it senseless to attend a traditional university or college.

A degree on hand gives a person more value. Here are a few tips on how earn degrees online fast will give you a great future.

1. Choose the degree you want to pursue well. Make sure that you will finish what you start. You can start with an Associate Degree and work your way up as the years pass by.

2. Find which online college gives the best curriculum for the online degree you wish to pursue. The top traditional universities are now opening doors to online education and so check them out if they offer the online degree course you want to obtain.

3. Check out the credentials of the online colleges' faculty if they are adept in the field that they will instruct you in. It never pays to be careful because your hard work and money is online here.

4. Inquire about the online school's accreditation. There are lots of online schools proliferation out there that offers you earn degrees online fast programs which is all a hoax. Online educational institutions are being regulated by accrediting bodies to protect the rights of the student.

5. Ask around your office to see if they offer financing to employees who want to pursue a degree. There are employers who feel proud and secured when they know that they have a certified employee in their company.

Career Planning

Social culture is certainly an interesting phenomenon. Planning is ingrained into some aspects of our lives and completely shunned in others. Holidays, for example, are often meticulously planned because we want to ensure that we make the most of our time away. Weddings are another example of painstakingly thorough planning. Diets, babies, sporting endeavors and education are more examples of goals and events that are have culturally accepted planning phases.

What is it about these activities and events that lead us to invest so much time into their planning? When we consider that the risk or impact of failing to meet our objective is unacceptable we mitigate the risk by planning ahead. Nobody wants to waste valuable holiday time, nor do they want their weddings to be incomplete or disorganized. We generally recognize that some events will not naturally come to order and their success is dependent on planning. Career Planning, on the other hand, is often overlooked.

A common misconception about career planning is that the concept is about working hard in order to press for a promotion. But career planning is about working smart. It is about making the right decisions and focusing energy in order to maximize time and effort. In the workplace and during our education, we make decisions on a daily basis and these decisions shape our image as a professional.

Let's deviate from careers in order to press this point. Which racehorse would you bet on?

Racehorse #1. Recently started racing - formally privately owned and lived in a paddock.

Racehorse #2. Has two years of racing experience and trains twice a week.

Racehorse #3. Has five years of racing experience and trains five times a week.

Racehorse #4. Has five years of racing experience, he trains five times a week and was bred from champion racers. He was raised by experienced champion trainers and began training as a foal.

In answer to our question, racehorse #4 seems the obvious choice. It appears that this racehorse has dedicated his life to the one career and that gives us good odds that he is better at his job than the others.

When your career is scrutinized by a potential employer the 'odds' that you are better at this job than the others are calculated on the same rationale. Choices that you made years before stand as confirmation of your long standing interests. Your level of skill and expertise in one field is proportional to the quality and quantity of time that you have previously invested in that field. The great Albert Einstein said "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer".

Career planning is about making choices that build on your skill set. Just like Albert Einstein - focusing your energy on just a few fields will drive you towards your career goals.

A Career in Arts and Humanities

Diverse Domains in Arts

Arts and humanities have numerous career options and there are various fields on which you can work upon. It has expanded indefinitely to include disciplines which require not only soft skills but also concepts of higher mathematics and sciences. The most common trades are fashion designing, study of social sciences, interior decoration and photography. Moving onto a little technical side you can take on courses in visual designing and drafting. Various colleges provide you accredited degrees in these domains.

For fresher, the arts degree demands high degree of creativity and visual capacity. For those who dare to dream of having a career in this domain; it is eminent to take on post graduation studies in this field. So start looking for higher studies institutes right now if you want to ensure a bright and successful career opportunity for yourself. A career in arts and humanities depends more on your skills and ability to work upon a particular project rather than on your studies in graduation or post graduation. They will just act as tool to give you a chance in job market.

Institutes for Studies of Arts and Humanities

There are various universities worldwide which provide quality education and training in the practical and creative domain of arts and humanities. Mineral Area College, Delaware State University, Portland state university are some of the universities which provide degree programs in different simians of arts and humanities. These have state of art infrastructure and renowned faculty base for students from all over the world.

Mineral Area College was established in 1022 and since then it is committed to the betterment of society through its large number of educational programs. Students from all over the world get themselves enrolled in these courses.

Visit the official state university website to get detailed description about Mineral Area College. It is one of the finest universities for arts and humanities. On this website you can check out articles from noted writer Michael Russell.

How to Earn a Degree Online - 3 Benefits to Boost Your Career

Would you be interested in learning how to earn a degree online? Deciding to earn any degree online is not that easy, but if you read the simple reasons why earning an online degree proves to be very beneficial, for sure you will immediately register in an online college or university that offers the degree you want.

1. Convenience - You can earn a degree online while working. Yes, you do not have to resign from your job so that you can have a degree. You can stick to your commitments to your boss and at the same time provide your family's needs.

You get to choose the time as well as the place to access your classes. Online classes are so flexible that you can decide when and where to attend your online class sessions.

You do not have to leave your family to relocate to the campus. You do not even have to commute daily to get to class. No more worrying about whether you can be in class on time or not. You can even attend class even if you are on vacation if you choose to. All you need is an internet connection to be able to access your classes.

2. Credibility - All online degrees are very much at par with their counterparts, degrees from traditional colleges. You are assured of the same quality of education that traditional colleges give to their students when you earn a degree online.

3. Personalized Teaching - Online degrees gives you more personalized instruction. You get to communicate with your professor on a one on one basis and so whatever questions that you may have, you will have the guts to ask.

You also get to have small group discussions that are very healthy to discuss the different points in your lessons. Yes, you get to interact with other online students too. Online education will not isolate you socially.

Gender and Education

Here in the United States we live in a country where families do not have to worry about the sex of their child. Except for some societal norms our children are created equal in most areas of our country. Everyone can vote, work, and even run for office. However, not all countries are lucky like us. There are some countries that hold different sexes to a higher degree than others. What does this do the psychological state of a child? Even though we do not enforce any rule against the different genders pursuing their dream, do we have societal occurrences that pin one gender against the other? This article takes a brief look into how our education system differs for the different sexes. Is there a difference? If there is, why is there one?

It is often debated whether or not our educational system offers the same opportunities to both genders in our country. Currently, we are seeing that more women pursue a higher education and are continuing to earn higher degrees. What is the reason for this occurrence? If this is a true development, why are men still earning more than women on average? Women earn more secondary degrees including; associates, bachelors, and masters. Yet men earn more doctoral degrees than women.

It is shown that women in the United States dominate men in writing abilities, but then fall short in math and science. Why are these trends continuing to happen this way? The notion of the hidden curriculum suggests that women are discriminated against in the education system. It believes that teachers provide special privileges to boys and as a result they become more social and learn more. However, if this notion is true, then why are more than 50% of higher education degrees going to females? If we do pay more to males in the formative years, where does the disconnect begin and when do women start surpassing males?

Some argue that this gender gap would be solved if we went to same gender class room styles. They say that this would get rid of the hidden curriculum notion because all of the students within the classroom would then have the same equal chance to get help or participate. However, would this add further to societal gender notions?

