Education and Online Education

Green Real Estate Education

2011-08-20T20:50:00.001-07:00

Real Estate Investors can see a new era coming in the green revolution. It is no longer business as usual. Years ago, all professions in real estate were forced to become part of the information age, a new information revolution. Fifteen or so years ago, in many areas hard copy paper descriptions of homes for sale and lease and commercial properties were hand delivered. When the information highway came about, computers delivered property information and allowed people to access public records and tax information, providing up-to-date statistical property reports.

We now look to the next 20 or so years from a real estate investment standpoint. In an age where values are declining, it is time to know why green can cause a major shift in a buyer's decision. A selling price is and always has been what a buyer is willing to pay. Well, thanks to the media -- through newspapers, websites and TV, especially HGTV and other stations -- education for consumers is being offered. The days of accepting a piece of real estate with the the risks of unhealthy indoor air quality are becoming fewer as consumers become educated.

Through our company, Green Real Estate Education, those in the industry have a green certification program that close to 5,000 now see as an excellent first step to understanding why green building is growing so quickly. Green Real Estate Education is educating those professions such as Real Estate Agents, Home Inspectors and Mortgage Professionals and even government professionals who are planning infrastructure for the future to spread the news that going green while considering renovations and upgrades can save money. If I think back to when I was practicing real estate, if you could give me a property to market that had special beauty, or an attribute to stand out in the marketplace, I was glad. If I showed a property that had "more to offer" than others in the neighborhood, it was exciting. A home that showed lower utility bills would not have stood out as it would today.

When we teach our certification classes, we hear agents say over and over that buyers are asking about more energy-efficient product and systems in properties. Energy Star from EPA and the Department of Energy initiatives are helping consumers realize the tax incentives available to them. Those in the industry are embracing our courses for many reasons. They want to know their part so they can become leaders in the Green Revolution.

The Realtor must understand what a green certification is. Agents and home inspectors must allow energy raters into their circle of influence. All in the real estate arena must begin to help building code officials offer fast-track permitting for those who want to renovate to become more energy efficient. Mortgage professionals, underwriters and loan processors must get in the game to understand green underwriting standards coming down the pike. Appraisers are scurrying to substantiate these green renovations and upgrades for higher value. Taking the actual direct savings in utility bills is a great start for the mortgage industry. There are special forms for energy-efficient mortgage loans for consumers.

We'll keep training so those responsible for your real estate investment can offer suggestions that can only add to its value. Make sure you look for an agent, mortgage professionals or home inspector who displays our GREEN HOUSE LOGO as a Green Certified Real Estate Professional with our Green Leadership title to lead you in the right direction. Go green save money!

Kerry Mitchell is the founder and course developer of Green Real Estate Education, which is on target to educate more than 20,000 real estate professionals in going green by 2010. Mitchell established the recognized certification for the real estate industry, the GCREP.GL. She worked for 14 years as a licensed real estate broker in Maryland and Florida, where she now resides.

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Online Web Design Training

2011-08-18T02:37:00.001-07:00

With more individuals, and even companies, taking their products to the internet; online web design training is becoming more popular. There are various reasons for this. Below are a few.

Time

Online courses in general have the ability to fit better into your schedule. This is no different for online web design training. You can generally do the training whenever you want, and at your own pace. Because it's online you can also review anything you might want, also whenever you want.

Retention

Online web design training has an added advantage. Becuase you are taking online training to work on the web with, you can implement it right away. You don't really have to worry about retaining the information for a long period of time before you use it. Also, because you can use it right away you are more likely to remember it in the future. You can usually get the tools you need right away. Most of the programs will be available on the internet, so the chances of you forgetting the name of the program you need are slim.

Up To Date

Online web design training courses are more likely to be current. Unlike regular courses, they don't have to wait for the new semester to incorporate new information. This is a great advantage, especially when you consider how fast technology evolves.

Online Web Design Training - Availability

Last, but not least is that online web design courses are available to almost everyone. You also don't have to search for a campus. You won't have to worry about traffic because you won't have to drive to get to class. You don't have any of those added expenses to deal with either. Because you can do this when it fits, you won't need a sitter either. That means a lot of extra money saved for you. No gas, no parking permits, no fat text books, and no sitters.

It might be just me, but that adds up to a lot of savings. If you have internet service, even dial-up, you can take the training. You may have to meet other requirements for the course, such as age, but you get what I mean. If you are up to par with all their requirements you can take the course right from your living room so long as you have internet service. Since more people have busy lives, tight schedules, or limited funds; this is a huge advantage over traditional courses.

You really can't go wrong with online web design training courses. There are even a lot of courses that will teach you everything you need to know for free and once you have the course completed you will have all the tools you will need to launch your own website and start making money. To learn how to make money online through web design and forms of internet marketing visit http://www.3-day-marketing.com

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Teacher Education Philosophies

2011-07-26T18:31:00.001-07:00

It is important for every teacher to have a personal philosophy of teacher education based on a set of values and principles. It should reflect the person's ideologies and philosophies of teaching and the overall development of the children. It becomes a crucial element in guiding the children towards a successful life.

The most famous and important people who contributed to the development of the world had personal, deeply insightful educational philosophies on their own. Albert Einstein, Paul Freire and Rudolf Steiner were some people who wrote and followed powerful educational philosophies in their careers.

John Dewey, one of the most prominent educational philosophers, in his book 'Democracy and Education', even devoted an entire chapter on teacher education philosophy and talks about various aspects that play a formative role in the education of children. Philosophies of teacher education can be classified as Liberal, Behaviorist, Progressive, Humanistic and Radical. Each of these has specific purposes in education and defines the role of a teacher and his relationship with the learner, in the unique perspective of particular philosophical contexts. The liberal philosophy aims at developing intellectual powers, while the behavioral ideologies focus on the survival skills of a human being and the role of education in teaching them. The Progressive philosophy motivates cultural development of an individual in order to bring about societal change, whereas the Humanistic trends look at the overall development of the personality and characteristics of an individual. And the radical philosophers are interested in beneficial changes that should happen in a society from time to time, and the role of education in bringing about political, social and economical changes.

Teacher education philosophy is now used as a major marketing strategy by teachers and has become an essential component of a teacher's resume. This has evolved to become part of the teacher's personal profile, which outlines all of his essential skill sets and unique qualities, and highlights his specialties.

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Home Education

2011-07-15T03:24:00.001-07:00

Home education families and advocates are often criticized for isolating children and sheltering them from the 'real world'. Rare examples of children who have difficulty acclimating to a school environment after having formerly been home educated are used as fodder by critics in an attempt to prove that home education is faulty. Two main points are always raised, that the children are not given exposure to the 'real world' and that they are not properly socialized. I'd like to address these misunderstandings.

It is important that we first understand that the purpose of the modern government school system is indoctrination. This indoctrination process is performed using three main principles: Conformity, Training and Socialization. Once we understand this, we can begin to understand the weakness in the most popular Home Education criticisms.

Conformity

Indeed there are some isolated cases where a formerly home educated kid is plunked into a government school setting and struggles to conform. Immediately we see this as "failure" because we are now holding the child to that public school standard. Let us step outside the thinking box for a moment though, where we can view the forest from outside the tree line and realize that this is not a failure to "perform" it is actually a failure to "conform". The child is not conforming to a very specific and narrow pre-selected and predetermined set of criteria, chosen by those elusive bureaucrats that run that government system. These bureaucrats are at the mercy of the corporate sponsors who provide financial support. So in essence it is the corporate giants that get to dictate what the average child should "learn" (and I use the word loosely here). When child does not smoothly fall into place with that agenda we call it "failure".

As exemplified in popular home education criticisms, the mainstream seems to be caught in this mentality of blindly trusting that the government school system is the high king of learning. We hold children to those standards and very rarely consider who or what industry developed those standards. We don't ponder what they are based on or for what purpose they were developed. We as a society fail to ask ourselves these questions and so we go on thinking that if a child does not fit into that very particular mold then he/she is a failure.

