Education Professionals

Ecclesia College: Springdale, Arkansas: Ex-President Oren Paris III Interviewed On David Barton's WallBuilders' Program. Link To Podcast

2012-12-29T07:45:00.001-08:00

Ecclesia College: Springdale, Arkansas: President Oren Paris III Interviewed On David Barton's WallBuilders' Program. Link To Podcast:ith two major issues on the program - Earn While You Learn - l

inked here on their website.

One concern is the secular content of higher education, which trains students apart from or against Biblical truths.

The Ecclesia College statement says:

We are called to study all disciplines in light of the Scriptures to “show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” learning to think and walk honestly before Him in the light of His truth according to our ever-increasing frame of reference.

A second concern is the spiraling cost of a bachelor's degree and the burden of student loan debt at graduation.

President Paris noted that the average student loan debt is now $25,000, while the average at Ecclesia College is under $6,000 - lower than almost any other school. Ecclesia does not put a cap on parental earnings, so no student is rejected for having too much family income.

Ecclesia a a work-college, often called a work-study college. The students are required to work 15 hours a week and learn good work habits. Paris said, "They are held accountable for their work, and learn good work habits."

More details are available from podcast audio file - Earn While You Learn.

Music and sports are important components of Ecclesia College's mission.

'via Blog this'

History of the Internet.PowerPoint Storyboard Converted to JPGs, Images Loaded on One Blog Page

2012-04-25T15:35:00.003-07:00

Distance Education Depends on the Electronic Computer, Invented in My Hometown Area - The Quad-Cities

2010-11-30T08:32:00.001-08:00

The Atanasoff-Berry Computer, known as the ABC, was invented in 1937 and ignored by Iowa State, Ames.
Few people realize John Vincent Atanasoff invented the electronic computer, because his plans were copied by another scientist and marketed eventually as the Eniac.

John V. Atanasoff was a remarkable scientist who did valuable work for the US during WWII.

As an applied physics professor at Ames, Iowa, he was looking for ways of doing math calculations, the most laborious part of his work. He kept thinking about it and trying various methods for years. Meanwhile, others were working on a calculating device.

One December day in 1937 he took off in his car and drove to relax and think about the solution. He crossed the Mississippi:

"I had reached the Mississippi River and was crossing into Illinois at a place where there are three cities...one of which is Rock Island. I drove into Illinois and turned off the highway into a little road, and went into a roadhouse, which had bright lights...I sat down and ordered a drink...As the delivery of the drink was made, I realized that I was no longer so nervous and my thoughts turned again to computing machines." Jane Smiley, The Man Who Invented the Computer, The Biography of John Atanasoff, Digital Pioneer, p. 2.

During this stop in Rock Island he thought of four basic concepts to make a computer work. He wrote down his ideas on a napkin, went back to Ames, and asked for funding for this project. He received $200 for parts and $450 to pay his assistant, an exceptionally able Clifford Berry.

The computer worked, so when John Mauchley found out about it, he visited Ames, stayed at the Atanasoff home, took copious notes, asked all about the machine, and stole the idea. Sperry Rand owned the patent rights, because Ames did not pursue the patent case as it should have. Also, Atanasoff seemed especially naive about Mauchley's early intentions. One reason was - everyone but Mauchley ignored him.

The apparent murder of Berry, never solved, made Atanaoff much more involved in the difficult case of overturning the patents owned by Sperry Rand. In 1973, the judge in the federal case gave the credit to Atanasoff and took away Sperry Rand's claims.

Others made significant contributions to the invention of the computer. One method was used to help crack Enigma during WWII, in England. Konrad Zuse, a German scientist, did astonishing work, but he was ignored by the Nazi military.

The first computers were destroyed. The original ABC was taken apart because it was using up valuable space at Ames. The future head of computer science at Ames took it apart. The ABC was later rebuilt for a small fortune!

The English computer was destroyed to hide the evidence about how they read the German Enigma messages in WWII.

Konrad Zuse had his early computers bombed by the Allies in WWII.

Atanasoff will never get a Nobel Prize, because he did not submit a paper for publication, a requirement of the committee. He died in 1995.

John Vincent Atanasoff
Let's quote the Iowa State University Associate Professor of Physics John Hauptman opinion about Atanasoff:
"I came here from Berkeley," Hauptman said. "You know Berkeley must have 20 Nobel prizes and they are proud of them; poets, physicists, chemists... When I found out Atanasoff's story and read his paper... It occurred to me that if Atanasoff had been at Berkeley in 1939 (with the Atanasoff-Berry Computer) he would have gotten a Nobel prize right away. Berkeley would not have waited a minute before going after a Nobel Prize and becoming known as the birthplace of the electronic digital computer. Here at Iowa State, it was just dropped."

Cool Things about an Online Education

2010-05-07T07:33:00.001-07:00

Know where you are going and count the cost first.

I teach at two online schools. Students sometimes get alarmed that they are not at the right school.