We know that this phenomenon is a problem in teaching the children, but how does this translate to those who try learning online. Typically they do not have face time with their professors, so how can you truly guess one's gender? In a day where there are examples of unisex names, how can you assume that you are teaching a girl or a boy? Therefore, wouldn't there be less bias if someone were to attend an online school to further their education. The students are forced to excel at their work without having the face to face communication and feedback with their teachers. If this thought it would then become more about those who have the initiative to ask for help and participate, rather than if a particular gender is doing it. Will we ever see a decrease in the gender gap?

Education Jobs - How to Succeed in Education

The list is topped by education jobs, but you have to understand the methods of maintaining them as well as discovering. You need to be really inspired and delicate, to achieve training. A teaching career isn't something you come across by opportunity. You foster a passion for providing knowledge and dream of it in the beginning. You may possibly have an interest in instructing or you might not really consider as a profession taking on teaching.

Several possibilities

Your best guess will be to look at training jobs on the net to obtain a hold of the problem. There nowadays are plenty available, because of some ramped up financing for training. More anxiety has been put on training with both private and authorities financing up these times. Based on your experience and instruction you may straighten out the gives. Where you want to perform to fine your research to tune, attempt places. Every area office has special on-line methods without being especially associated with a school.

Obtain a qualification

If you are searching for a teaching work immediately, apply for jobs where you possess some earlier teaching experience. Then obtain a accreditation immediately, even though you don't have one. It can help improve your likelihood of having personal college careers along with government careers. There are lots of advantages and you may use for training careers on the basis of topics you had excelled in. You might have a diploma and a passion in biology or location.

Use straight

You should goal at training topics you are familiar with. Your curriculum vitae should be supported with a diploma or even a certificate to demonstrate that you could take courses. Maintain the program clear and brief without forgetting to contain appropriate parts to be in the reckoning throughout the choice procedure. Research the e-mail address of the main, if a particular school is fancyed by you and use immediately.

Susceptibility

The strategy could be immediate as well as be useful for deciding on the division seats of the colleges which have opportunities. You stand a much better opportunity to be chosen as instructing is more about fire than something else, if a direct approach can be made by you. For your entire day teaching careers, a personal strategy could make. However when you have the work, you need to be additional sensitive toward your pupils.

Reaching parents

Most of them might not need the same learning capabilities or be fast on the uptake like a number of the better pupils in the course. You need to tailor your lessons to deliver them easier across to pupils generally instead than follow a standard process of training. The lessons must be ready and arranged beforehand so you understand just how to cope with challenging circumstances. It also assists during conversation with parents, that is an essential element of most training jobs.

Engage Yourself in Part Time Education Jobs

In this age of multi-tasking, need for part-time jobs went up large. Today, in order to remove a minimum of an hour or two for executing some other pursuits some of the folks are noticed to participate themselves in part - time jobs. Today, if you need to be a coach and you aren't competent enough to have full-time occupation, you may check out for these careers. It's really a good occupation and may bring you a reasonable amount of cash. In fact, there's no denying the truth that it's a wonderful work for the folks, that are seeking higher studies. These jobs can be also taken up by good students for collecting their pocket money. Therefore, if you need to hit an effective balance between your work and research then selecting for this work may undoubtedly going to appeal to your curiosity.

Need of this kind of training jobs is very growing, although several years back also theory of part - time jobs wasn't that well-known, but with the program of time as individuals are getting more effective to manage various projects in the same time. There are many benefits of part - time occupation; among them the most outstanding one is that it saves the power and time of the worker. That is why; it's regarded as the greatest getting alternative for your young pupils. Financial support is given by this job for individuals by providing additional money.

These part-time jobs aren't just a great earning alternative but also add worth for your future professional career. It has been discovered that pupils having an event in performing part - time jobs find good jobs to be got by it easier in future. Therefore, for job development additionally these jobs can be taken up by you. These careers are also great alternative for the folks, who move overseas for seeking greater studies. It is because; keeping a suitable life-style in a foreign nation isn't that simple. It requires lots of cash to negotiate aboard. That is the reason why; during student life, no other option is got by people than to occupy part - time work provides for ensuring the economic assistance.

Today, a query might hit you that how a great part-time occupation is found away. In this respect, the first factor that actually wants a reference is the on-line research. Today, through on-line research you'll get information of a few excellent part-time work provides. Nevertheless, for some of such careers ensure you will have the ability to get the job done with total excellence otherwise applying, it will needlessly waste your own time and power.

Actually, there are many academic occupation centres, from where you could get to learn about such careers. Therefore, if you aren't pleased with your on-line result then you may see these facilities or can provide a phone to them to understand the option of such fascinating careers. Today, if you're looking for part-time training careers then rush up and catch the available possibilities from dependable sources.

Education Jobs - How to Know If You Should Be a Teacher

Instruction jobs and instructing jobs are one of the most distinguished career choices. You'll be playing a significant part in creating the potential of the nation. You'll be molding bright eyed young children and, in your little method, will be giving to their job choices by uplifting them. Yes, that's appropriate, being a instructor has become the most satisfying of all jobs, however the issue is, have you got what it requires to be one?

Teaching Methods

It's all well to desire to train small children, but you should look at the basic reality that parents may be trusting you using the duty of the children for near ten hours per day. Have you got what it requires to surpass their expectations? No, do not misunderstand me, I am not attempting to frighten you; I am merely trying to state that not everybody is intended for training careers, it demands particular skills. What exactly do you want to become a teacher?

* Persistence is a one and merit which every instructor needs an ample supply of. Yes, that's right, if you need to become a teacher, you should learn how to have patience! Then you may feel like ripping your hair away when you have to describe the same notion again and again to your students, if you don't! Or worse, if you happen to be provided physical education careers, then you are likely to need to provide every evening to detention to the same enthusiasm wasn't shared by the students who as you do for your outdoors! * *

Versatility - You need to also have an open mind. Having preconceived thoughts may set you right in there with the old college of instructors who don't get along with their pupils. Be open and versatile to suggestions from your pupils. Be friendly and accessible

. * * Imagination - Have you got innovative thoughts about teaching? Well, place them into performance! A great teacher is somebody who understands how to create his pupils understand issues without the aid of books! If your kids can be taught by you about crops through character walks afterward by all means, get it done! * *

Conversation: Communication is really, really significant in the area of training. You may not have the ability to describe what to them, that is an essential component of training, if you cannot talk correctly with your pupils! You also need to have excellent body language. You require your pupils to regard the easiest method and you to contact them is by communicating with them and communicating right! * *

Integration - Life can't be compartmentalized by you, just how can you compartmentalize learning? learning? Try and combine across disciplines! Consider the more alternative method of training, it will undoubtedly pay off. Science with trend, then you understand that you have what it requires to become a top class instructor, if a way can be found by you to link mathematics with audio.

Those careers are very satisfying too, if you don't have these characteristics, then you can usually attempt for training management jobs, not to worry. But, however, should you, begin searching for training jobs now!

