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Get a Degree in Your Own Home

July 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Obtaining secondary education is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your future. College graduates are more likely to get hired and promoted faster and more often than others who don’t have a college education. Holding a college degree can also boost your salary over those without degrees. One of the most flexible methods of obtaining a degree is by online education. Choosing an online college doesn’t have to be complicated if you follow a few simple guidelines.

Any online college that’s worthwhile will be accredited. Accreditation by reputable agencies, like the U.S. Department of Education or your state’s government, indicates a university worthy of receiving your money. Consider your long term plans before choosing a school’s degree program. Whether you’re looking into a bachelor degree at EarnMyDegree.com or any other institution, ensure that your credits will transfer and have value at other institutions if you wish to go further than your initial degree.

Once you’ve found some promising schools, take the time to do some investigating. Research how easy it is to get in touch with professors and other offices. Make sure classes aren’t huge; they should run the same size as any other college. One of the great things about getting your degree at home is you can start when you want. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Research whether your degree choice requires onsite meetings or lectures or if it can be completed totally online.

Choosing an online college can be simple, but make sure you put in the effort to find the right school for you.

Filed Under: Education, Study Groups Tagged With: , ,

How to improve comprehension skills

July 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Third grade students Tyl...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Comprehension is an excellent ability. If you can comprehend information fast, you can learn more things in quick time. A lack of comprehension can be due to the following factors:

 

  • Incorrectly designed study materials
  • Lack of concentration
  • Poor comprehension techniques
  • Low intelligence quotient levels

To improve comprehension skills, the best way is to read and read and read. The more you read, the more you develop ways to understand stuff. Bad readers do not understand things by reading. But they would be able to understand when things are told to them or shown to them.

But most of us derive information from documents, journals and printed materials in general. If you don’t read, then you might not be able to work in the corporate world, and do challenging desk jobs.

There are some techniques that can up your comprehension skills. Here are some.

Visualize as you read
This is the best way to retain information. Draw a diagram in your head. Or you can use a paper to do it. Structurize things. It can make you put things into a better perspective. People often forget to structure things in diagrams and remember them. They often remember the text.

Understand the concept
Understand the concept or rationale behind it. Find out the theory behind a particular piece of information. The more you seek to get the big picture, the better your understand will be. Ask why, what, when, how, who, where and more. The more your question what you are trying to understand, the more you would have understood.

Filed Under: Education, Student Teacher Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Online College Courses – One More Option

June 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
internet

Image via Wikipedia

Online learning, from high school to graduate achool courses, has become an important and growing part of education around the world. There are a large number of websites on the Internet devoted to helping students find schools and courses that meet their needs. Surprisingly, there are a number of online high schools offering high school and college level courses, including state sponsored programs, individual high schools and universities.

Other sites focus strictly on colleges and universities while other sites list career or para-professional online learning schools as well. The number of schools listed at websites varies varies from 210 to over 300.  However, it should be noted that many of these schools may not be accredited and in the world of higher education, proper accreditation is extremely important for the validity and prestige of the degree or certificate conferred.  With that fact in mind, it is important to ensure that any online college or university considered is fully accredited.

There are also advantages to taking college or career related courses online. The biggest advantage is convenience, especially for those who are working part or full-time. Online learning gives students the freedom to fit course work into time periods that do not conflict with work and exposure to students from other areas. Students can also pace themselves, depending on the course material. Online learning may be less expensive, especially in terms of travel and books.  Cost is an important aspect that needs to be checked out thoroughly before committing to a program. Most importantly, it is important to recognize that online learning requires good time management skills, discipline and commitment to be successful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Education, Student Teacher Reviews, Study Groups Tagged With: , ,

The Rise of Online Colleges

June 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Online education exploded once the Internet became ubiquitous around 1993. As Internet connectivity rose in numbers and connection speeds became faster, online education became a viable platform for students around the world, especially in America where technology leadership took online education to new heights.

Online colleges rose to positions of viability, influence, and legitimacy because many universities poured considerable resources into putting the best educational materials out there for students. Well-known universities such as MIT and Harvard have entire courses and related classwork online for students to pursue learning at their own pace.

Prospective students who want to pursue an online education can go here and get much of the information they need in an easy to comprehend manner which will allow them to make informed decisions.

One reason why online colleges gained a huge following was because many eager students saw that online education gave them flexibility to set their own schedule and not depend on set hours and class schedules offered by traditional university programs.