I tell them about being at Yale and hearing students concerned about not being at Harvard. I said, "Yale has fairly good reputation, too."

Some people knock online schools, but all the universities are online now. The Ivy League also has online classes. In many cases, more can be accomplished online than in person. Even the traditional classroom has gone online, a hybrid, because content is delivered and papers are submitted through the Internet. Paper is over-rated. I would rather grade a Word file and use all the nifty tools available for editing and adding comments.

Here are some cool things about an online education:

1. An infinite amount of material can be made available to students. For instance, I provide lengthy posts about academic success and how to find a job.

2. Participation is required and enjoyable. Traditional classrooms limit the participation due to time. Some students participate, but the shy ones do not. Online students participate as much as they want. I post extra material, so I get a lot more participation and the students enjoy the higher energy level.

3. Online research is so vast, people need to learn how to do it properly. This is the Information Age, based on the vastly expanding Internet. Everyone needs to learn computer technology, how to tame it and make it work for them.

4. All jobs require confidence and efficiency with computers. An online education gives each student a chance to learn computer applications and see their potential.
5. Teams are part of all work assignments, and many of them are multi-national. Online students learn how to work with team members they may never meet face-to-face.

6. Online students are often disabled, but no one knows it. No matter what they claim, a traditional campus has trouble with quadriplegic students or those with noisy, cumbersome equipment. Online education levels the field and makes everyone with a keyboard equal.

7. Online teachers have to do their jobs. Almost no one has tenure. If they do not show up or grade papers, they stop working. Tenure, unfortunately, makes professors take their positions for granted.

8. Pretty pictures, videos, and sound aside, online education comes down to reading and writing. The Information Age requires a greater volume of reading than ever before and clear, articulate writers.

9. Parents of young children benefit from the freedom of doing their work once the children are in bed. I am proud of the many young parents who have been my students. Several Axia students have given birth during the course and still finished with great grades.

10. Many crises hit a large population: medical emergencies in the family, the death of a family member, and eviction. I can be flexible with students.

11. Students come from all over the world and all cultures.

12. Best of all, our military people can complete a degree while serving our country. I have had students in Iraq and on an aircraft carrier. Some have silence imposed on them due to their duties, and the school works around that.

Students have to count the cost of an education. A degree in art history may be fun but the job market is not crying for that diploma. A school may brag about its job placement, but most of that result belongs to the drive of the student and the health of the economy.

I finished six computer certifications, just in time for the dot.com fever to turn frosty. I had one technical writing job after that and became a teacher at my community college. Teaching computer science led me into online education.

The person who got me started at the University of Phoenix said, "I would like to be like you, Greg, working only from home." One of my students said the same thing. At home, rush hour means my wife and I are headed to the coffee maker at the same time.

The economy is moving toward more people working from home. Outside my window, blue jays are feeding their babies. I will watch them for a little while.

PS - Anyone can quote from my posts.

What PBS Does Not Know about Higher Education Would Fill an Hour's Program

2010-05-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

"From 1983 to 1987, Mr. Mueller was a professor
at Concordia University.
Mr. Mueller earned his Master of Arts in Education degree
and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Concordia University."

One evil genius behind for-profit education
saved Grand Canyon University from insolvency.
Find him. Stop him from doing it again.

PBS, heavily subsidized by taxpayer grants, could not exist on its own. Neither could any institution of higher education, whether it is non-profit or for-profit.

Nevertheless, PBS broadcast a heavy-breathing episode called "Colllege, Inc," calling on for-profit schools to be tethered by even more government regulation. I have studied at a wide variety of schools and taught at three - a community college and two for-profits (Grand Canyon University and the University of Phoenix). I found most of the episode to be an excellent satire about what journalism could be, if reporters only had some integrity.

The journalistic technique used for this show is called the focus feature, which begins with one person, zooms out for the big picture, and concludes with a follow-up about that individual.

In this show, the focus is on Michael Clifford, an Evangelical with no college training but a knack for turning small colleges into profitable online schools. The prime example shown is Grand Canyon University, which became insolvent when its funds were lost to the biggest charitable scandal in history - the Arizona Baptist Foundation, a ponzi scheme promising investors a 15% return on their savings. They lost 90% instead.

GCU was going to close, so one man bought it for a group of investors. The transformed a bankrupt Baptist school of 3,000 students into a profitable online school of 40,000 students. They have spent millions on the local campus in Phoenix.

My former boss at UOP, Brian Mueller, is my current boss at GCU. He comes originally from a Missouri Synod school.

GCU has retained its Christian identity without having a religious requirement. I have an atheist in one class, but most denominations are represented. A university is quite different from a denominational school. A denomination's seminary teaches people to be loyal to the organization and to play the political game. A university emphasizes academic merit and allows freedom of expression.

GCU is well run, its biggest problems coming from expansion. The TV show failed to explain that exponential growth is full of growing pains, such as having servers shut down from rush hour demands.