A Rewarding Career Awaits You in Education Jobs

As you will find several work opportunities awaiting you, an training graduate. Training facilities and colleges are every-where and they want the services of experts just like you. Nevertheless, in order to employ you'll need to use a diploma in education. In some states, so as to educate you'll need to move their licensure exams. A job can be landed by you as a teacher within the next : Early Childhood / Preschool Do you appreciate toddlers?, once all requirements have been accomplished by you toddlers?


Do you like chilling out with little kids? Being a preschool teacher provides plenty of delight, fun, and problems. Here you can spend a couple of hours daily training children how to draw, sing, dancing, and a lot more. Most establishments need preschool educators to keep an Early Childhood degree or have appropriate learning the area.

Main and Advanced
Being with teenagers can also be satisfying. Throughout these college years, pupils are introduced for the subject areas to indicate the start of the formal schooling. Being a teacher, you'll be assigned to teach topics like British, Science, Mathematics, History, and a lot more.

Large College
If teaching teens is what you are after, then being a high school instructor is only what you desire. Apart from instructing the standard topics, you might be designated to serve as membership advisor in student organizations such as the school choir, joy membership, school book, and several others.

College
If you own a Master's or Doctorate degree, training in college is the best alternative. You can train in your specific region or manage elementary classes. The great thing about being a university teacher is there is a more flexible program and lighter weight when compared with those training in the low ranges.

Unique Training
One of the most extremely compensated education careers is in the area of special training. If you have finished with a diploma in special education or have undergone instruction in instructing special or talented kids, you may utilize such education careers. Special education instructors are compensated greater and are quite sought after overseas.

Just in case you don't need to work within the conventional college setting, you have the choice to show in the comfort of your house. Becoming an on-line instructor or coach demonstrates to be one of the more well-known training careers now. Several foreign, non-English speakers are actually making use of the internet to understand a new language. You may both join friends of teachers or discover your own pupils in the web.

As you can progress you and also increase your perspectives career, a teacher. Over time in training, you may use for management or supervisory training jobs. You are able to act as a college primary, head of the special section, or spearhead educational applications and reforms backed by the authorities or private industries.

Training is truly a satisfying occupation. Not just do you have a reasonable settlement and routine work but you additionally get to the touch the hearts and heads of millions.

Your Top Job search should be started by you by looking on line now if you are searching for Training Careers then.

Professional Education Jobs

Instruction is like a foundation which is accountable to assist us select professions which interest us as well as make us do things at which we're extremely great at. Like a device to make a great living and move ahead in existence It is used by most of us. However you will find few who want to stay these days of schooling. What as long as they do then? Should they cease daydreaming of getting and decide to remain in this subject with no single cent of earnings. Not at all, they may jolly well select a career in education. Expert training careers are something which they ought to search for. There are lots of sites within the web which may provide a concept to you about the job route that needs to be selected by you to be able to prosper in this subject.

Academic careers on line is one website where interested applicants can post their curriculum vitae. There are lots of individuals who look at the occupation of training quite fascinating, they may have worked as an employer or worker for some time but nonetheless they might discover this area of training much more encouraging and tempting. You may just enter there, there are particular areas where you may be requested to click and there are scopes for such individuals and have your self listed with them.

Kaplan professional training can also be a common title in the education sector that may be of actual aid for you. Using their newest technologies they may be a genuine supply of great assistance to you really. Its aid can also be taken by several individuals who are involved in the financial or sales business. Any sort of research materials that you might need can be supplied by them. And as well as there are a significant number of work possibilities current. You might take a look at the sort of careers that satisfies you as an academician if you get to go to their website then. These businesses frequently need the aid of such individuals who can direct pupils with invaluable guidance in this domain.

Becker professional training is a solution for your research. They truly pride themselves within the expert training careers that they can handle supplying for their clients. Therefore if you possess the essential understanding and diploma they could actually bring down your research to such a little quantity from where you might choose fairly readily. There are career alternatives where the stress wouldn't be excessive and you may jolly well carry on with your projects and simultaneously work in this training business.

There are alternatives where you may decide to run at home. They have been active in several component of U.S.A and you will actually property up getting employment in your preferred town or at home town.

You may also decide to check out the website of authorities of training plan, advancement and research for more information. Therefore no need to chew your fingertips anymore, you have a significant number of alternatives when you are searching for careers in education business.

Whither Education - An Apathy

Even after half-a-century of Indian Independence, the fate of education, educators and students has hardly improved. The apathy of the power that be, including a large section of society, has not changed when it comes to human resource development and education. Even now there are more than four crore educated unemployed youths in India.

India boasts of being world's third knowledge power but effectively this is the lowest when judged against per thousand-population base. Societal degradation, inflicted by political might, is reflected in educational institutions across India. Aberrations have become the rule on campuses that are infested with self-seekers and politicians.

Democratization of higher educational institutions, though a noble concept, has in the past 20 years turned campuses into a cauldron of stinking filth. These are managed by affiliations charged with little regard for excellence, honesty and intellectual probity. Unethical and politically-motivated decisions serve a few and are reflections of societal catharsis.

Geographic India consolidated into a polity by the British has muted into conglomerations of politically charged, disjointed entities and facsimiles of democratic degradation. The classic conservative yearning for an ordered polity and commensurate pursuit of knowledge on the campuses are missing. Whichever brand rules the country, this section of society commands no respect now. May it be students or teachers they don't have a voice, they don't constitute an essential service and education is not a national necessity. Being a state subject, educational policies suffer from innumerable deformities.

Though it is a constitutional obligation, the non-availability of funds and vested administrative setup have led to the mushrooming of universities, fake campuses, private enterprises and numerous makeshift centers of education as also fly-by-air foreign campuses. It has proved to be a great financial endeavor with hardly any risk involved because it does not come under VAT or any other financial constraints. India has by now more institutions of such type than colleges, an excellent opportunity to rope in knowledge seeking youth and those who desire to fly off to greener pastures.

When it comes to the formulation of policies about higher education, structuring the system, financial assistance, grants and salary, the statutory body-University Grants Commission-is mentioned like a sacred cow worshipped as well as butchered in the streets. How far the UGC is autonomous is a common knowledge. It has become a post office, a government organization, disbursing petty grants, sanctioned by the Central Government, among universities or institutions with a number of tags attached to them depending upon the status of the recipient institutions, state, Central, autonomous or deemed universities. There is a perpetual complaint about the non-availability of funds. The administration should appreciate that the jumbo cabinet and expenditure on legislatures could be cut down to feed and educate a few villages. The teacher wants to be a ladder upon which students could climb and scale new heights.

The Central and state governments invoke ESMA to curb the voice of agitating people, but it takes no time to give benefits to politicians and bureaucrats. It is essential to please them so that a symbiotic balance is maintained as also to oblige a few of them. The government has failed to take effective steps to curb industrialization of education. Within hours the doles given in Parliament and honorarium were doubled but the 6 per cent expenditure of the GDP on education has proved to be dogma persisting right from the Kothari Commission recommendations for over four decades now.