It is imperative that we begin to understand that a child who does not conform well when plunked into a public school setting, is not failing. They are simply used to living according to natural human nature and adhering to God's intent for spiritual freedom. This is why they struggle to assimilate. They are in essence, fighting to maintain their spiritual freedom and they are grasping to hold onto their natural intellectual curiosity; an organic human trait that the system will eventually school this right out of them. If there is any question as to whether the system is producing creative, intelligent adults, all that is necessary is a cursory glance at our modern culture and all that currently plagues humanity. It's quite clear that something is terribly amiss as uniqueness, and creative intelligence seem to have become endangered traits. Most of history's great thinkers - the great philosophers and profound minds that changed humanity, have died off. We've seen only scarce examples since the founding Fathers. (Interestingly, these folks were often home educated).

The system is producing alright, but what it is producing is an obedient army of efficiently conformed adults, who have accepted an artificial reality and are trained to stay on a conveyor belt for fear of some abstract idea of 'failure'.

Training

"No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks!"is a popular chant that school children over several decades have sung at the onset of summer break. "School's out!" is always a celebratory statement. Why? It is because children hate school. They feel oppressed and stifled and frustrated. Even the "good performers" find great relief in summer break and vacation time. This is training for a lifetime of longing for and thus working toward collecting more 'vacation days' in the workforce.

We are systematically trained to accept that life sucks, that everything is a frustrating struggle and that is just the way it is. We accept misery, stress and debt as symptoms of existing. We are given years of preparation to acclimate to this idea so that we smoothly accept a life wherein we work a job that we dislike and just accept that this is the way it is. The reward is the vacation time during which we are released for a short burst of time and we rush to pack all the fun into a week before we have to return to the auto-driven conveyor belt that represents the only life we know and understand since pre-K.

The children (and adults) that escape this conformity are 'outcasts' and weirdos and hippies and rebels. Alas, life doesn't suck for us because we don't accept misery as reality and vacation time is irrelevant to our fun. However the majority of society rejects our notions because joy has been packed into an elusive and infrequent experience to be glimpsed only on special occasions.

The problem is that most of our modern culture has accepted pain as reality. It's not; we've just been in the system so long and thus have been so infused with it, that we believe that it is. However, perspective is really the key. All it takes is a single step outside the thinking box to see the true reality - which is that happiness is abundant and struggle does not have to be part of daily life. Once the true colors start to undulate it becomes pretty simple to recognize the beauty and joy in a real life.

The government school system provides an artificial reality wherein children of the same age are boxed together and force-fed a canned and packaged information bundle. If they are not able to regurgitate that information on command they are told that they've "failed". If they are not able to sit still and swallow that information they are diagnosed with a "disorder" and medicated to make them more docile and easy to feed. It's a prefabricated training program.

The only thing this experience really trains a child for, is proper assimilation into a world where they must get their certificate of validation (degree) in order to work for someone else so that they can build credit to acquire substantial debt by consuming and taking loans to pay for their consumption. It trains young humans to be able to sit at a desk or in a cubical (box) for long hours (or some other monotonous task), without complaint. It gets children used to doing things that they dislike in order to gain a reward (passing grade, degree, paycheck, vacation time etc.).

Those who do not conform to this procedure are called "failures" and those who do are rewarded with higher limits on their credit cards so that can effectively perpetuate the system. We are taught to desire money and financial stability and are discouraged from desiring joy and divine connection. We are taught that those desires are for hippies and nut-jobs, and it's better to want a big house and nice car. In short, happiness is elusive, stuff is better. While I don't think there is anything particularly wrong with enjoying stuff, in my experience I've found that life is far more pleasurable when we unplug from that paradigm and perceive it more like this: Stuff is alright, Happiness is better.

Socialization

As for socialization... my concern for the world is that we are filling up the population with clones that have been assimilated into a system that compartmentalizes them by age and/or gender and segregate them into boxes for several hours per day under the authority of a handful of adult strangers whom we blindly trust to deliver some sort of benefit to them.

My question is this -- how exactly does this 12-15 year experience reflect the "real world"? With the exception of the Holocaust and other war-time social experiments, in what normal situation in nature are humans forced into a room to be downloaded and indoctrinated? How does this pass as an effective social experience? It passes because we've blindly accepted it and that is because WE have been "socialized". Thankfully many of us have since unplugged from this, and we're the ones who have been labeled as oddballs.

The idea that the ability to interact with people is a learned skill that can only be acquired through practice is so sad to me-- and sadder yet is that there are still so many who believe it!

On the contrary, our ability to interact with other people is natural. We are born with it. It is a divine gift. It gets squashed and schooled out of us and then we struggle to find a fake process by which to recreate it. Interacting with others is not a skill that we are somehow naturally lacking and need to learn. It is a natural human trait that should be nurtured. But we don't nurture it. Instead we murder it and then attempt to recreate it by artificial stimulation as we drop our young children into a room full of similar people, leave them there feeling frightened and nervous and instruct them to "go make a friend".

Anxiety, fear and artificial relationships are fostered from the beginning. Conformity is encouraged and rewarded. Our individuality is suffocated. Our natural curiosity is strangled and our ability to love one another is killed. Then there is a great attempt to replace it with a preservative filled fake reality.

The Reality and Real World

Regarding those common criticisms mentioned above, I'm sure there are some children whose parents for whatever reason could not continue to educate them at home and so they enter them into government school. In my eyes it is the parents who have given up and failed to find a way to make it happen. Perhaps they themselves have had their sense of self-worth schooled out of them. I won't pretend to know what reasons parents give themselves. Whatever the reason may be however, the facts (according to statistical data) of the matter are that these cases are very rare and very far and few in between. There are far more children that are schooled all the way who arefailing within the system, than kids who enter from home education situations and then cannot cope.

We cannot use these rare cases as a litmus test because it's inadequate and weak. If we compare the social graces and academic performance (to scale) of the home educated population against the schooled population, then statistically the home educated population blows the schooled away by a huge margin. Statistically speaking, it's a landslide. Spotlighting one child who struggles to conform to his/her grade level when plopped into a classroom, is truly a very poor and feeble attempt to defend an obviously broken system. I often wonder if it is also an attempt made by those who have chosen the school system, to validate their own choice and soothe their insecurities about that choice. Something to consider indeed!

The minute we wake up each morning that Real World is right there! And it is filled with opportunities to interact with millions of people and experience unlimited wonders. The 'real world' is not inside a classroom. It's everywhere, waiting to teach us all we need to know about living in it.

In conclusion, the child that fails in school is not failing to perform, they are failing to conform. Perhaps we should take the hint.

An Unplugged Home Educator of her own children for nearly a decade, Laurette is passionate about helping people discover parenting in such a way that it resonates in their life, their children's lives and their world! Her objective is to help parents discover the benefits and joys of family life with Unplugged Education - an experience that goes beyond the logistics of academics and breaks free of the box of simply 'schooling' at home. It is a way of looking at parenting from outside the box and making deliberate informed choices for our family; a bold and audacious journey into the art of active Parenting that shakes the foundation of 'normal' as we learn to unplug from the doldrums of status quo and begin to dramatically improve the entire family dynamic!

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Start Off Your Online Education By Taking An English Composition Course

2011-06-08T02:02:00.000-07:00

Why is it necessary to take English Composition for your Bachelor's degree and why does everyone recommend that you take it as your first online class? You might think that you already had enough instruction in English, but how long ago was it? Just because you graduated from high school, does not mean you do not need to gain a better understanding of this subject.

Having a good grasp of the English language is important, but just as important is the written word and how it should be used. Another benefit is that by choosing this as your initial class, it can teach you good study skills to be used for the other classes you will need.

Do you really still remember the rules of English grammar? What about correct punctuation? Writing essays will provide knowledge of the correct way to write in a professional manner. This class provides a review of what you learned before, which is definitely a plus since your entire curriculum is online and not on campus where speech is used.

A plus of this class is that you get to read the works of famous authors and deliberate varies viewpoints through the essays that will be necessary for you to write. Various poets and their poetry might also be evaluated. Hopefully you will gain a greater respect for classic literature than you had prior. Improving your writing skills is a very important aspect of this class.