The students and staff at GCU are thoughtful, considerate, and appreciative. I teach Old Testament, New Testament, church history, Christian world view, and communication. Many of my professors were world famous scholars, so the students are getting their money's worth. Online schools want PhDs, while denominational schools get those who play the political game and have the right last names.

Community Colleges
I learned computers at Glendale Community College and taught there as well. Community college tuition is heavily subsidized by taxpayers and by adjunct faculty working at low wages. Very few faculty at GCC are tenured, so the majority of teaching is done by adjuncts who make about 25% of a full-time salary, without any benefits. Therefore, when the PBS journalist seethed that an online school charges five times what a community college does, he was missing the facts by a wide margin. A community college is a valuable addition to any town, but the system has limits, such as offering only an associate's degree. No one will get a bachelor's degree or a master's from a community college, and any graduate program is more expensive than an associate's program, for obvious reasons.

University of Phoenix
I earned a master's degree in education, online, from UOP, after earning a PhD from Notre Dame and a master's from Yale, so I can do some comparisons.

An online education consists of discussions and weekly assignments, including work with learning teams. I found the MA program challenging, and it led to more work in online education.

I normally teach graduate courses in education year around. My students have often been employees and managers at UOP/Axia, so I know how their system works from that perspective. They want to do a good job because so much time and money is wasted if the wrong people start the program and drop out.

UOP has about 450,000 students, according to the program. The school had only about 150,000 when I began teaching there in 2002, but I do not take all the credit for its enrollment growth.

UOP is an opportunity school (like community colleges and the famous City College of New York, now CUNY). Everyone is accepted but not all graduate. My boss at Glendale Community advised bearing down on the class from day one and getting rid of the 2/3rds who did not belong. Nevertheless, the day one enrollment kept the school afloat.

UOP grew because traditional universities run their programs for the benefit of tenured faculty. Full-time working adults could not complete a degree program at the state or private schools in California, so John Sperling devised a way to make an alternative work for them. He was so successful that the education establishment took away his accreditation. He moved to Phoenix and obtained accreditation from a different regional commission and became a billionaire. He wrote an autobiography, but I heard no references to it on the PBS show. Rebel with a Cause.

Some Glaring Problems with College Inc
All online schools were treated alike, and they were discussed as if they are exactly the same. Not all community colleges are the same. Mine, GCC, was especially good in computer science. I understand it was better than the others in Phoenix.

Contacting prospects and asking them to enroll was considered a horrible sin, yet non-profit colleges hire people full-time to do that. Non-profits also arrange student loans and hire people to move the applications forward. All schools need educational loans because few students have the funds to pay tuition.

Making a profit was the dark theme of the show. Non-profits depend on large endowments, alumni giving, and taxpayer funds.

For-profits are just as regulated as the non-profits. In fact, the loyalist alumni of traditional schools are quick to point out any flaws they find in a competing school. Many of my online students have wasted their time at a state university known for being a party school. As the student said in "Animal House," seven years of my life down the drain.

Students at for-profit schools are serious about getting an education, and there are many free services available to help them get through the program. No one wants them to fail, so software is used to track lazy instructors and inactive students.

ASU versus a For-Profit
I wanted to get credits in writing or literature, because that was hampering my ability to get writing classes to teach. I contacted Arizona State on their website and gave them all my contact information. I never heard from them. When I contacted a for-profit school, they worked with me immediately and I eventually earned 20 credits in journalism. So the taxpayers supported a staff that did not respond at ASU, while a for-profit school responded with their own staff time, their own money.

PBS is a socialist operation, so no one should be shocked that they hate a profitable enterprise. Regulation is seen the answer to everything, but no school escapes the reach of the higher education commission. I heard many discussions about why a program was offered or not offered, based upon accrediting groups and individual state requirements. Some states have fought to keep for-profit schools from competing with their own home-grown institutions.

If regulation of for-profit schools were the answer, then Detroit would be a boom town, run on solar powered yogurt, manufacturing cars that converted easily into compost. Instead, MoTown is no town to live in, only to escape from.

Main campus, UOP, Phoenix.

Profits and the need to advertise led UOP
to buy naming rights for the Cardinals' new stadium.
UOP subsidized a tax-payer project.
The horror! The horror!

Door Openings - Now They Make Sense

2010-03-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

Where are you going?

I was taking some computer courses at Glendale Community College when an offer came up. Could I edit a series of books on Unix for an attractive hourly wage? My son was already involved in Unix/Linux, so I knew the name of the operating system but little else. I was asked because of my writing and editing experience, but I decided it would be good to learn Unix/Linux too.

I signed up for six credits in Unix and Linux. The professor mentioned the University of Phoenix in class, so I asked him about teaching there myself. He thought they would be very interested in me because of my academic degrees. When I wrote to JS at UOP, she replied within five minutes.

I decided to get the Linux+ certification at the same time. I applied to UOP and was accepted for teaching. The first course I taught in was Linux/Unix for that instructor. I switched into my main fields of writing and religion.