Students of various educational institutes go on strike, almost yearly, demanding withdrawal of excessive fee hike. The tuition fees make up only about 13 per cent of annual expenditure in the present university education. It is now a formidable industry and the aim is to make money. Poor students, however, intelligent they may be, cannot afford to join colleges, professional institutions or courses. They may join such courses by putting their families under heavy debt of banks or financial institutions. Even in the USA, tuition fees contribute to about 15 per cent of the total annual expenditure on higher education. Nehru said: "If all is well with universities, it will be well with the nation." Whereas Rabindranath Tagore once compared educated classes in India to "A second storey in an old building that was added in, but unfortunately the architect forgot to build a staircase between them."

Teaching profession is devalued in the country because the teachers can't compete in our society, have no muscle power, are educated and hence behave differently. Neither do they have guts of creamy bureaucrats nor institutional support of any kind. A teacher can entertain you with a pale smile on hearing that this is the profession of nation builders, the cream of society and a noble profession. The next moment teacher will be branded as cancers in societal marrow, getting salary for no work, craving for power, equality in salary and status with the Class A government servants. The teacher was the consultant and conscience keeper of society till mid-century. One could identify him by his tattered clothes, emaciated pale face, soft voice and meek behavior. He was the guru. That guru, comparatively having a better outfit now, has metamorphosed to a present teacher.

Newspaper reports are replete with his shortcomings; his misconduct in preaching indiscipline, enough is paid to him for no work, as he has to teach only for 181 days in a year. How could he dream of the parity with his bosses in the secretariat, his class dropouts in Parliament and the government. In order to save our hard-earned "democracy" which is being strengthened by a few hooligans, politicians and administrators, the government has to suppress the genuine demands so that education does not progress to the detriment of "illiterate democrats". A handful of teachers adopts unethical means to become rich just like any other segments that are designated scamsters today. Exceptions, however, do not make the rule.

Most of our Presidents, many of our bureaucrats, including ministers, parliamentarians and others, had been in this profession. Did they not do any good work for the betterment of society before their elevation to these posts of governance and reverence? Can't the authorities assess the strength of the demand vis-à-vis the qualification, age at the time of being recruited as a teacher, lack of promotional avenues, stagnation and competency in terms of hiatus in the inflated societal values, urge and necessity to improve qualification and experience to remain in the fray. Education for teachers is a continuous process unlike "one-time-degree-obtaining-education" for others. Evaluation is paramount in this profession for every promotion. Classroom education has become drudgery afflicted by societal unrest, absolute lack of infrastructure, fear psychosis gripping the powerless parents and absences of administration.

My perception is that politicians take less interest in improving the standard of education and living because they know that once the poor comes to know about their corrupt practice they would neither listen nor elect them. Political parties make promises in their election manifestos to reduce employment, poverty and corruption. But this can't be achieved without education. To me, education comes as a discipline, which is all-pervasive. Enshrined in our directive principles and ensuring our countrymen, "right-to-education" makes me feel that we possess the right to educate".

Even when we have ushered in the new millennium, education remains a password to of those who make an arrogant assertion that they know best and are serving the public interest-an interest, which of course, is determined by them. By the perception entrenched with the British subjugation of our people elitist education occupied the center stage to produce Macaulay's clones who were Indians muted to be "English in taste, in opinion, in morals and in intellect". "Educated slaves became strong props to sustain the British rule." Lord Curzon favored bureaucratization of education since he opined that educational institutions have become factors for the production of political revolutionaries. By the Act of 1919 education was transferred to the province.

When we educate we are involved in politics. Educators often think of education being disjointed from politics. In fact, education is perhaps the most political activity in the community. The state has always influenced what is taught in educational institutions. The socio-political (and in some cases religious) ideology colors the content of learning and the emphasis on various aspects. In fact, based on where the child was educated within India-whether it was a large city or a village, whether the school used English or a regional language as a medium of education, among other factors- the child will have a different world view. However, education, based on the syllabus, in India has largely strived towards imparting a temperament of religious, political and social tolerance. The social mores and hierarchies often seep into the arena of learning and color education.

Given the political potential of education, there have been numerous attempts to use education as a way of indoctrination. Sometimes it is covert, at other times it is overt. Sometimes it is subliminal, other times it is deliberate. However, political forces have always used education to further certain world views. Today, numerous educationists and political thinkers in India are afraid that a deliberate attempt to use education as a way of social-religious indoctrination might be the agenda of the new education policy.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "Not gold, but only teachers can make people great and strong-the persons who for truth and honor; sake stand fast and suffers long. It is they who build a nation's pillar deep and lift them to the sky". Teaching profession is a bed of roses. A good teacher is always his/her student's guide, friend and philosopher. A boy looked at the sticker on a car, which said, "Trees are friends". He challenged this statement, started cutting trees, saying that, "Trees are not our friends, but our enemies". When asked why he thought so. He said in his science textbooks it was stated "trees bring rain". Since his village gets flooded in every rainy season, so he thought that "all trees must be cut down". Confucius wrote, "If you plan for a year, plant a seed. If for 10 years, plant a tree. If 100 years, teach the people." Literacy is not enough. It is good to have a population, which is able to read, but infinitely better to have people able to distinguish what is worth reading. With overcrowded classrooms and ill-paid teachers,coaching classes are the commercial fallout of a system bursting out of the seams. How can idealism be expected from someone as concerned about the quality of life as you and me?

We have grown up with cherished memories of special teachers who made us love a subject we could actually have been frightened of and who we respected unconditionally. I have come across many persons whose mediocrity is reflected when they project themselves as the best whereas the fact speaks otherwise and those who criticize their alma mater forgetting that they passed out from the same from which they graduated. Education can have a great role to play in decreasing social disparities between groups and in promoting social mobility. For instance, the tremendous expansion of the middle class in India can confidently be attributed to the investment in education, especially in higher education.

Universities are struggling to survive on shrinking governmental grants. In the wake of this it takes shortsighted decisions to cut expenses and increase revenue by increasing fees, which may not be in the long-term interest of the universities. Thus universities end up being run as business enterprises. Education cess is now on considered to partially meet funds for primary education and Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan. Open our universities to foreign students. Foreign campuses may prove to be of hardly any use in generating funds for Indian education. Trading in education may be another jeopardy.

Collaborations could be in specialized fields with foreign campuses like in the past. Even in the USA, private and government ratio in higher educational system does not exceed 80/20. China is experiencing two-way international student traffic with a large number of them from the USA in preference to India. This could be reversed if we build proper infrastructure and achieve proficiency in imparting education of world standard. A realistic education cannot be separated from the realities of the students' environment, which surrounds him, his aspirations, society, the local cultural factors, conditions varying in his own country and global effects. Education, therefore, should be in consonance with the day-to-day living. Till date education does not define our resurgent polity and democracy.

Quality Education Vs Accreditation

Education:

"The act or process of educating or being educated; the knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process!"

Inquiries into furthering my educational aspirations were made to various colleges within my immediate environmental area. Several of the schools contacted required placement exams that I did not challenge, as I am adept and very capable of dealing with college examinations. The thing that got to me was the disparaging remarks from some college recruiters regarding their standards for education as opposed to another college. One of the schools that I've attended is a two-year degree school while the other is as well. They hold real estate in the same zip code and competed for students in the same local. They both educated local students as well as out of state and students from other countries and nations.