Another result of taking this class first is that you will obtain the necessary ability to manage and coordinate your time better. English Composition's configuration is very well constructed in that you have definite assignments with due dates attached. This capability of scheduling when you are able to complete the assigned work can be the deciding factor whether or not you are successful in the proceeding courses that you take. It is not always a simple task to plan around work and family responsibilities and it might frustrate you at the beginning, but you will eventually find your grove.

Opening your mind up to new and creative ways of thinking can be invigorating and exciting. Through the analysis of the writings by established authors, a new world can be reveal to you which will teach you to look at everything in more than one way.

Eventually, after you graduate and enter the workforce, how you present yourself on paper will be extremely important. Whether it is through general correspondence or presentations, your ability to write in a professional form can be a deciding factor if you are going to be successful in your career. In today's world with the internet, the amount of business that is done by emails is astonishing, making it even more vital that you know how to write correctly.

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Online Education For A Degree Can Start With A Free Class

2011-06-08T01:24:00.001-07:00

I happen to live in a state where the cost of a college degree is carefully regulated. One hour's worth of education is worth $25; one class usually costs me about $75. Compared to the rest of the nation, this is an incredibly cheap tuition rate for college classes. However, even at that low rate, if I'm taking full-time courses, I'm paying thousands of dollars just for the chance to earn a college degree.

Most states don't have any kind of regulation on the amount of money charged per credit hour at an academic institution. I've lived in states where I paid $225 for one class; I've lived in states where I've paid up to a whopping $500 for just one class. At those costs, the expenses of a college education adds up so quickly it almost seems impossible for our bank accounts to even try to keep up with us.

In fact, the ridiculous cost of a college education is often the exact factor that keeps students from starting or finishing their degree. With the benefits so far in the distant future that they hardly seem achievable, college looks like nothing more than a giant sinkhole for you to drown your money in. Why bother starting if you know you can't afford it? Sometimes even if you've already started, trying to finish is an impossibility simply because it's literally out of your budget.

The solution for this problem would be to eliminate money. Or, even better, to make college classes cost absolutely nothing. Sound like some sort of magical fantasy land where everybody is able to afford the cost of a college degree? Well, let me let you in on a secret: that place actually exists.

The place where so many wonderful things can be found, including free college courses, is called the Internet. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you can attend an online college course at absolutely no cost to you. That means no burden on your wallet, no moolah out of your bank account. The only thing you have to dedicate to this course is time and patience so that you can pass.

The reason you'll want to dedicate time to taking these courses is because they're completely and fully transferable to a list of selected colleges of your choice. That's right, not only do these classes not cost you anything, but it's exactly like taking an online class at any college. All of the hard work is going to pay off by being one less class you have to take in order to earn your college degree!

The best part about taking these free online courses is that there are so many options for what class you get to take. You're not stuck in one boring course that's required so you don't have to pay. No, there are actually a number of courses that you have the option of taking, from Introduction to Criminal Justice to Medical Terminology. There's a course for every background and interest, so you can start your college degree learning about what excites you.

That's really all there is to it. If you truly want to get your college career started without taking a big hit to your bank account, a free college online course is the way to go. Please, register today - you'll find yourself just one step closer through online education to having that diploma hanging over your desk at the brand new job you're excited to go to every day.

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Online Education Enables Worldwide Participation

2011-06-03T03:41:00.001-07:00

Colleges without walls are also colleges without national borders. Professors are beamed in through teleconferencing. Students pursuing degrees online and otherwise are able to establish worldwide networks. As rising numbers of international students enroll in colleges and universities throughout the United States and elsewhere, the buzzword in higher education is "global". Those obtaining a distance learning degree really do come from everywhere.

American colleges and universities during the 2008-2009 academic year saw a record high of nearly 672,000 international student enrollments, according to an annual Open Doors report from the Institute of International Education. Most students hail from India, China and South Korea, and most major in business and management and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) studies, the report noted.

While a preliminary survey for the 2009-2010 academic year reportedly produced mixed Institute results, the Chronicle of Higher Education has reported that some 3 million study abroad students overall in 2009 is projected to climb to 8 million by 2025. And Ben Wildavsky, who penned the book, "The Great Brain Race: How Global Universities are Reshaping the World", has likened the worldwide happening to a "free trade in minds" and "a chance for greater intellectual exchange, collaboration, and innovation", according to an Inside Higher Education report.

Global education can also be big business. International students and their families contribute more than $13 billion a year to the American economy, much of it in the form of tuition, the Institute for International Education noted. Students tend to begin their searches for schools based on guidance from family and friends, according to a Chronicle of Higher Education report on a spring Going Global conference held in London. Latin American students also look toward publications for assistance, undergraduates in Africa and the Middle East rely on the advice of their professors and graduate students look for quality, reputable programs that best meet their career goals, the Chronicle report noted.

In this high-tech age, students worldwide want responses to inquiries and applications in as little as a day. And Going Global speakers cautioned against viewing international students in this competitive education environment as "cash cows" and, instead, suggested giving them something for their money, according to reports.

American colleges and universities currently boast the largest worldwide share of top researchers and Nobel winners, Wildavsky told Inside Higher Education. The nation also holds the most global college top spots and attracts most of the top international students, he said. And in terms of colleges online, America leads the world in reputation, acceptance, and accessibility, University Business has reported. Students begin participating in international programs as early as high school, University Business writers Howard and Matthew Greene in 2007 noted. Some have lived as expatriates abroad; others are expats in the United States from Asia, Australia, Europe or Africa; and many hail from multinational, multicultural and multilingual families, the men reported.

In pursuing American college degrees online or simply taking classes through colleges online, international students don't have to travel far or worry about passports, visas, I-20 forms or I-94 cards. In many instances, online college tuition in America reportedly costs the same for foreign students as it does domestic students. And where traditional American campuses in the past have attributed international enrollment declines to post-9/11 precautions and student concerns about the H1N1 virus, these issues don't exist for those considering colleges online. International students seeking to enroll in classes offered by American colleges online or to pursue American college degrees online should, however, look for accredited institutions, interactive programs and courses with flexible formats that allow for tending to family and work responsibilities, Hobsons education consultants have advised.

At least one American university since 2001 has actually required that undergraduates take college classes online, in part, so that students can obtain global perspectives from worldwide scholar and practitioner partners, according to the Sloan Consortium. The school's Global Virtual Faculty Program as of spring 2004 included 46 scholars and practitioners from 23 countries who worked with some 900 students, the Sloan Consortium reported.

Those who obtain a distance learning degree join fellow students from everywhere in the world, learning global communication in a climate that encourages exploration. No matter where you are or what your schedule is, an accredited degree online is one sure way to match education and career goals for everyone.

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Internet Marketing Degrees

2011-05-28T06:37:00.001-07:00

Businesses these days need more than an Internet presence. They often have to compete for attention. Internet marketing degrees can help students help their future businesses or those of their employers to get recognized in cyberspace.

Students these days have a choice of Internet marketing degree programs or business degrees with Internet marketing specializations. Programs such as these provide students with the knowledge and skills that can help them manage websites and plan campaigns that extend beyond the yellow pages and print brochures. Some of the basics of Internet marketing degree programs can include:

Web 2.0. Some might mistakenly believe that Web 2.0 represents a new version of the World Wide Web. Rather, students in Internet marketing degree programs often learn how Web 2.0 involves web applications that allow people to be interactive when utilizing the web. These applications can include blogs, video sharing and social networking sites, folksonomies, hosted services and mashups.

Search engine marketing. SEM, as it's known, involves promoting websites at least in part by paying to make them more visible on the pages that provide search engine results. With SEM, for example, students in Internet marketing degree programs might learn how professionals pay for placement on Google or Bing search engine result pages (SERPs) as well as rely upon popular keywords that can improve their placement in other SERPs. Another form of SEM is Social Media Marketing, or SMM, whereby the social media pages of a website might also appear on SERPs.

Search engine optimization. SEO, as it's known, involves enhancing a website's visibility in SERPs without paying to do so. SEO relies upon the way that search engines operate, the words that people type into the search engines and the search engines that a marketer's audience tends to prefer. With SEO, Internet marketers rely upon content and coding. Students in Internet marketing degree programs, in addition to learning the ins and outs of SEO, might also gain insight into less desirable SEO techniques as far as search engines are concerned - techniques such as "keyword stuffing," "article spinning" and "link farms."