UOP led me into online teaching. JS - my first contact on the UOP staff - just wrote to me, "I wish I had your freedom to work from home."

UOP led me into teaching at Grand Canyon University, because I heard in the washroom at UOP that "someone bought GCU and wanted to turn it into a Christian UOP."

The computer background got me into teaching the first education classes, and I enjoyed them. The students encouraged me to earn the MA degree in education, and that got me teaching a steady stream of education students, mostly UOP staff.

The point of this story is this, as Aesop would say - I did not know that the book idea, which never developed, would lead to teaching at two online universities. The book idea pushed me into the training that opened the door to teaching. Now it all makes sense.

One of my favorite students of all time recently said to me, "I want to be like you. I want your freedom to teach online." That is a great compliment, and I enjoy seeing his success, which combined his insightful work with a formal education.

The Value of an MA in Education

2010-03-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

One of my undergraduate students was finishing his degree in the capstone class. He already worked for an online university, so I encouraged him to get an MA in adult education, which focused on distance education.

I said, "Right now you are just a high school student." I said that to raise his hackles and it worked. Until someone is formally cleared to graduate, he is just a high school graduate or perhaps a GED, with some college. No one recognizes a degree until it is done.

I pointed out what was obvious to me. A previous student in the same position saw her income triple while the school paid all her costs to finish college and earn a master's degree in education.

All academic institutions love degrees, and they love education degrees most of all. It is like an automotive engineering degree where they manufacture cars. Universities manufacture graduates and they want people who know the theories behind that effort.

Also, every university wants to have credibility with its staff having advanced degrees. At the very least it shows they believe in the service they represent.

Soon enough, my former undergraduate student was in my adult education class. A few months later he completed his MA in adult education. He has been promoted and rewarded for his work and his academic achievements.

He said, "The MA gave me confidence, above all, in presenting myself."

We do not know the doors we are opening with a degree until that degree is earned. Often a different path is taken just because of that training. The post above explains how that worked for me.

Blogging Can Help Someone's Business and Feature One's Careeer

2009-12-08T17:01:00.000-08:00

One of the best ways to learn about web design fast and have fun is to blog.

So far I have only used Google’s Blogger. I am happy with that software, which makes it easy for me to publish content, add photos, and embed videos. I have taught a number of people to blog to build up their businesses.

http://www.blogger.com/home

You need a gmail account, so start with that. Sign in to Blogger.

The name of the blog does not have to match the URL. It often does, to make it easier for people to remember. I normally make it match, so I can remember.

Pick a template and start posting. Add extra features later.

I had to add 101 to the URL because someone had the basic name:

http://educationprofessionals101.blogspot.com/

Note that I am posting this on the blog today, too. I will search my animal photo files for something to make it more interesting.

Strangely enough, in Phoenix, regular blogging was enough to bring in one new client a week for a chiropractor and another one of the associates in the business. Each had a blog. The chiropractor was running around town, trying to network for more business, and blogging made people walk in the door.

Another benefit of blogging is building up a professional portfolio to show people.

Blogger allows you to write in code or in WYSIWYG – pronounced wizziwig. What you see is what you get. Blogger (like Dreamweaver and other editors) will create the code for the look you want. Various editor buttons are on a menu, to select larger fonts, color, links, photos, and so forth. To place a video on the blog, get the embed code (not the link) and paste it onto the page in HTML edit mode.

The advantage is posting material immediately and correctly quickly.

The disadvantage is this – the more software does for the user, the more freedom is taken away.

I enjoy using blogger. I continue to be astonished at the reach of blogs. They are read all over the world.

The more someone blogs, the more likely Google will direct people to that blog. The search engine picks up labels and links from other blogs.

This is an important feature for professional work – getting people to one’s blog or website, instead of billions of others.

I will get into social networking soon, which is closely connected to blogs and websites.

Did You Know? The Original Version Was Called Shift Happens

2009-06-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

AET 545 Class

2009-06-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a good example of posting a video from You Tube, using the embed code found on most but not all videos. I chose a red border for this one.

The College of Cardinals, Backed by a Pope

2009-01-18T15:39:00.001-08:00

The Arizona Cardinals shocked everyone at the University of Phoenix Stadium by defeating the Eagles. Leonard Pope played an important role in the victory.

Cold Stone Creamery, Branson, Missouri

2008-08-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

We were coming back from the Yakov Smirnoff show, where the star himself signed our special t-shirts. The Food Channel crew pounced on us at the Cold Stone Creamery and interviewed us about why we like ice cream.

History of Grand Canyon University

2008-08-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

A Death and a Dream: The Canyon Story

The Grand Canyon University story began in the 1920s with the demise of a small Baptist college, Montezuma College, in New Mexico. Two or three students and faculty of that school, consecrated there to the cause of Christian education, cached away a dream of one day building another school for the glory of God. The dream resurfaced in the mid 1940s in a business meeting of Arizona Southern Baptists in Casa Grande, Arizona. Pastor L. D. White of Calvary Baptist Church plunked a shiny silver dollar on a wooden table at the front of the room and proffered its value as the first donation toward a Baptist college in Arizona. Dozens of others followed, including a widow with a jar of pennies and a Montezuma alumnus who wrote a hundred dollar check. Enthusiasm seized everyone—everyone except Dr. Willis J. Ray.