One school considered itself superior to the other by reason of accreditation. The school that was described as inferior did not have middle states accreditation. The school was described as below standard by the other. The so-called superior school is lead and operated by a non-HBCU affiliation while the other happened to be lead and operated by an African American staff. The self-described superior school has made plans, designs, and did bid for the take-over of the African American school. Albeit, the self-described superior school admits that it does not and will not accept credentials from the so-called inferior school. I have attended both of these institutions and received very good instruction from its teachers as well. While the lessons learned were an invaluable source of information, the education that I received from personal academic research (self-taught) has enhanced my knowledge base. Money was not a factor in my personal research, study, and/or practicum. I would add, the knowledge and information that was derived from the HBCU School proved to be equally rewarding as the other if not better!

Personally, I would say that I received more educational value at the HBCU (Historical Black Colleges and Universities) as opposed to the other collegiate institution. Albeit, they both required money.

When students visit college campuses they are encouraged to become a student at that particular school. The tour guides' show all of the amenities and accolades that are offered in order to get you enrolled...and to gain your tuition monies. But what about the quality of education offered by the particular schools? The majority of the colleges will often quote their accreditation as compared to another school of choice. What has accreditation to do with a good and valuable quality education? Money! And the ability to make money! Education does not and should not require money!

In 1899 Dr. Matthew Anderson, an outstanding community leader, and his wife Caroline Still Anderson founded Berean Manual and Industrial School. Dr. Anderson was a pivotal influence in the religious, business, and educational history of Philadelphia. Dr. Anderson also founded the Berean Presbyterian Church and the Berean Savings Fund Society.

Caroline Still is the daughter of the great William Still, a Philadelphia Abolitionist and member of the Underground Railroad.

Mr. William Still (a self-educated man), one of seventeen children, was born in Burlington County in 1821. His father escaped slavery from Maryland to New Jersey and later was followed by his wife and children. William Still left New Jersey for Philadelphia in 1844. Three years later he was appointed secretary of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society.

"When Brother William Still was 23, he left the family farm in New Jersey for Philadelphia, to seek his fortune. He arrived, friendless with only five dollars in his possession. Mr. Still taught himself to read and write. In fact, so well, that in three years he was able to gain and hold the position of secretary in the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. Brother Still provided the all-white society with his views on how to aid fugitive slaves. After all, he had been one himself. He was such an asset to the group, that he was elected chairman in 1851. Still held the position for the next ten years. He also became chairman of the Vigilance Committee in 1852. Still was the first black man to join the society and was able to provide first-hand experience of what it was like to be a slave."

"Mr. Still established a profitable coal business in Philadelphia. His house was used as one of the stations on the Underground Railroad. Brother Still interviewed escaped fugitives and kept careful records of each so that their family and friends might locate them. According to his records, Still helped 649 slaves receive their freedom. The number is compounded with the number of slaves saved by Sister Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad."

"William Still, a self-educated man, began his campaign to end racial discrimination on Philadelphia streetcars. He wrote an account of this campaign in Struggle for the Civil Rights of the Coloured People of Philadelphia in the City Railway Cars (1867). He followed this with The Underground Railroad (1872) and Voting and Laboring (1874)."

"William Still, a self-educated man, established an orphanage for the children of African-American soldiers and sailors. Other charitable work included the founding of a Mission Sabbath School and working with the Young Men's Christian Association. William Still died in Philadelphia on 14th July, 1902."

The Concise History of Berean Institute:

"In 1904 Berean Institute of Philadelphia Pennsylvania qualified for state aid and received a grant of $10,000. Over the years, state aid has enabled the school to expand its services and diversify its programs of study. Funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania now provide a significant portion of the total operating budget. Berean Institute embarked on a program of expansion under the dynamic leadership of the late Dr. William H. Gray, Jr., who utilized the support of many influential citizens of Pennsylvania including the former Governor Milton J. Shapp. Dr. Gray served as Chairman of the Berean Board of Trustees. Under Dr. Gray's leadership Berean Manual and Industrial School began operating as Berean Institute. He also had Berean Institute's current building constructed in 1973."

"Mrs. Lucille P. Blondin, who served the school for forty-five years, became Berean Institute's first President. Mrs. Blondin retired in June 1993. Dr. Norman K. Spencer was appointed to serve as the second President and Chief Executive Officer. Under Dr. Spencer's leadership, contracted programs funded by the City and Commonwealth agencies as well as community outreach projects have been added. Hon. John Braxton, former Judge, Court of Common Pleas heads a list of distinguished Board of Trustees members."

"Berean Institute enrolled students in full and part-time programs. Most of the students are residents of the Commonwealth and live in Philadelphia. Other students have come from Central and South America, China, India, Puerto Rico, Tonga, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Tanzania, the Dominican Republic, England, Cambodia, Viet Nam and states along the eastern seaboard of the United States."

"A number of students come to learn a marketable skill and their Berean training fulfills their current educational aspirations. Many others regard the school as a stepping-stone to further education. Berean has many graduates who have gone on to earn four-year college degrees and others who have completed graduate studies at some of the area's outstanding institutions of higher learning."

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Education granted Berean Institute approval to award the Associate in Specialized Technology Degree on September 15, 1976, and the Associate in Specialized Business Degree on December 27, 1976.

Again, education is:

"The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life; the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession; a degree, level, or kind of schooling: a university education; .the result produced by instruction, training, or study: to show one's education; the science or art of teaching; pedagogics."

A definition of education: 'The act or process of educating or being educated; the knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process; a program of instruction of a specified kind or level: driver education; a college education; the field of study that is concerned with the pedagogy of teaching and learning; an instructive or enlightening experience:

Dictionary.com Unabridged

Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009

So why does another school rate it's accreditation over and above that of another? Money! Many colleges and universities rate its' educational values based on the amount of money in its' coffers as well as the amount of money that they can amass!  Another tool to increase superiority in the education business is to attain and maintain accreditation and as many acquisitions as possible.

Several opinions suggest education achieved through these venues is designed to prepare people/students for the job market as opposed to being prepared for life skills. The skills required to carry ones posterity and their descendants that follow into prosperous futures.

Is it fair to assess the stature of a collegiate institution above any other based on the amount of money that is needed to be spent or the amount of education that is achieved? Ivy league institutions turn out many students who are not prepared for the challenges of life...but many of them are rich and have spent thousands of dollars to attend those schools as well as graduating from them. On the other hand, many poor people that are lucky enough to qualify for grants, loans, scholarships, etc., are better prepared to face the challenges set before them (so it seems).

Many poor and working poor students seem to value the collegiate level education as if their life depended upon it, so they tend to work a bit harder to achieve the degree status. The document can be deemed worthless when the graduate cannot find the desired job for which he/she has studied. It is even worse when the graduated student finds that they are worse off than when they started college. They are now burdened with school loan debt plus the debts that they have had to meet before attending college. Working at McDonalds and the like, seem to be the only job that is attainable for many of them. The competition is fierce. These students are for the most part, grouped in with many applicants that are not college educated and many do not have high school diplomas as well! The knowledge attained is not considered or tested by many of these employers. Kiosk type pictures on a cash-register computer is what they have to work with. Is this not insulting to a student who has studied computer science, read and write computer programs and its languages, as well as other academics of study?