Now, people from all walks of life—pregnant women, stay at home moms, people with day jobs, and others with disabilities such as sports-related injuries or other serious medical conditions—can pursue their education online.

Online colleges prospered because they offered flexibility and access to all, regardless of their personal or social situation. Online education will likely rise further in terms of student volume as well as number of courses offered as broadband connectivity improves Internet speeds. Additionally, rich multimedia content with audio visual capabilities makes online education a more attractive platform than ever before.

Filed Under: Education, Online Learning Tagged With: , ,

Experience Collaborative Learning with Interactive Whiteboards

May 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A student using an Interactive Whiteboard 

Image via Wikipedia

In a traditional classroom setting the one basic piece of equipment you expect to see is a chalkboard or dry erase board. With the amazing technology of today, a new board has been created unlike anything from the past. It’s called an interactive whiteboard. This board is highly effective in collaborative learning for students.

Similar in both size and appearance to the dry erase board, it has the ability to combine not only a dry erase board but also computer technology. Teachers as well as students may use the pens that come with these boards to “write” on the surface of the board, but anything soft can be used as a writing tool.

Using the software provided with the board children are able to interact with other students as well as the teacher by seeing their lessons on interactive whiteboards. Students can manipulate images on the board and move them wherever they want them to go. Multiple students can manipulate the interactive whiteboard at any given time. This ability enhances collaborative learning for children and the kids will tend to be more engaged in the lesson because it is similar to a gaming experience. Each child is also able to see the different ways other students get the same answer.

These interactive whiteboards can be used with all subjects throughout every grade. Teachers can save work done by the class for future reference, repetition, or for students who were not in class that day. This allows all children in class to participate in the collaborative learning experience, even if they were not in school that day.

 

 

Filed Under: Education, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , ,

Maximizing the Benefits of Group Projects

March 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Students can learn much more than just class material from a group project, including team management skills, leadership, and creativity.  Here are several ways for maximizing the benefits of group projects for students.

  • Creative format
    Group projects that involve creative media, such as film, art, or cooking, can often get students more excited about the project.  Even simple presentations can elicit more participation and involvement rather than a simple worksheet, paper, or poster board.  Having a more creative format can also shift students’ perceptions of what the project should be like; if the project resembles many individual assignments in the class, then students will default to individual work, rather than group work.
  • Time to work in class
    Often times, students are incredibly busy with extracurricular activities, sports, and instrument practice.  Allowing a few minutes of class time for the group to meet and organize the project will greatly benefit students, as it will allow them to develop and implement a schedule for themselves.  At the very least, it will give them a chance to set up another meeting time outside of class.
  • Student evaluations
    Having the students evaluate each other can be a very useful way to maximize the benefits of a group project.  It will give the instructor a better idea of how the group worked together, and it will give him or her a better understanding of the work distribution for the project.  Ideally, students should also be evaluating the project itself, giving feedback for what could be improved for the next year.

With these techniques in place, students are ready to get the most out of their next group project.

Filed Under: Education, Study Groups Tagged With: , ,

Benefits of Small Group Stations in Class

March 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Small group stations set in place in larger classes can give students more opportunities to participate, work as a team, and receive more personalized instruction.  Here are several benefits of starting small group stations or workshops.

  • Hands-on learning opportunities
    Small group stations afford students the chance to work with their hands with labs, small experiments, puzzles, and even physical activities.  A smaller group means that each student will have more of a chance to take an active role in the activity, and the station becomes a hands-on challenge for the students, rather than a demonstration by the instructor.  Students will generally remember what they learn through these stations better than if they had learned the same concepts from a demonstration because they are actively involved.
  • Group focus
    Small group stations are heavily focused on group work, which is very different than the traditional lecture-based format of the classroom.  Because of this setup, students will feel more motivated to involve themselves in their education, ask questions, and participate.
  • Peer learning
    Often, students who have enjoyed certain workshops in the past will revisit the class in later years and assist in leading a small group station, giving the new students a chance to learn from their peers.  This type of learning can sometimes be more effective, as many students feel more comfortable asking older peers for help or more detailed explanations.  The older students also have the opportunity to learn better teaching skills as a result.

These aspects of small group stations will ultimately provide students with a new and different approach to learning that could be highly beneficial.

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Common Mistakes with Creating Group Projects

March 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Group projects are a great way for students to learn teamwork and leadership skills.  However, sometimes instructors can make these common mistakes when creating group projects for a class.