Dr. Ray, a pastor and executive secretary of the fledgling Arizona Southern Baptist Convention, thought his fellow Baptists were getting in over their heads. Asked to take up the offering, he politely declined. Events over the next few years nearly proved him right. Enthusiasm for the project waned, as problems, setbacks, debts, and discouragements accumulated. Everyone gave up on the hope of the Baptist college—everyone except Dr. Willis J. Ray. His faith crystallized even as others’ dissipated, a fact the first board of trustees began to appreciate. Eventually, they asked Dr. Ray to serve as the little college’s first president. A Montezuma alumnus, Vernon Shipp, became the first chairman of the board of trustees. Another, Dr. Roland Beck, became its first professor. And so, Grand Canyon College came into existence.

In 1949, classrooms opened to 93 students in Prescott, Arizona. Two years of financial drought followed, spelled by occasional showers of generosity and the steady, sturdy growth of academic excellence and an athletic reputation. On October 8, 1951, Grand Canyon College relocated to the present campus in Phoenix. A handful of faithful pioneers—Roland Beck in education, Betty Beck in English, Niles Puckett and D. C. Martin in religion, H. E. TenHarkle and Grace Weller in music, Shihj-Ming Wang in mathematics, Clarice Maben in history, and David and Mildred Brazell in athletics—left their respective chances for prosperity to build the tiny college into a beacon of Christian education.

Their work paid off with the announcement of regional accreditation by the North Central Association in 1968. National championships began to accrue in basketball, baseball, and women’s tennis. With the 1980s, the academic program expanded into colleges of education, nursing, business, performing arts, and arts and sciences. Masters programs were developed in education, and shortly thereafter, in business.

The 1980s also witnessed an expansion of “Canyon’s” guiding theme. “Spiritual Emphasis” weekly sermons by the Reverend Tom Wolf of Los Angeles fired the spirit and seized the imagination of Grand Canyon’s faculty, staff, and students in 1982. Wolf proposed that all Christians are commissioned to missions and missions’ support and that the college was uniquely positioned to address that commission. He argued that mission work should increasingly depend not solely on evangelists but also on laymen, who give witness while cultivating their secular professions in the international marketplace. These ideas became part of a new global emphasis at Grand Canyon University.

GCU Website

Grand Canyon University - Four Pillars

Academic Advancement
Our demanding curriculum will empower you to stretch your intellectual capacity and gain vital knowledge and critical thinking skills that will be at your command throughout your life and career. Go for it!

Christian Camaraderie
GCU is much more than classroom learning and competitive sports! You’ll immediately make new friends who become your lifelong “brothers and sisters in Christ.” And you’ll participate with them in serving your fellow students and the surrounding community. Serving Christ is not a Job…it’s an Adventure!

Extracurricular Excellence
If participating in sports makes your heart pound, we’ll give you the playing field! We offer a broad range of intramural as well as intercollegiate opportunities. Who knows, you could be our 13th GCU baseball star to play for a Major League Baseball team!

Wellness & Well-Being
Get healthy, stay healthy! If that’s your personal goal, you’ll achieve it at GCU! Work out in our fully equipped fitness center, or take advantage of our tennis and basketball courts. Our state-of-the-art health care center gives nursing and athletic training majors the perfect place to develop their care-giving skills, too.

Apollo Group Names New CEO

2008-08-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

Charles Edelstein, Who's Who in Chicago Business, CEO of Apollo Group, which owns the University of Phoenix, Axia College, and Western International

From BizJournal:

Apollo Group names Charles Edelstein CEO

July 7, 2008 5:42 PM ET advertisement

Stocks mentioned in this article: Apollo Group Inc (APOL).

Apollo Group Inc. Monday announced it has appointed Charles B. Edelstein as CEO and member of the board of directors, effective Aug. 26.

John G. Sperling, founder of Phoenix-based Apollo Group (NASDAQ: APOL), continues to act as executive chairman of the board.

The move comes two weeks after Brian Mueller resigned as president and director of Apollo to take over as CEO of Grand Canyon University, which is in the process of going public.

Edelstein, 48, joins Apollo from Credit Suisse, where he served as a managing director and headed the global services group within the investment banking division as well as its Chicago investment banking office. Edelstein founded and oversaw Credit Suisse's advisory practice in the education industry, where he served as adviser to many of the largest education companies, including Apollo Group.

Edelstein sits on the Chicago board of directors for both Teach for America and Junior Achievement.

Apollo stock concluded Monday's trading at $55.23 per share, a gain of 5 cents on the day. The stock had been trading in the $54 range at midafternoon, but rallied in the final hour to hit $56 per share before a final retreat to the closing price.