Why is it that many non-ivy league students find themselves out of work? Why is it that many of them find that they are the first to lose their employment positions compared to their ivy-league colleagues? Why is it that many inner-city college educated graduates find themselves less likely to be selected as team-leaders than their counter part ivy-leaguers? Many employers advertise their openings with statements that don't require a college level education. They ask that candidates simply have a high school level education. College educated candidates apply to those openings and find themselves scrutinized out of the running, i.e., background checks, credit checks, criminal histories, schooling activities, etc. Why is it college educated candidates find that not only do they have to compete with ivy-leaguers, they have to compete with high school educated folks as well. What is the sense in enduring hours, years, and other sacrifices to attain the coveted two and/or four-year college level degree when you're not going to qualify for the job anyway?

The notion of accreditation, money, and notable stature should not be the basis of choosing the collegiate route to education. Education should be based on ones ability to achieve, retain, and utilize education. The achievement of education begins in the home (as well as anyone who desires it). It begins with the Childs' upbringing and the stressed importance placed by the parent and/or guardian. Should the child be highly scholastic in abilities that enable him/her to be described as intellectually talented above average, that student deserves free college education. While the rest of us who are collegiate material may well have to pay for our higher education. Mind you, my argument is based on the ability to access education without having to spend money...teachers need to earn a living, schools need to pay the costs of operating and maintaining buildings and staff. So the money has to come from somewhere. Albeit, the aforementioned disparages between different colleges should cease the practice of who's a better institution of higher learning. Is it the responsibility of educated people to enlighten people who are not?

While many may not be aware, education is achievable without attending so-called accredited and/or less accredited schools, of higher learning...start with the libraries in your homes as well as the public facilities, news papers, magazines, shared information, and articles. Why is the education attained by others kept to a level of secrecy that one should have to pay for it?

Attained and acquired education is the responsibility of the educational pursuer...the burden is placed solely on the student not the educational pursued. I'm not advocating that one can become a doctor, architect, or a lawyer by simply reading text...there is a difference between education and training.

Education is yours to achieve and it can be free.

Choosing The Right Degree Program For You

W.B. Yeats said, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." If you want to be the one to light the fire for learning in the hearts of students, becoming an educator is right for you. But what degree program should you pursue? Because the field of Education is so incredibly diverse, you have many options to choose from. Here is a brief listing of just some of the career opportunities available to those that decide to seek a degree in Education.

o Teacher Certification & Certification Programs. Looking to earn your Teacher Certification or credential? If you already have a Bachelor's degree and have decided to teach, earning your Teaching Certificate is the next step to take to launch your career as an educator.

o K-12. Completing your K-12 education degree will put you on the path toward a rewarding career teaching children of all ages.

o Adult Education. Graduates of adult education degree programs are given special instruction in adult learning to accommodate the unique needs of adult learners. With more and more people choosing to continue their education well into old age, opportunities for adult educators continue to grow.

o Art Education. Become an art teacher! Get your degree in Art Education and combine your passion for painting with a talent for teaching. Teaching art to others can be an extremely fulfilling and rewarding career.

o Business Education. Become a business teacher and learn the rewards of teaching business to others. From accounting and finance to marketing and operations, business teachers not only teach people how to succeed in business, but how to succeed in life.

o Distance & Online Education Programs for Teachers. Earn your degree in distance learning education and be on the cutting edge of learning technology. Learn about the newest advances in online education technology and discover how to create innovative online experiences for your students.

o Early Childhood Education Programs for Teachers. Thinking of becoming a preschool teacher? Start by getting your degree in Early Childhood Education. Early childhood teachers are the first to shape the minds of young children and mold the leaders of tomorrow.

o English Teacher Programs. Teach English and help students discover the language arts. Earning a bachelor's or master's degree in English education is the first step toward a rewarding career as an English teacher. English teachers are needed to fill positions in public, private and English language schools.

o Elementary Teacher Programs. Elementary school teachers work with children in grades K-8, giving them an introduction to a variety of subjects.

o Higher Education Programs for Teachers. Interested in teaching higher education? Get your doctorate or master's degree in higher education and take the first step toward teaching at the college level.

o History Teacher Degree Programs. Get your degree in history education and get on track to a rewarding career teaching history to others.

o Instructional Technology Degree Programs. Get an instructional technology degree and be on the leading edge of learning technology. Instructional designers create new ways for people to learn by incorporating current technologies such as video and the Internet into a curriculum. Instructional technology is a burgeoning field with many positions expected to open up in the next few years.

o Math Education Degrees. Want reap the rewards of teaching math to others! Then become a math teacher! Teachers are needed to give mathematics instruction at the elementary, middle school and high school levels.

o Middle School Education Degrees. Get your middle school education degree today and teach children from sixth to eight grades.

o Reading & Literacy Education Degrees for Teachers. Teach someone how to read! Become a reading teacher by completing your degree in Reading and Literacy Education.

o Secondary Education Degrees for Teachers. Focusing on Secondary Education means teaching children in high school. Help shape the next generation by providing a solid education to young students before college.

o Science Teacher Degree Programs. Science education teachers are high in demand to teach science in Elementary and Secondary schools.

o Social Studies Education Degree Programs. Social studies teachers are needed to teach in both Elementary and Secondary schools. Get on the path to this rewarding career by earning your degree in social studies education.

o Special Education Teaching Degrees. Special Education Teachers are some of the most in-demand teachers in education. Special Education teachers held a total of about 441,000 teaching jobs in 2004. The U.S. Dept. of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the demand for qualified special education teachers to grow faster than average through 2014. This makes it a great time to get your special education degree.

o TESOL (ESL) Education Programs for Teachers. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) can be an exciting and rewarding career with job opportunities in both the U.S. and abroad. The U.S. Dept. of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of non-English-speaking students will continue to grow, creating demand for bilingual teachers and for those who teach English as a second language.

o Curriculum & Instruction Programs for Teachers. Get your curriculum and instruction degree and improve your teaching skills while learning to create fascinating new curriculums that bring learning to life.

o Education Administration Degree Programs for Teachers. Earn your Education Administration degree today and jump-start your career. This advanced degree, either a Master's or a PhD, will give you the leadership skills you need to manage large educational programs, both in public schools and the private sector.

o Educational Counseling Degree Programs. Begin a rewarding career in school counseling by earning your education counseling degree. This degree is the perfect way to combine a love of education with a love of psychology.

o Educational Leadership Degree Programs. Earn your Educational Leadership degree and prepare yourself for a new and exciting career as a school administrator or principal.

o Library Science / Media / Technology Degree Programs. Get your degree in library science, educational media or technology and begin a rewarding new career helping children access information. Graduates of a library science programs are eligible to become a School Librarian. Graduates of educational media and technology programs have learned ways to incorporate new technologies, such as video and the Internet, into their classrooms.