Web analytics. Web analytics, in a sense, is a market research tool as well as a means for determining website traffic. Internet marketing degree students might learn how to rely upon web analytics to determine any changes in the number of visitors and page views, the time spent on certain pages, might result from specific circumstances, such as when an advertising campaign is in effect. Internet marketers don't necessarily have to have a website in place in order to utilize web analytics, however. Rather than what's known as on-site web analytics that measures a website's performance, it might rely upon off-site web analytics to measure a website's potential audience and the visibility and to find out more about comments throughout the Internet.

Email, mobile and viral marketing. E-mail marketing in a sense is direct mail marketing through use of e-mail letters, newsletters and the like. Mobile marketing, which is sometimes referred to as wireless marketing, often involving the use of a mobile device. Viral marketing can include video clips, ebooks, text messages, flash games and more. Its mission: To appeal to web users who have strong social networking potential and who are likely to spread the message.

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Online Schooling for High School

2011-04-27T03:03:00.000-07:00

Online schooling for high school is now becoming increasingly popular as the extent of technological advancement ensues. You've probably known about online schooling for high school from the net, or from someone who's already enrolled in it.

Online education or distant learning is a type of education where classes are done via internet and computer. The style of teaching may depend on which online school you're enrolled into but generally, an online class is composed of a student and an educator interacting through the web. It's almost just the same as a regular class but the differences are that you are not inside a classroom, not with other students and you have the teacher all by yourself.

The reason why online schooling for high school is deemed as a very effective alternative to regular high school education is because it speaks and answers the need to have a flexible class schedule, study at home and get an authentic diploma without needing to attend classes everyday or without spending too much money for it.

If you're a person or a parent who has already decided to enroll yourself, or your teenager to online schooling for high school, check out these basic things first:

Accreditation

Accreditation is the first thing you have to consider before enrolling. The reason behind this is because you want to make sure that you or your child is getting the highest quality of education available online. There's also the issue with the authenticity of the diploma you're getting. If you're enrolling in online classes to obtain your diploma for better job opportunities, an accredited school is more likely to get you the job than those that are no accredited.

Tuition Fee

Tuition on online education may vary on the type of school you're enrolled into. Basically, public online schools or charter online classes are generally paid for and funded by the government. Hence, your online classes may require you to pay less or not pay at all. Online private schools, like traditional private academies, have their own policies and funding is primarily taken from the fees paid by you.

Educators/Online Class Supervisors

It is important that you know the level of experience and efficiency of the teachers handling the online classes. Do not hesitate on asking the online school administrator if the online supervisors have the same scope of training and experience with regular teachers. There are states that will only hire high school teachers who have a master's degree in education at the least. If that's the case, the online teachers must have the same comparable experience.

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How To Improve Memory

2011-04-02T18:21:00.001-07:00

In response to "how to improve memory," many dismiss the matter by saying that you cannot teach new tricks to an old dog. However, for humans, this does not apply. Our brain displays neuroplasticity, which makes it stupendously capable to learn, alter, and adapt at any age. Regarding recalling and learning, the human brain has the power to reshape itself. You can make the most of your brain's amazing capability to improve your memory and your learning ability.

6 Scientific Ways To Improve Memory

* Learn to concentrate. For your brain to shift information from short term memory to long term one, you need to give complete attention to whatever you wish to remember. Do away with distractions and focus on feeding your brain.

* Schedule short, but regular, study sessions. It has been proved by neurosurgeons that human brain can concentrate its best in the first 60 minutes of study session. After that, its activeness starts weaning. So, the first hour of your study is crucial and you can absorb the maximum information and retain it.

* Make groups of study material. Put similar concepts together. Make notes in your own handwriting. Do not ask somebody else to write for you, you'd never get the answer to "how to improve memory." Remember, your brain assimilates data in clusters. Also, when you pen down something, it kind of gets engraved in your memory, as compared to when you simply hear it.

* Teach the concepts to another person. Teaching is a kind of learning. When you teach others, you are actually revising your own knowledge. Your brain remains in active mode. It is memory training for your brain.

* Visualize things to remember better. The human brain catches visuals more efficiently. Illustrations, diagrams, graphs, and images help you learn better. You can create your own diagrams and visual aids to engrave information in your brain. Soon you'd realize that your memory is getting better and you would no longer ask about "how to improve memory."

* For effective memory management, it's good to understand things before memorizing them. Simply cramming is a bad idea. For example, when learning definitions, try to go into the details of the term and grasp its meaning. You can then easily recall the definition.

The Mnemonic Technique

Mnemonic technique is one of the most effective ways to remember things, especially in case of remembering long lists. This method of how to improve memory associates a word with something familiar or bizarre. The latter works better because we are likelier to remember weird things than common ones. For example, you need to remember a list of groceries that contain milk, eggs, can of frozen peas, protein shakes, broccoli, box of cookies, and batteries. Instead of cramming each item (and risking forgetting a few), create a bizarre connection.

How about this: The cat ate all the EGGS and gulped the PROTEIN SHAKES, which made it to shake so vigorously that it fell in the MILK, which was cold due to FROZEN PEAS; now, the cat needed BATTERIES to heat its body so that it could grab the BOX OF COOKIES, as it hated BROCCOLI! Try forgetting this! With this technique in hand, you'd never ask "how to improve memory."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6117747

The Education System in America

2011-03-28T04:25:00.000-07:00

The role that the educational system should play in the live of people is to educate them to be conscious, critically thinking individuals who do not passively accept knowledge but question the knowledge that is being taught to them. Education should be taught to give students the skills and intelligence they need to understand the world and how the world works in order to survive in it. However, the American educational system has been known to produce students whom are woefully ignorant about the world and different cultures. One of the reasons is because the educational system in its current state does not leave much room for critical thinking but trains individuals to be docile, worker bees in a global economy that keeps the status quo wealthy and "others" barely making it. The problem becomes evident if we look at the varied curriculums and subjects that are being taught. There is a lack of emphasis on academic learning, and the only thing that matters is high stakes testing. The schools in this country have become swamped with fuzzy curriculums that assume that through constant testing, students will be prepared for life in a new global society . . . whatever that is.

I recently had a conversation with a co-worker and we were discussing how African-Americans were treated forty years ago and I was amazed by her naivety about the subject, considering the fact that she was a college graduate and an African-American. From the moment I entered college, I was eager to explore the history of African and African-American history from a view point that did not make them seem sub-human and college affords students that opportunity. I could not help but wonder what type of history and sociological classes she had taken; from her conversation, none. But the sad truth is that when most people make the decision to attend college, it is for the purpose of reaping economic rewards, not for expanding one's consciousness.

In order for the educational system in this country to produce students who are not clueless about its history and the world surrounding them, it should be restructured in several ways. Parental involvement should be mandatory, just as school attendance for students is mandatory for graduation. Lack of parent involvement is an enormous contributing factor to the current failing educational system. Parents need to instill in their children just how detrimental a lack of education is to their future. Teachers are wonderful people who can take students from the top of Mount Olympus to the cold and desolation of Antarctica but they are there to teach, not parent. Many teachers spend a great deal of their class time disciplining children and playing babysitter, two things that are not a part of their job duties. Teachers need involvement from parents in order for the educational system to work and education begins at home.

Funding for the educational system should also be restructured. Public schools are traditionally funded by property taxes which results in a very unequal distribution of educational opportunity. Communities that are wealthy have more funding for their local schools than those who do not. This situation directly affects the quality of education that children in urban and poor rural areas receive. The No Child Left Behind Act will only make it worse because of the required testing and public reporting of results. When parents are buying a new house, they want to live in a school district that has strong test scores. This drives up the property values in those areas, meaning that only affluent families can afford to live in the top performing school districts. This means more property taxes to those areas, while the lower performing schools lose their funding if they do not meet federal standards. There should be a fair tax system for education that is not based on property taxes of homeowners. Government funding, for the most part, is distributed to the various schools by state and local governments and there is huge disparities in this funding based on race. According the text American Education by Joel Spring, there is a gap of more than $1,000 per student nation wide based on race, with large states like New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, who lead the nation in their unwillingness to fairly fund education (Spring, pg. 77). Children should not suffer because of their economic background or ethnicity and public education should make no distinction between rich and poor, or black and white. Every child attending a public school should be granted an equal education. Equal funding would grant teachers the proper resources to better educate students. School choice and the privatization of the public school system would not be a factor because under my plan, the educational system in America would be fully and equally funded by the federal government and closely monitored. With the influx of money pouring into the educational system from the government, schools would change dramatically for the better because that is the biggest issue in most public schools: lack of money.