Its 52-week range is from $37.92 to $81.68.

Apollo Group is a Phoenix-based provider of higher education focusing on working adults. Its subsidiaries include the University of Phoenix and Western International University.

Bio from Milliken Institute:

Managing Director, Global Head, Global Services Group, Credit Suisse First Boston LLC

Charles (Chas) Edelstein is a Managing Director of Credit Suisse First Boston, Head of its Global Services Group and Head of its Chicago office. Since joining CSFB in 1987, Edelstein has worked on a wide range of transactions including debt and equity capital markets executions, merger and acquisitions advisory work, corporate finance advisory work and a variety of other investment banking services. He has advised many of the CSFB’s most important clients including Apollo, BP Amoco, Career Education, Corinthian Colleges, DeVry, Ford Motor Company, and S.C. Johnson. In addition to his managerial responsibilities, Edelstein founded and oversees CSFB’s leading advisory practice in the Education industry. He also sits on CSFB’s GIS Management Committee. Edelstein’s previous experience includes three years as a management consultant with Price Waterhouse (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers). Edelstein earned his B.A. with highest distinction at the University of Illinois and his CPA from the State of Illinois. He also earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School, where he graduated as a Baker Scholar with high distinction.

He gave $1,000 to Obama for America.

University of Phoenix and CIW Certification

2008-08-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

From Business Wire:

University of Phoenix to Offer Certified Internet Webmaster Program
Business Wire, Nov 1, 2000 E-mail Print Link Business Editors

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 1, 2000

Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:APOL) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, the University of Phoenix, will begin offering Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) certification courses from ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO). The courses will be available at select campuses beginning in January 2001.

"Today's announcement means that a large share of our students will now have access to CIW, the de facto standard in Internet certification," commented Dr. John G. Sperling, chairman and CEO of Apollo Group. "The principles upon which CIW is based, namely certification defined by industry-accepted job roles and vendor-neutrality, are well-matched with the principles of the University of Phoenix."

Most Popular
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Five Ways To Successfully Negotiate A Salary The University of Phoenix will carry the CIW curriculum as a subset of its larger IT degree programs, enabling its students to graduate with at least two industry-accepted credentials.

"We are obviously excited to have the University of Phoenix adopt our CIW program," remarked Jerry Baird, CEO of ProsoftTraining.com. "The Apollo Group subsidiaries comprise the largest private institution of higher education in the United States. They have been accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1978 and are innovative in meeting their students' needs. Their successful expansion into online learning and new campuses proves they have a winning formula."

Through the agreement, University of Phoenix students will have the ability to work toward certifications in website administration, programming or design, while achieving their bachelor's degree.

"The CIW program addresses real problems that our working students face every day," said Sperling. "The better prepared they are, the better they become to their employers."

Apollo Group, Inc. has been providing higher education programs to working adults for over 25 years. Apollo Group, Inc., operates through its subsidiaries the University of Phoenix, Inc., the Institute for Professional Development, the College for Financial Planning Institutes Corporation, Western International University, Inc. and Apollo Learning Group, Inc. The consolidated enrollment in its educational programs makes it the largest private institution of higher education in the United States. It offers educational programs and services at 54 campuses and 96 learning centers in 35 states, Puerto Rico and Vancouver, British Columbia. Combined degree enrollment was 100,900 students as of August 31, 2000. For more information about Apollo Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, call 800/990-APOL or visit Apollo on the World Wide Web at http://www.apollogrp.edu.

About CIW

CIW is the industry-leading certification program for Internet professionals. CIW defines the critical job roles and associated skills required to deploy today's e-business solutions. The industry-validated job role designations provide a "road map" that helps individuals and companies prepare Internet professionals to develop and deploy e-business technologies. The vendor-neutral program gives participants exposure to the leading technologies in numerous subject areas. After mastering the basic concepts in the CIW Foundations series, students are prepared to pursue CIW Professional certification in job role areas such as Site Designer, e-Commerce, Application Developer, Enterprise Developer, Server Administrator, Internetworking Professional or Security Professional. Students can focus on specific job roles, or pursue the new master-level certification tracks--Master CIW Administrator, Master CIW Enterprise Developer and Master CIW Designer. Over 10,000 professionals have certified their credentials through the CIW program.

About ProsoftTraining.com

ProsoftTraining.com is a supplier of computer training content solutions for end-user and technical training. The company's ComputerPrep brand includes content for areas such as Internet, Linux, CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle and telecom professionals. Prosoft offers Internet certification through its industry-leading CIW certification program, creating and certifying the skills that today's e-business workforce needs to support the growth of B2B and B2C applications. The industry-validated job role designations defined in the CIW program provide a "road map" that helps individuals and companies prepare Internet professionals to develop and deploy e-business technologies. The vendor-neutral program gives participants exposure to the leading technologies in numerous subject areas. ProsoftTraining.com's Internet certification programs have the endorsement of the Association of Internet Professionals and the International Webmasters Association. Certification testing is available through the Prometric and VUE testing networks. Learn more about CIW at www.CIWcertified.com and about Prosoft and its other programs at www.ProsoftTraining.com and www.computerPREP.com.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Distance Education Organizations

2008-08-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

United States Distance Learning Association

The American Distance Education Consortium

Mega-list of associations and organizations

Education Atlas

Academic Info

Website Guides to Online Education

2008-08-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Get Educated has a degree mill essay, about warning signals that a school is fraudulent.