Pros And Cons Of Online Education For The World Citizen

More and more young people are choosing non-traditional education to start and advance in their careers while completing and furthering their formal education. "Typical distance learners are those who don't have access to programs, employees who work during scheduled class hours, homebound individuals, self-motivated individuals who want to take courses for self-knowledge or advancement, or those who are unable or unwilling to attend class" (Charp, 2000, p. 10). Three key elements surround the online learner: technology, curriculum, and instructor (Bedore, Bedore, & Bedore, 1997). These elements must be keenly integrated into one smoothly and operationally functional delivery tool.

While an online method of education can be a highly effective alternative medium of education for the mature, self-disciplined student, it is an inappropriate learning environment for more dependent learners. Online asynchronous education gives students control over their learning experience, and allows for flexibility of study schedules for non traditional students; however, this places a greater responsibility on the student. In order to successfully participate in an online program, student must be well organized, self-motivated, and possess a high degree of time management skills in order to keep up with the pace of the course. For these reasons, online education or e-learning is not appropriate for younger students (i.e. elementary or secondary school age), and other students who are dependent learners and have difficulty
assuming responsibilities required by the online paradigm.

Millions of students use e-learning solutions in over 140 countries: corporations such as Kodak and Toyota and education providers like ExecuTrain, New Horizons, the Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS), Phoenix University amongst the hundreds of schools and colleges.

Studies have shown student retention to be up to 250% better with online learning than with classroom courses. Several recent ones have helped frame the debate. The Sloan Consortium published a widely distributed report titled "Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States in 2005" that examined the growing prevalence of online education across U.S. institutions.

In addition, a study conducted by the Boston-based consulting firm Eduventures found that, while about half of institutions and more than 60 percent of employers generally accept the high quality of online learning, students' perceptions differ. Only about 33 percent of prospective online students said that they perceive the quality of online education to be "as good as or better than" face-to-face education. Ironically, 36 percent of prospective students surveyed cited concern about employers' acceptance of online education as a reason for their reluctance to enroll in online courses.

But what actually drives quality? A March 2006 report released by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education identifies six quality indicators: mission, curriculum and instruction, faculty support, student and academic services, planning for sustainability and growth, and evaluation and assessment.

The debate rages on while the Pros and Cons of Online Adult Education for today's international students are constantly analyzed to determine if this type of education platform can deliver predictable and measurable results.

The Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS) is one institution which uses this type of delivery system. ENOCIS enhances their learning experience by offering many other "value added", cost reducing benefits to students. Online pupils can apply for scholarships available to students of excellence and other financial aid programs like the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), with attractive interest rates. They also provide convenient payment facilities, on line banking, Western Union Quick Collect, bank cards and a student who is granted a loan can start repaying it after two months if they have a corporate guarantor.

Pros of Online Education:

The key advantages of the online education experience are briefly explained below:

1. Cheaper: Online courses may be more affordable than those offered at colleges or trade schools. You may also save on transportation costs like gas, bus passes, and parking permits because you don't need to commute to school and there are no housing or meals plans to worry about since you do not need to live on or near a college campus. Housing expenses and other costs associated with living expenses are usually the most expensive aspects of a college education, so by taking an online course you could save quite a bit of money.

The best part of online education is the absence of travel and immigration problems. Some students may prefer not to pursue traditional on campus education, as it involves traveling to attend lectures. With online education, an applicant does not need to travel. Courses simply require accessing the internet in order to begin the learning process.

2. More Convenient: By taking courses online, you're able to decide when you study and for how long. You are also able to schedule your studying around your work or social schedule.

Since you're not bound to a classroom, you may do your work wherever you have access to a computer and the internet. You'll be able to set your own pace and decide exactly how fast you want to go over the material.

Take online courses when you need them, not based on some college's annual or semester schedule. You can learn when you need it (Just-In-Time) A course is as close as a computer with an Internet connection.

3. Flexibility: with no set class times, you decide when to complete your assignments and readings. You set the pace. In some programs, you can even design your own degree plan. The online students can carry out their private or official work, along with the online education. As it provides the convenience of time flexibility, a student can login and logout as per his desire whereas, the traditional education do not provide such flexibility in learning.

Flexibility of online education allows the student control over their studies. They can allot more time in the topics, which they feel comparatively hard and vice versa. The speed of learning depends solely upon the students.

4. Technology: With the help of the scientific technology, students can do their online education at any place. The only mandatory pre-requisite is the availability of computer along with an internet amenity. Side benefits include the learning new technologies and technical skills

5. Availability: distance-learning opportunities have exploded over the past few years, with many accredited and reputable programs.

6. Accessibility: with an online course, you can work on the course just about anywhere you have computer access. Your learning options are not constrained by your geographic location. The new virtual classrooms have created a myriad of learning opportunities for global learning and education center. On line education is a new era experience adapting to the needs of the world citizen.

7. Self-Directed: you set your own pace and schedule, so you control the learning environment.

8. Time Spent in Classroom: now you can take a course on just about any subject without ever having to be in, or travel to, a classroom so you have very little wasted time. Note, however, that some distance-education programs still do have an in-class component and normally to receive a fully accredited US university degree an international student must spend one or two semesters on campus.

9. High Quality Dialog: Within an online asynchronous discussion structure, the learner is able to carefully reflect on each comment from others before responding or moving on to the next item. This structure allows students time to articulate responses with much more depth and forethought than in a traditional face-to-face discussion situation where the participant must analyze the comment of another on the spot and formulate a response or otherwise loose the chance to contribute to the discussion.

10. Student Centered: Within an online discussion, the individual student responds to the course material (lectures and course books, for example) and to comments from other students. Students usually respond to those topics within the broader conversation that most clearly speak to their individual concerns and situations resulting in several smaller conversations taking place simultaneously within the group. While students are expected to read all of their classmates' contributions, they will become actively engaged only in those parts of the dialog most relevant to their needs. In this way, students take control of their own learning experience and tailor the class discussions to meet their own specific needs. Ideally, students make their own individual contributions to the course while at the same time take away a unique mix of information directly relevant to their needs.

11. Level Playing Field: In the online environment learners retain a considerable level of anonymity. Discriminating factors such as age, dress, physical appearance, disabilities, race and gender are largely absent. Instead, the focus of attention is clearly on the content of the discussion and the individual's ability to respond and contribute thoughtfully and intelligently to the material at hand.

On line adult education can be more effective and better for certain types of learners (shy, introverted, reflective, language challenged, those that need more time). Distance education courses are often better for people who learn through visual cues and experiential exercises.

12. Synergy: The online format allows for a high level of dynamic interaction between the instructor and students and among the students themselves. Resources and ideas are shared, and continuous synergy will be generated through the learning process as each individual contributes to the course discussions and comments on the work of others. The synergy that exists in the student-centred virtual classroom is one of the unique and vital traits that the online learning format posses..

13. Access to Resources: It is easy to include distinguished guest experts or students from other institutions in an online class as well as allow students to access resources and information anywhere in the world. An instructor can compile a resource section online with links to scholarly articles, institutions, and other materials relevant to the course topic for students to access for research, extension, or in depth analysis of course content material in the global classroom.