The educational system's curriculum would be changed in order to fit in with the nation's melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities. From elementary to high school, students are bombarded with facts and figures about wealthy, white men as if women and other minorities do not exist or contribute anything worthy to the history of America. No wonder so many students blank out historical facts: they do not care these fact because they cannot relate to the actors in the story. Student should be required to take courses that have will give them a more in depth understanding of the world surrounding them, courses that will discuss the history of marginalized and oppressed individuals in this country and around the world. They should be required to read books that make them think, not just process information for the next test. If more students understood the values and cultures of people unlike themselves, it would not be easy or maybe even possible for the government to lie and use propaganda techniques to lull the masses into believing everything was okay and its leaders competent. High stakes testing would be eliminated because most of the tests are designed by people who do not have a clue about the demographics, ethnicities or economic backgrounds of the students who are to be tested and these tests are biased against minorities and the poor. If students are to be tested, extra tutoring would be available to students, at no cost to the parents.

Having competent teachers, board members, and administrators are also a vital part of restructuring the educational system. Having qualified administrators and board members who know and enforce standards and guidelines is important. What are the qualifications for an administrator? Are there required qualifications? These are the questions that need answers. Just because someone has obtained a degree does not make this person the best for the job. Board members should not be chosen because they golf with the mayor; all board members should have a Master's degree in Education or have an extensive social justice background. As for teachers, the educational system should make sure that the best teachers are chosen for the positions and evaluations should be given frequently. This would give parents and the educational system a chance to find out what is wrong and what is needed to correct the problems. Public education needs teachers and board members that actually care about the children and their education, not individuals who want the perks of working for school system: summers and holidays off, steady raises and a fat compensation package. American children are suffering due to the inadequacies of the individuals involved with the educational system.

The "culture of poverty" theory that has been used by several politicians to explain differences in learning between different ethnicities would be exposed as a blatant attempt by the status quo to "blame" individuals for their poverty if the educational system was restructured to meet the needs of all students, not just the wealthy. Huge educational gaps between poor students and wealthy students do not occur because the poorer students have adapted to their poverty-stricken existence but because they do not have resources needed to succeed in school. If students have to deal with textbooks that are outdated, lack of toiletries, and computers from the late 1980s, their opportunity to advance academically is dismal and their chances of dropping out of school likely.

In a just and an equal society, the educational system I have discussed would have already been implemented decades ago but it has not and more than likely will not. In a hierarchical society such as in America, there will always be someone on the low end of the totem pole and the best way to do that is through the mis-education of its most vulnerable: the children. The neglect of the educational system in the US threatens the economic well being of the entire nation. Unless the inequalities in education is diminished and its system totally restructured, the wealthy gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen and the US will be infamous for being the nation of the undereducated. Spring, Joel. American Education. (2006). New York: McGraw-Hill

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/445815

Which Internet Marketing Home Study Course is Right For You

2011-03-22T01:21:00.001-07:00

An internet marketing home study course can be an extremely smart investment if you are looking to make money online and if you are also willing to take massive action to make your dreams a reality.

Does Your Marketing Course Cover Everything You Need To Know?

You should be careful because many courses online are short eBooks or video tutorials that cover only certain aspects of marketing. A good internet marketing course is likely to contain much more in-depth material with a broader view of the topic.

One of the best home study courses I've purchased was Mike Filsaime's Butterfly Marketing course. I made my very first sale from my own website after reading one of Mike's earlier products so I knew that the content he produced was valuable and reliable.

Typically, such courses are more expensive than the $47-$97 ebooks that you'll find on sites like Clickbank, but if you go through and apply the materials, the income potential can be much greater. After using the techniques in the Butterfly Marketing course, I had my first $1,000 day and a $5,000 week. But if you are just starting out, you may not want to spend $1,500+ on a course.

Are You Ready Yet For An In Depth Home Study Course?

But, if you are just starting out, then a full blown internet marketing home study course may not be the right option for you. When I purchased my first high-ticket course I already had a good foundation in internet marketing and I knew I could use the course to help grow my business.

So if you don't have an existing business yet, I wouldn't recommend you spend $1,000 or more on a course as instead of making you money, it may actually cause you to become overwhelmed with the large amount of information on a topic that you're not very familiar with.

Are You Just Starting Out Online? Then Make Sure You...

Get the basics down first! It is possible to start a business online with minimal cost - just a domain and hosting - so there is no need to spend thousands of dollars when you are starting, especially with the wealth of free information that's readily available online.

Great places to start are forums like the warrior forum as you will find many marketing experts who are more than willing to help out new marketers and answer any questions you may have.

There are also good free courses that are designed to help you get started marketing online, and very simple and easy to understand because they're made for beginners. They may not contain all the information of a large internet marketing home study course, but can have all the essentials you need to get started seeing results.

A Case Study of an SEO Campaign

2011-03-22T01:15:00.000-07:00

Frequently I am asked if running an SEO campaign that focuses on a particular region requires a different strategy. In many respects the campaigns are the same. There are just a few key areas you need to take into account. The strategy was SEO and Leicester was the target area with a time frame of three months. In fact we did it in two, and I'm about to tell you how.

1. By writing around the subject rather than simply hammering out keywords, we were able to develop huge relevance to the niche as a whole, allowing us to capture a great deal of long tail traffic.

2. In addition to this you must also consider Google Places. As your target niche is geographically focused, Google places is an absolute must. Very often it lists its results right at the top of the organic listings, providing you with great benefit but with a fraction of the effort required for to achieve those results for normal search engine optimisation.

3. The other major benefit here is the conversion rates. Because your campaign is targeting specifically those that are searching for a provider in Leicester, when they find exactly that they are considerably more likely to convert than if it was a more generic search.

The down side to all this of course is that the search volumes for Leicester, or whatever the region in question, are always going to be a tiny proportion of what they would be if you were casting the net wider. So that is the balance you need to weight up, highly qualified leads and less competition, versus lower search volume numbers. Whether or not this is a suitable strategy depends really on the product/service in question.

Career in 3D Animation

2011-03-03T23:56:00.001-08:00

Have you ever dreamed to be a 3D computer animation artist or a professional? If yes, then that probably could offer you some great opportunities. It may be possible that you have checked some reputed names but some of them might demand hefty sum for fee and also might not offer any guarantee on job or placements. Similar is the case with many applied arts schools which do not guarantee on providing job support post the completion of course from their institute. What matters in any career is the track record that a person has more than the degree of education received from a particular institute or school. Some of the great chefs could be working up their way up from dishwasher whilst some real incompetent ones could possess reputable culinary degrees.

Since animation or multimedia is a career that demands high personal skills in sketching and art so if you possess them then a well scheduled training system would be able to hone your skills. Prior to investing into any form of technical education, it would be better to practice on skills by learning some of the basics via 3D animation or computer animation training programs. It is necessary to carefully select or choose a training center for yourself which offers every form of help and results so that you learn the best of the industry to match the needs of the hour. There are many multimedia training centers which have the best of the faculties, infrastructures, training facilities, best exposure to the practical sessions to get an insight into the real work of this industry.

Under the foundation course it comprises introduction to the multimedia technology, techniques used and the tools needed to create some amazing creations. It would be wise to understand that all courses might not be same and differ on various planes. Try contacting and finding out every detail before joining any institute. You could discuss with their executives and question about the kind of opportunities they'd offer after you complete your course. You could search on the Net for some good options before checking them out in person.