Earn My Degree

State University lists and ranks state schools and online schools.

University of Illinois Online.

Harvard University Distance Education

Online Prowler about Yale University - written by students.

Online Law Schools - from About.com

Walden University Review

2008-08-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

From University Reviews Online:

An Unbiased Review of Walden University
Walden University offers programs designed for working students based on the scholar-practitioner model, which stresses the mastery of both scholarly research and professional skills. The school also upholds the value of positive social change and aims to produce graduates who will make meaningful contributions to their communities.

Pros:

Walden University has 58 campuses around the world plus an online school, making it easier for students from different countries to take advantage of its resources.
Walden is part of the Laureate International Universities Network, giving students access to graduate residencies in Spain, Chile and England, as well as access to a global career center and global mentorship program.
Though Walden is a school for working professionals, it strives to maintain a balance by emphasizing the importance of academic scholarship, not just career preparation.
Cons:

Because there are so many students enrolled at Walden all over the world, some may find that the school lacks a the unified structure of traditional universities.
Walden University offers a limited number of degree programs, especially undergraduate programs.
Fact Sheet:

There are over 270,000 students enrolled at Walden University's 58 campuses and online.

Walden is accredited by the The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, plus several other professional councils and organizations.

Undergraduate and/or graduate degrees are offered in areas like education, child development, psychology, business administration, information systems management, nursing, public health and others.

Walden University's Conference on Social Change attracts over 1,000 social change leaders from around the country to discuss sustainability, globalization, war and peace, and other topics.

Student Life

Walden features many university services, including undergraduate tutoring, career services, a research center, a writing center, library, academic advising, and benefits and support for international students and military students. The Student Support Team guides online students through student orientation, tech support, finding resources and maneuvering around the online campus.

Tuition

Tuition at Walden varies by college and level of each program. Tuition for education programs ranges from $220 per quarter credit hour to $695 per semester hour, for example.

Review of DeVry University

2008-08-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

From University Reviews Online:

DeVry University Online Review
Devry University is one of the oldest and most widely recognized online universities. The following is a review of DeVry, including its pros and cons, and what sets it apart from other online universities.

With its roots dating back to 1931, Devry University is the oldest of the online universities. Like the best of its competitors, DeVry is fully accredited and offers an excellent reputation. Unlike many of its competitors, however, Devry University offers students over 70 physical locations where, in addition to their online studies, they can take classes.

What makes DeVry University different

The greatest difference between DeVry and its online competitors is simply the fact that it began as a brick and mortar university and remains one today. Meaning, that DeVry students have the unique opportunity to choose to take courses online or opt to take some in live physical classrooms. Because of its

dual nature, DeVry is able to offer students a wider range of classes and majors than most of its competitors. On that same vein, because the university has so many physical locations, the school is uniquely able to provide many students with employment as they proceed through their education. While some students have complained that the pay, $6.50 to $10.00, is not excellent, the fact that this opportunity does not exist at all with other schools is important to keep in mind.

Unlike many of its online competitors, most students are quite satisfied with the quality of their education. But because the university has been around for so long, some students claim that the classes are formulaic. By this they mean that classes are often so detailed and outlined that neither students nor professors feel they can deviate from the lesson plan and indulge their creative impulses. Another of the commonly reported deficiencies of DeVry is the fact that employers often discount their degree as compared to brick and mortar University degrees. That is not to say that it does not translate into job opportunities, but rather that some students have found that their degree does not open the same doors a brick and mortar university degree would. As far as actual employment is concerned, however, it is hard to argue with the university's statistic that 90% of graduates are employed within 6 months of graduation.

DeVry University in a nutshell

Pros: Offers both online and brick and mortar classes at over 70 locations. Excellent teaching quality relative to competitors. Good in-school employment program. Wider variety of classes and degrees than most competitors.

Cons: Classes often feel formulaic and restrictive of creativity. DeVry Degree does not carry as well with employers as hoped for.

Our rating: * * * * (out of 5)

The bottom line: If you are looking for the flexibility to take some classes in physical classrooms, or want a wide variety of class and degree choices, then this university is for you.

Review of Grand Canyon University

2008-08-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

From University Reviews Online:

Grand Canyon University Reviews
Frequently ranked among the top 10 online universities, Grand Canyon University online, has some of the best professors in the nation. What follows is a Grand Canyon University review, including its positives and negatives and what sets it apart.