14. Creative Teaching: The literature of adult education supports the use of interactive learning environments as contributing to self-direction and critical thinking. Some educators have made great strides in applying these concepts to their on ground teaching. However, many classes still exist which are based on boring lectures and rote memorization of material. The nature of the semi-autonomous and self-directed world of the virtual classroom makes innovative and creative approaches to instruction even more important. In the online environment, the facilitator and student collaborate to create a dynamic learning experience. The occasion of a shift in technology creates the hope that those who move into the new technology will also leave behind bad habits as they adopt this new paradigm of teaching. As educators redesign their course materials to fit the online format, they must reflect on their course objectives and teaching style and find that many of the qualities that make a successful online facilitator are also tremendously effective in the traditional classroom as well.

Cons of Online Education:

Briefly explained are some factors that could negatively affect your success with distance learning courses:

1. The Technology:

a. Equity and Accessibility to Technology: Before any online program can hope to succeed, it must have students who are able to access the online learning environment. Lack of access, whether it be for economical or logistics reasons, will exclude otherwise eligible students from the course. This is a significant issue in rural and lower socioeconomic neighborhoods and educating the underserved peoples of the world. Furthermore, speaking from an administrative point of view, if students cannot afford the technology the institution employs, they are lost as customers. As far as Internet accessibility is concerned, it is not universal, and in some areas of the United States and other countries, Internet access poses a significant cost to the user. Some users pay a fixed monthly rate for their Internet connection, while others are charged for the time they spend online. If the participants' time online is limited by the amount of Internet access they can afford, then instruction and participation in the online program will not be equitable for all students in the course. This is a limitation of online programs that rely on Internet access. Equity of access to learners of all backgrounds and parts of society

b. Requires New Skills/Technologies: if you're not computer-savvy or are afraid of change or new technologies, then online education will probably not work for you. The online students are required to learn new skills, such as researching and reviewing the internet. For the online students, they need to learn the techniques of navigation on an online library for necessary information. Technical training and support of learners and instructors

c. Computer Literacy: Both students and facilitators must possess a minimum level of computer knowledge in order to function successfully in an online environment. For example, they must be able to use a variety of search engines and be comfortable navigating on the World Wide Web, as well as be familiar with Newsgroups, FTP procedures and email. If they do not possess these technology tools, they will not succeed in an online program; a student or faculty member who cannot function on the system will drag the entire program down.

d. Limitations of Technology: User friendly and reliable technology is critical to a successful online program. However, even the most sophisticated technology is not 100% reliable. Unfortunately, it is not a question of if the equipment used in an online program will fail, but when. When everything is running smoothly, technology is intended to be low profile and is used as a tool in the learning process. However, breakdowns can occur at any point along the system, for example, the server which hosts the program could crash and cut all participants off from the class; a participant may access the class through a networked computer which could go down; individual PCs can have numerous problems which could limit students' access; finally, the Internet connection could fail, or the institution hosting the connection could become bogged down with users and either slow down, or fail all together. In situations like these, the technology is neither seamless nor reliable and it can detract from the learning experience.

2. The Institution: Many online education facilities are relatively new with many courses and hence, lack in modern instructors for instructing the new curriculum. Estimates show that there is still a need for an increase of more 50% of qualified instructors for online education.

b. The Administration and Faculty: Some environments are disruptive to the successful implementation of an online program. Administrators and/or faculty members who are uncomfortable with change and working with technology or feel that online programs cannot offer quality education often inhibit the process of implementation. These people represent a considerable weakness in an online program because they can hinder its success.

3. The Facilitator :Lack of Essential Online Qualities: Successful on-ground instruction does not always translate to successful online instruction. If facilitators are not properly trained in online delivery and methodologies, the success of the online program will be compromised. An instructor must be able to communicate well in writing and in the language in which the course is offered. An online program will be weakened if its facilitators are not adequately prepared to function in the virtual classroom.

4. Perceptions/Reputation: while slowly changing as more and more mainstream colleges and universities embrace distance learning, there still is a stigma attached to distance education to the student's interaction in the online education. Some of the students believe that, there are few opportunities with regards to face-to-face interactions and feedbacks.

5. No Instructor Face Time: If your learning style is one where you like personalized attention from your teachers, then online education will probably not work for you.

6. Little Support: students are expected to find their own resources for completing assignments and exams, which is empowering for some, but daunting for others.

There is little support and limited guidelines provided in online education system. Online students are required to search as per their own imaginations for completing exams and assignments.

7. Lacking Social Interaction: while you often interact with classmates via email, chat rooms, or discussion groups, there are no parties or off line get-togethers.
If you enjoy meeting new people and learn better while you're interacting with other people, you may want to reconsider online education.

8. No Campus Atmosphere: part of the traditional college experience, of course, is the beauty of the campus, the college spirit, but you have none of that with distance-education courses.

Since you're not on campus or in classes, you may lack opportunities to meet other students. You will not have many opportunities to interact face-to-face with your professors, so they may not have a real sense of who you are as a person.

9. Making Time: if you are a procrastinator or one of those people who always needs an extra push to complete work, you may have a hard time making time for your online classes. On line learning requires new skills and responsibilities from learners

10. Academic honesty of online students: requires a new mindset to online assessment. Most education experts agree that rote memory testing is not the best measure of learning in any environment and new measurement and evaluation tools are evolving.

11. Types and effectiveness of assessments: The importance of outcomes in online learning cannot be over emphasized. Does the program have measurable results? Are students learning what you say they should be learning? Then there are institutional outputs: course completion rates, job placement rates (if that's the goal of the institution), graduation rates, student success on third-party tests, and student satisfaction scores.

These factors, both the pros and cons, contribute greatly to making an informed decision about the direction of your career path and how you are going to accomplish your goals: on line, in the classroom or a combination of both.

Institutions and companies that use continuing education to meet their needs also face similar decisions. Institutions that deliver online education are confronted with a series of challenges, including the search for good faculty, use of technology, and provision of adequate student services.

The Sloan Consortium report "Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States in 2005" found that 64 percent of chief academic officers and faculty believe that it takes more discipline for a student to succeed in an online course than it does in a face-to-face course.

More and more major business and industry is turning to on line continuing education as a viable and cost effective resource for training its personnel. Hilton Hotel has 380 hotels worldwide and is represented in 66 countries.

When you weigh the benefits and advantages of on line adult continuing education the cost of study and flexibility of scheduling tip the scales of programs like the Enoch Olinga College, Capella and Phoenix University's distance learning program on line adult continuing education is becoming a world wide respected form of education.

However, as with any situation, there are both pros and cons with the concept of online education and the benefits of the virtual or global classroom. You may want to evaluate both before you decide on an online education program. By examining the advantages and disadvantages, you will be able to make a more informed decision. But, at the end of the day, online learning is independent learning. A lot of structure has been put into online programs, but it still comes down to a learner sitting in front of a computer by him or herself. The knowledge you receive or the benefits it will generate either in development of self esteem or increasing earning capacity will depend sole upon you the student.