Career in Human Resources

2011-02-17T04:59:00.001-08:00

With enrollment in an accredited human resources school or college you can receive the educational training needed to pursue the career of your choice. Receiving the education necessary for a career in human resources will also you to pursue the profession you desire. Opportunities exist at various levels allowing you to obtain the education needed to pursue the career you dream of. You can select from various specialized areas of study in order to enter into the career that best fits your individual goals and needs.

Specialized areas can be entered in order for you to receive the education that is needed for the career of your choice. You can select from human resources and human resources management. This will help you to follow the career path that fits your individual needs and goals to pursue the profession you desire. Professionals in this field are trained to work with different people in various businesses to put policies and strategies into action in the workplace. You can pursue a human resources career by finding a program that meets your needs and learning more about the educational training options available to you.

Human resources careers can be entered once you earn an accredited education. This can be done at various levels including an:

Associate
Bachelor
Master

...degree level. The level of education being obtained will help to decide the length of time that needs to be spent on studies. Associate degree programs can last two years and prepare you for a four year bachelor degree program. Training for a master degree will require an additional two years of study. Coursework will vary but can include training in public administration, management principles, industrial psychology, computers, organizational structure and more. Accredited schooling will prepare you for a career working as a recruiter, director of employment, occupational analyst, benefits specialist, placement manager, and many other professions. You can start the path to a career in human resources by finding a program and enrolling today.

Human resources management career training programs allow you to select from a variety of educational options. You have the opportunity to earn an accredited:

Associate
Bachelor
Master

...degree in this exciting area of the field. Obtaining an accredited higher education at any of these levels will help you to prepare for the career you dream of.

Coursework will cover various topics to allow you to obtain the knowledge you need to enter into employment. Studies can include courses in business administration, psychology, accounting and finance, managerial ethics, marketing and other related studies. Training in human resources management will help to give you the skills you need to become a professional training specialist, assistant training manager, personnel recruiter, compensation administrator, and more. You can enter into the field by researching accredited schools and colleges and enrolling in a program today.

Accredited schools, colleges and degree programs can help you obtain the education necessary to enter into a successful career. There are various agencies that can fully accredited educational training programs that offer the best quality education. The Accrediting Council for Independent Schools and Colleges is one of the agencies that can ensure you will receive the accredited education you desire by providing human resources schools and colleges with full accreditation. You can begin the path to an exciting career in this field by enrolling today.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Renata McGee is a staff writer for PETAP.org. Locate Human Resources Schools and Colleges as well as a number of other Online Human Resources Schools and Colleges at PETAP.org, your Partners in Education and Tuition Assistance Programs.

Philosophy Degrees - What Careers Options Are Available

2011-01-10T03:52:00.000-08:00

Philosophy deals with morality and contemplating right and wrong. You may be wondering how this will transfer into a job after college. If you are thinking about earning a philosophy degree, it is important to know what career options are available to you after graduation.

Law - Philosophy graduates have the skills to think, write clearly, and present a good arguement. This lends them to do quite well in the law field. Many students will use their philosophy degree as a jumping point to starting their law degree or will work in legal departments in large corporations.

Health - Philosophy graduates often become practitioners or administrators in the medical field. Also, those with a philosophy degree have a high acceptance rate into medical school.

Sales - Philosophers often have great success in the professional sales arena due to their research, reasoning, and arguing skills. Many work in a business setting and maintain a large network of customers.

Government Affairs/Lobbying - A degree in philosophy is a great start to a career in politics. Lobbyists, especially, are known for their skills in reasoning, deduction, and arguing. Many graduates go on to have careers as a political analyst or lobbyist working for politicians, private firms, or as consultants.

More and more universities are opening up their philosophy degree programs to online students. You will graduate with many different marketable skills, and the analytical skills you gain when pursuing your degree transfer wonderfully into many varied career fields and environments, making this an exciting and rewarding career option.

Education Versus Training

2011-01-07T05:16:00.001-08:00

Many people don't understand the difference between education and training. Education is giving out information and communicating to your trainees. Training is about practice and building skills. Today's younger generation of employees wants to be trained, not educated.

Problem is, if we don't educate them before we train them, it could lead to problems. Think about how you learned to drive. You need knowledge of the laws and then the actual training of getting behind the wheel. Same can be said for learning about the birds and the bees--if the education part isn't done effectively, the training could lead to undesirable results!

Mark Flores, director of ops for Chuck E. Cheese's, uses the macaroni-and-cheese example to demonstrate the difference. We've all made mac & cheese plenty of times in our lives, but if we don't follow the instructions exactly, we might get macaroni soup, crunchy macaroni, or something else other than what we intended. So how do we deliver education and training to ensure consistency?

Manuals. Boooooooooring! We do need documentation, but make it fun! Include tons of photos and minimal text so it's more of a comic strip look. People are more likely to remember what they see versus what they read, so retention of information is better. Additionally, it's easier to translate into other languages.

Videos. Better than reading for most employees, but they need to be short segments (3--5 minutes maximum) with tons of visual image changes. Our employees today are used to watching CNN with talking video, a crawler message along the bottom, and the weather forecast on the side--all while having four online chats with their friends. Long, drawn-out videos lose their attention quickly. Watch a segment and go practice what you learn. You can watch the next segment after that.

Online. Golden Corral, White Castle, Sea Island Shrimp House, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Chuck E. Cheese's are all using or testing e-learning. Since it is self-paced, it goes at the speed of the learner. Be careful: As we've seen with e-books, it's not too comfortable to read a book on a PC, so keep the text to a minimum. Review questions can be built in as a checkpoint for the learner to advance to the next section. Great way to replace video and print, but it's still not "training."

Tests. We all hate tests! To ensure consistency in tests, keep them simple and visual (use as many pictures as possible), and use multiple-choice, ordering, or true-false format to ensure consistency in grading. Most of our employees no longer take fill-in-the-blank or essay tests. Ensure they have the basics down. Do all your trainers actually grade tests the same way?

All the above forms of "training" are really just education, yet most managers think it's training. We didn't get our driver's license after reading the book, watching the video, and passing a test--we had to demonstrate our skills to the authorities before we received permission to drive. Education is the necessary evil that must come first, though.

Do we follow the same format with our employees? Many companies do not--we just memorize a bunch of useless information the guest cares little about and then we're ready. You need to be validated on the skills it takes to do the job and re-validated periodically in the future. Knowing the job and doing the job are two entirely different things--and the guest notices.

Skill Validation

Having the new employee demonstrate skills for a manager shows you two things: how good the trainer was, and that the employee can do the functions of the job. We all might think we have the same definition of "greet the guest" or "suggestive sell," but when we see our employees in action, we find it's all across the board. If we don't coach them through the skill, they will simply do what they see at other restaurants (which often isn't good). Conduct these validations every 90--180 days to keep standards top of mind.

Can You Learn SEO On Your Own

2011-01-04T04:44:00.000-08:00

People who own websites need to learn SEO. This is even if you don't intend to earn anything online and just want to post information. If you want people to see your content at all, knowing how to optimize web pages is a must.

The main issue with gaining the right kind of knowledge and level of skill is that it does not come cheap. If you want to become an expert, you need to pay to attend workshops, read e-books or participate in courses. The expense involved in obtaining education can seem prohibitive for owners of small sites. This is why people wonder if it is possible to learn search engine optimization without having to pay a single cent.

The plain and simple answer is, yes, it is possible. There are hundreds of free resources out there that you can tap to find out what you need to get people to your website. Many of these free guides and tips are written by actual experts who have been in the business of optimizing online properties for years. There is thus no problem when it comes to the availability of relevant material.

The wealth of information however does not imply that learning for free is easy. Although you can quickly find free information to help you learn SEO, there are inherent difficulties when it comes to managing the many pieces of information that you will come across.

The main disadvantage of free data is that there is simply so much that you'd have to deal with. While it is already difficult to pick what is applicable to your situation, the task of sifting through advice is made even more challenging by the presence of fake gurus and hyped up tips. If you fall for a total fake or for an overblown technique, you will surely find yourself in trouble.