  • Not creating a project with enough team requirements
    It can be very tempting for students to just split up a group project into several individual parts.  Then, each student will complete his or her segment of the project at home, which greatly reduces the amount of group interaction and teamwork.  Instructors should make sure that enough focus is placed upon the actual teamwork of the project to maximize interaction between the group members.
  • Defaulting to “strong and weak” pairings
    Many teachers automatically assume that pairing stronger or more knowledgeable students with weaker or less knowledgeable students is the best idea.  However, this can frequently result in the stronger student taking on all of the work; while this might equalize the grading, the weaker student will likely not be learning as much as if he or she had more responsibility for the project.  Sometimes, pairing weaker students with each other and stronger students with each other can challenge the group more, but this will depend on the individual situation.
  • Assigning too many components
    Too many components to a project will encourage students to divide up the work to complete individually.  It can confuse and overwhelm students when there are many miniature assignments within a larger project.  Assigning one large and challenging task, rather than a number of smaller busywork assignments, can help students work together more.

If these common mistakes can be avoided, then the group project will be a much more successful learning experience for the students.

Filed Under: Education, Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , ,

Tips for Successful Math and Science Study Group Meetings

March 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Math and science study groups are effective tools for students to develop new problem solving skills and practice peer learning.  Each subject requires different skills, and as such, each subject should have a slightly different meeting setup.  Here are some tips for maximizing the success of math and science study groups based on the course subject.

  • General Chemistry
    This introductory course can prove to be challenging for many undergraduate students.  For an effective general chemistry study group meeting, students can try to work through tougher, multi-step problems together, talking through the different problem solving approaches and tossing out ideas.  This will not only help students learn how to solve the problems, but it will also help them learn different ways of thinking about the problems.  Similarly, lab reports are often easier in teams, and students can explore different ideas and compare their results for a better understanding of the material.
  • Math
    Like chemistry, math students can often benefit by working through problem sets and challenging problems together.  Conceptual learning is incredibly important in math classes.  Working in teams can be beneficial because it allows students to explain their thought processes and lean how their peers have developed a different conceptual understanding of the material.
  • Physics
    Working in teams is especially important for physics labs, where students will build circuits together to learn about electricity and magnetism, and work together to understand mechanics.  Some physics students might be interested in pursuing a career in engineering; study groups that focus on hands-on activities, labs, and lab reports can give these students practice working in groups, which will help them later on in their careers.
  • Biology
    Biology can entail a great deal of memorization, so students in biology study groups can maximize their success by quizzing each other and creating flashcards and study guides together.  Problem solving together can be helpful for topics such as genetics, biochemistry, and population ecology, as these topics often involve more math-based problems.

With these strategies in place, a study group can become more streamlined and effective.

Filed Under: Education, Peer Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Guidelines for Peer Facilitation

February 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Peer facilitation workshops can be a great way for students to learn effective skills for working in groups and teaching others.  Here are some guidelines for students looking to pursue a peer facilitator role in the classroom.

  • Relax
    The first thing to do is simply relax!  The peer facilitator role can be challenging, but ultimately peer facilitation workshops are designed to get all students involved.  It will not be like a presentation or teaching class for the day; but rather, it will be a way to make sure that the discussion and group work is flowing smoothly, and that all students are learning.
  • Guide the discussion
    This aspect of peer facilitation can sometimes be the most difficult.  When students ask the facilitator about confusing concepts, the peer facilitator should direct these questions back to the group.  Let others contribute their ideas; if no one knows the answer, encourage them to work it out on their own.  The idea is for the students to turn towards the group with questions first, before asking an authority figure, such as the peer facilitator or the teacher.
  • Avoid giving out answers too quickly
    Similarly, it can be tempting to hand out the answers when the group is stuck, but the peer facilitator should avoid this as much as possible.  The goal of the workshop is not to get all of the answers correct, or even finish all of the problems; instead, the goal is to improve teamwork and actively participate in learning the material.  Sometimes this will happen through finding the answers, while other times the greatest learning will come from working through mistakes.
  • Be honest
    Lastly, the facilitator should be honest if he or she doesn’t know the answer; admitting limitations is important so that students have the correct information.

These simple strategies should help student facilitators grow into effective leaders during their time in peer facilitation workshops.

Filed Under: Education, Peer Reviews Tagged With: ,
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