The least issue that you can encounter in this scenario is not having an optimized site. A weightier issue when you learn search engine optimization from a bad teacher is that you might end up getting your site banned in search engines. If you have accounts in related reputable service providers, you may also lose your membership if they find out that your site has a bad reputation.

So how can you identify the best free sources that can teach you legitimate ways to optimize your site? The first step is to identify leaders in the industry. These are people or companies that have created names and reputations for themselves online. You would know if a person is worth learning from if he has an enduring presence online, proof of his successes and a loyal following.

Remember though that even real experts don't always agree. To find the one or two gurus you'd want to follow and learn SEO from, read as much as you can about what various gurus have to say. This will allow you to pick the perspective or general approach that you are most comfortable with and would like to apply to your own site.

Listing Education on a Resume

2010-12-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

So you've gone to the time, expense and effort to complete some aspect of formal education. Or maybe you started to work on this, but then inevitably, life happened... had to take a job to pay the bills, got married, had kids, moved, etc. etc. There's a universe of things that life can throw at you that can interrupt even the most well-intentioned plans for education.

There are some rules of thumb out there when listing education on a resume which should be considered.

1. DON'T list the year you graduated. Unless you are in an education, government, scientific or highly technical field where having a date of graduation is essential, please don't broadcast how old you are by including this information. (Human resource managers do the math!) Sure, if you are an adult learner who just got done with a degree, it's new and important to you just like it is to a person fresh out of high school who immediately went to college. However, resist the temptation to perhaps look younger by listing the graduation date!

With the exception of the four fields mentioned above, the cold, hard truth about education is this:

Most employers really only care whether you graduated... Yes or No.

They don't care what your GPA was, how many times you made it to the Dean's list, what scholarships you landed, and sure, you can list that you graduated as magna cum laude or summa cum laude... but that often isn't a deciding factor as to whether or not to hire you- it just becomes distracting with all of the scholarships, awards, grade points, etc. Keep it clean and simple.

2. A common mistake recent graduates also make is that they want to list their education FRONT AND CENTER... naturally because this is generally the MOST IMPORTANT THING the person has ever done in their lives to date. However, most human resource managers are really probing for what kinds of experience that the person has, not their education. So the best advice is to put the education later in the résumé rather than near the beginning.

3. DO list all of your education. Some people in this economy are becoming sensitive about feeling 'over-qualified' or 'over-educated.' Think of it this way- employers are in the catbird seat right now... they can afford to hire workers that they couldn't dream of hiring just five years ago. So they are 'cherry-picking' the top candidates and if they can find a top leader in a field who is willing to come work for them, they'll gladly take them. Who wouldn't?

Additionally, if you didn't complete a degree, you can indicate: "Program coursework in: (area of study).

Give yourself credit for the time you've put into it, even if the end result isn't what you had hoped for. It shows initiative and a desire to improve your knowledge and skills.

I've had a few clients that I've worked with who had put down a degree name on their résumé, but it turned out that during our consultation, that, well, they never ever REALLY ended up finishing their degree.

This kind of misrepresentation is one of the oldest tricks in the job search book... if this sounds like you, it would be in your best interest to be as forthright as possible about your educational background. Human resource managers are well aware of this trick!!! Quite honestly, the EASIEST background check to do in the world is to verify whether a person graduated or not from a particular institution. Fudging it or trying to convey a different impression is a fast-track to the trashbin for your résumé.

So this is an 'either' or an 'or' situation.

EITHER you got the degree OR you took program coursework in a field.

If you are currently in progress, you can indicate:

Degree name (spelled out, please): area of study (anticipated completion date: ______)

As for the rest of your education, anything else that is not from a formal, accedited institution or career school falls into the 'professional development' category, and can include everything from industry certifications, workshops, trainings, continuing education units (CEUs), conferences, seminars, conventions and the like.

You'll want to call this specific section "Professional Development," which conveys to an employer that you are always actively taking steps to improve and hone your skills so you can do your job better.

Not working right now? Have some resources? Try keeping up on industry trends by registering for a class in your field through a trade association. It's a great way to keep your 'toe in the pool' and stay current.

Keeping your mind engaged while looking for employment is very important. Sometimes, being laid off is the very opportunity needed to open a new chapter for professional enhancement... there simply wasn't time for it previously. You never know where this can lead to! A recent client of mine spent the money to get certified with another industry credential. One of the requirements of the certification was to take an exam. When she showed up at the exam location, she found out that she was the only unemployed person there- everyone else was there through their company. The amazing thing was that she got three highly-qualified job leads by talking to the people there at the exam location... and she was so thrilled that the exam itself wasn't the highlight of the day!

Advancements Through Online Education

2010-11-24T18:54:00.001-08:00

hange is absolutely constant. Even education are adapting to the change; from traditional education now comes the online education. This latest system of learning is exciting as well as it is time and money efficient. In fact, it is now a growing trend worldwide. Many people consider this because it's easy access and has budget-friendly requirements without sacrificing quality education.

Online education is even widely accepted in the job market today. If you lack the knowledge or the credentials to qualify for a job, this is the solution to acquire them with a lesser time frame.This actually gives you more option whether to take the traditional way of learning or the trendy, easy and unique way of learning online.

In traditional learning, lessons are scheduled on a specific time where attendance is a must. Therefore, absences or tardiness greatly affect the quality of knowledge acquired whereas, in online education, it allows you to freely take your classes at your own convenience. It is accessible and the knowledge you need is not affected because you can always take the lesson or load them up at your preferred time. You won't miss a single information unlike in a traditional classroom set up. College is a big time investment and not everyone could afford to go to school with loads of works at the same time. Now, with online education nothing is impossible. A student can even experience the thrill of having diverse level conversation with having classmates from different continents.

With people aiming on new found knowledge and jobs, online education has become a very convenient means to achieve that goal. Dealing with studies and work has become a hassle-free endeavor. Indeed, online education have boost its significance to individuals with tight schedules and budgets.

A lot of individuals like working moms and self supporting students take advantage of this program. They are spared with the hassle of everyday responsibilities, because they can now be able to obtain their degree at the comfort of their own home. There's no need for them to travel far from home are spend money on housing, tuition fees and books. Online education is by far a practical and a very convenient way of acquiring knowledge.

As this type of education spread, controversies pertaining to its reliability and validity have arise. Constant enhancement have to be made to improve the quality of online courses. Other employers give some thought on online degree holders.

To ensure online educational credibility, check first the background of the institution you are going to enroll you and choose known programs to avoid drawbacks. Also, try to check reviews online.

Overall, everything would depend on the person hiring you; others would base on your knowledge and your educational background but it all boils down to your skills and ability to sell yourself.

Most Popular Degrees at University of Phoenix

2010-11-20T02:51:00.000-08:00

University of Phoenix is one of the most popular online universities available to students today. Founded in 1976, the university is the largest private university in North America with more than 200 locations plus their availability of online university degrees. It boasts a number of popular degrees available in associates, bachelors and advanced degrees.

With more than 400,000 current students and almost 100 online degrees, it may be overwhelming to determine which degree is best suited for you. If you are considering enrollment at the university, it may be beneficial to learn what other Phoenix students are studying.

Most Popular Degrees at University of Phoenix

Business & Management - At University of Phoenix's School of Business you'll learn from industry leaders about the fundamentals and best practices of the business world. Their education methodology includes simulations, case studies and virtual organizations. Some of the most popular business degrees within the School of Business include:

Accounting

Communications

Finance

Marketing

Operations/Supply

Green Programs

Hospitality & Tourism

Information Systems

Retail Management

Sports Management

Criminal Justice & Security - Degree programs offered from the College of Criminal Justice and Security provide students with an in-depth knowledge of criminal justice as well as security best practices. The faculty educates students on the most recent digital advancements and prevention strategies. The most popular online university degrees within the College of Criminal Justice and Security are:

Criminal Justice Administration

Organizational Security

Criminal Justice

Justice and Security

Information Technology - A degree from University of Phoenix's College of Information Systems and Technology provides you with more than the principles of information technology. Their programs venture far beyond reading textbooks with hands-on experience and real-life scenarios. Some of the most popular degrees offered at The University of Phoenix include:

Information Systems Security

IT Support

Networking

Software Engineering

Web Design

Education - With more than 25 years of education experience, the College of Education has programs designed to serve the needs of aspiring teachers, those looking to move into administration, and those interested in adult learning theory. Their courses are taught by educators and administrators and are regularly being updated with input from current teachers. Two of the most popular online university degrees at the College of Education are:

Elementary Education

Special Education

Health Care - The College of Natural Sciences offers challenging programs to help you develop critical, independent thinking as well as problem-solving skills. They blend new and traditional scientific theory and knowledge to create a solid basis of natural sciences. Two of the most popular degrees within the College of Natural Sciences are:

Long-term Care

Health Administration

Master's Degrees - University of Phoenix offers master's degree programs in a variety of fields designed to help you stay competitive in your career. Their online university degrees give you the flexibility to continue working while pursuing your degree and allow you to take only one class at a time if need be. Some of the most popular master's degrees offered include:

MBA

Information Systems

Special Education

Health Care Administration

Early Childhood Education

Elementary Education

Kristianna Del Grande
Communications Consultant
http://www.UniversityFacts.com

Why People Are Taking MBA Programs Online

2010-11-20T02:50:00.001-08:00

Global economy can be a good and a bad thing. The bad side of it is that it can make getting a job a little more difficult. This is because there is more competition. People are able to increase their chances of obtaining work by giving thought to taking one of the many MBA programs online.

People are able to develop and improve their skills in management and business. This can be done part-time while one still holds down a job. A recent poll revealed that eighty percent of the executives said that an MBA was crucial if one wanted to advance up the corporate ladder. People with these degrees are virtually guaranteed to earn more money and will most certainly climb up the corporate ladder quicker than others will.

As many as twenty-five percent of these graduates specialize in a certain field. Perusing the Internet will reveal what is available and how to go about it. MBA is an abbreviation for Masters of Business Administration. This is one of the most popular degrees as it represents much value to people whom wish to succeed in the business world.

Many people are well aware that obtaining an MBA from a leading USA university is worth much. For this reason many people come to America from all over the world so that they can obtain an MBA from one of the prestigious universities in America. This is in spite of the fact that they are able to obtain this degree in their own country.

Students will be able to increase their knowledge of business and learn many new strategies that can be applied to business. Not only is this done in the form of theory on paper, students are able to learn practically as well. This is due to the internship and training that the program offers. Many of these strategies can be applied to day-to-day life issues as well as in the work place.

An important facet that managers need to master is that of leadership. Leadership is given much attention in these courses Training, assignments, group projects are all part of the strategies employed by course facilitators to see that good leadership is developed. One should be able to see the leadership shine through from a person with an MBA programs online degree. Furthermore, it is believed that much value can be attached to relationships that are formed between classmates that are studying together. This can open doors in business in the future.

Business Writing Help - For Free

2010-10-20T23:37:00.001-07:00

More and more these days freelance writers can find an opportunity to work for a company looking for business writing help to complete all kinds of messages that they need to put out on a daily basis.

In this article I will cover a bit of the groundwork that you need to know in business writing, and then provide a link to a site where you can get a step by step guide on making your business writing shine.

As you will probably already know there are a lot of styles and formats that fit into business writing that you need to know about to impress a potential employer. You should make sure that you have an understanding of the most common stuff below:

* Newsletters and eShots - This is the monthly update that a company will send to their loyal customers that will have a lot of rich content plus a sprinkle of advertising.

* Letter Writing - Often a large company will have to send out a massive volume of letters and will employ a writer to complete this work.

* Reports and Whitepapers - Often used as a content marketing tool and given away free to potential customers in exchange for contact information.

* Power Point Presentations - With many business people needing to give presentations and seminars it will be your job to write their content and make sure that they have everything covered.

* Brochures and Copywriting - You will often see that larger companies have a booklet at reception that explains their vision and core beliefs. This can often be outsourced to a business writer like yourself.

* Blogging - More and more blogging is being seen as a massive marketing tool but it takes time and effort to keep up a good blog and often there are opportunities for freelance business writer to provide the the content.

There are so many different parts to business writing but there are a few cores skill you need to really make it work if you want to have success. You need to work on this stuff all the time:

1. You need to have accurate writing and good attention to details.

2. You need to be expert at proofreading.

3. An ability to get your work in on time is essential.

4. You need to have great communication skills.

5. Market research is a good idea.

6. An understanding of marketing and copywriting methods is also essential.

If you think you fit the bill or would like even more detailed information please see the links below.

More FREE info for You

So now we have the theory out the way I want to give you what I'm guessing you're really after, and that's a few simple ideas to make your business writing up to 50% more readable. To learn the secrets click here Business Writing Help or Direct Mail Copywriter

Get Your High School Diploma Fast

2010-10-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

you are studying for your diploma during your spare time, you might be wondering if there is a way to get your high school diploma fast. To achieve this you will need to devote more time to your studies and it will take a consistent effort on your part.

When you set your mind to something it can be done. Studying for your diploma is no exception. You might require your diploma before a specific date or for a certain reason. There is no reason why you cannot speed up your studying. You must keep in mind that it will still take time and intense studying to achieve your goal.

To study faster, you will want to find a quiet location, away from other family members and any distracting noises. Turn off your cell phone and instant messaging programs on your computer while studying. Always try to study at the same time each day and on a daily basis. It might be difficult at first to adjust to your new schedule, but within a few days, the routine should feel more normal.

Don't attempt to take in too much information at one sitting, allow yourself to take a quick break. Just walking away from your computer for a few minutes is helpful in itself. This allows your eyes time to relax, away from the glare of your computer screen, and for your mind to fully absorb the lesson you were reviewing.

As much as you would like to get your diploma faster, you could find the intense routine too much to handle. If so, cut back on your schedule a bit, even with reducing the amount of hours spent studying each day. You are still doing more hours and will still get to your new goal quickly.

Gaining an Online Education in Government

2010-10-19T02:47:00.001-07:00

Completing a degree program in government prepares students to take on a large number of jobs. Careers can be forged in the public sector, education, politics, and much more. The wide breadth of schooling opportunities can be pursued through online education.

Online education is offered in numerous areas. Students can study government in degree programs such as homeland security, international affairs and public service. Perhaps the most taken path in entering a career in government is gaining a degree in political science. Online education teaches students to understand the development of government so they can explore how to integrate new and improved concepts into the system. Obtaining a degree online allows students to enter various fields of work that can include:

Foreign Affairs
Military Services
Journalism
Legislation
Law

Online education in government allows students to apply their knowledge to these areas because of the knowledge gained. For example, students that pursue a bachelor's degree in political science learn the basics of today's political systems. Online courses establish the understanding of the economic, social, and cultural influences that shape society and influence politics. Bachelors degree programs allow students to step into government positions as market researchers, campaign workers, and political research assistants. Further study is recommended because students can enter a specialty that will focus on online courses in public administration, international relations, and law. These fields of study are further explored in online courses on constitutional law and government philosophy.

Masters degree programs expand student's comprehension of political and government structures. Online schools teach students about government by breaking down specific concepts and covering them in depth according to their specialization. Energy policies, military operations, foreign policies, American politics, and comparative politics are some government areas that students can expect to study online. Students that specialize in comparative politics learn about the different global structures of government. Students interested in working in diplomatic communication can step into a concentration where schooling focuses on international relations. Students learn how to integrate new concepts regarding international relations through the understanding of administration and political theory. Further education is for students that want to work in academic careers.

A PhD is a terminal degree and provides students with a thorough understanding of government and politics. Specific online course subjects explore political economy, public policy implementation, and administrative analysis. Upper-level jobs as policy analysts, academic researchers, and professors can be entered upon graduation.

Through the complete educational understanding of the origin, development, and contemporary use of government systems students have the knowledge to work in multiple areas. The study of government can be pursued through various accredited educational degree programs. Agencies like the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration ( http://www.naspaa.org/ ) can fully accredit quality programs that provide students with the best education possible. Online government studies provide students with the required knowledge to meet their career goals. Students can find the right program by examining what accredited training opportunities are available in their field of interest.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.