An Unbiased Review of Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University, located in Phoenix, AZ, is a private Christian university that offers degrees at the bachelor's and master's levels. The school was founded in 1949 and still abides by its Five Guiding Principles: integrity and ethics; student-oriented programs and attitude; communication; action-oriented philosophy; and self-leadership. Grand Canyon University welcomes traditional college students and working adults.

Pros:

Grand Canyon's online school makes it possible for extra busy students and students who do not live in the Phoenix area to benefit from the university's programs and services.
The corporate education program at Grand Canyon, also known as the Center for Educational Excellence, sponsors certificate programs, customized training programs and curricula, seminars and research projects for corporations and individual professionals interested in continuing education and practical training.
Grand Canyon's unique GCU Military Science Department lets students apply for an Army ROTC scholarship and participate in the ROTC training program.
Cons:

Students in the online program will not benefit from the same student social and athletic activities as students on campus.
Non-Christian students may feel uncomfortable at the many references to Christian morals and the various Christian-focused curricula and activities.

Fact Sheet:

Over 16,000 students are currently enrolled in Grand Canyon's campus-based or online programs.

Grand Canyon University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, as well as by specialized and programmatic accrediting agencies.

Online programs and degrees earned on campus are offered at the undergraduate and gradate levels in the following fields: education, nursing and heatlh sciences, business, and the liberal arts. Specific programs include Bachelor Science in Elementary Education, Bachelor of Science in Biology: Biomedical Science, Registered Nurse to Master of Science-Nursing: Nurse Education, Bachelor of Science in Accounting, MBA with various specialties, Bachelor of Arts in History, Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies, Bachelor of Science Justice Studies, and many others.

Grand Canyon is one of the fastest growing private universities in Phoenix.

Student Life:

There is a strong emphasis on fostering Christian community and Christian values at Grand Canyon University, even in campus life and student service activities. Grand Canyon athletes participate at the NCAA Division II level and in intramural clubs in sports like basketball, football, volleyball and softball.

University of Phoenix and Technology

2008-08-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

From University Reviews Online:

Review of the University of Phoenix Online

When you think online university or distance learning, the first name that typically comes to mind is the University of Phoenix Online. Established in 1989, it was the first accredited online university and today maintains a student body of over 57,000, making it one of the largest schools in the country. While not everything about the University of Phoenix is ideal, there is much to like.

What makes the University of Phoenix Online different

As the first accredited University, Phoenix has a name recognition that other online universities simply cannot match. Because most students attend the university to improve their job prospects, this is an important characteristic, as this recognition translates into more job opportunities. In fact, graduates report a better experience in the job market, as there does not seem to be a discounting of the Phoenix degree by employers, a common occurrence with many of the University's competitors. But beyond job opportunities, Phoenix also excels above most of its competitors with respect to teaching. Students by and large report contentment with the quality of teaching and counseling services, a relative rarity in the online education world.

But not every aspect of the school is impressive. Although the educators are by and large better than those of competitors, Phoenix is still plagued by inconsistency, meaning that some classes are instructed and managed with excellence, but far too many are lacking. One area where the school falls behind some of its competitors is in the area of technology. With an online university, usability of the interface is key, and it is here that Phoenix comes up short. Despite the school's claims to the contrary, the computer system is not sophisticated in all areas, relying on programs like Outlook Express to conduct emails.

The University of Phoenix Online in a nutshell

Pros: Was the first accredited online university, established in 1989. Best reputation in the job market. Has superior, albeit spotty teaching. Offers the flexibility to take up to 27 credits in a semester. Low 1:11 student to teacher ratio.

Cons: Spotty teaching means students have to be careful about which courses they select. A lacking technology department means you will be relying on not fully integrated technology, potentially a big problem as emails are a necessity in online education.

Our rating: * * * * * (out of 5)

The bottom line: If you are looking for an education that will definitely translate into job opportunities or if want a lot of personalized teaching and don't mind an occasional technical hassle, then this university is for you.

Capella University and Technology

2008-08-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

From University Reviews Online:Capella University Review
Capella University is regarded as the best technologically integrated online university in the world. The following is a review of Capella University, including its pros and cons, and what sets it apart from other online universities.

Capella University was formed in 1993 and became fully accredited in 1997. With over 650 faculty and 13,000 students the University is one of the largest in the online world. Based in Minneapolis Minnesota, the University is divided into five different schools: Education, Business, Technology, Human Sciences, and Psychology. While Capella offers a wide array of advantages, it also is plagued by some rather serious deficiencies.

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Capella University - Request a free information packet sent to you directly from Capella University by clicking the "More Info" button now.

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What makes Capella University different

Capella University is widely regarded as the most technologically advanced of all online universities. Its iGuide system, has replaced the online chatrooms and perennially malfunctioning webcams of its competitors with a fully integrated system. With an online university it is important not to underestimate usability, and here Capella has excelled beyond all others. Another advantage of Capella is the formation of an alumni network. Students of brick and mortar universities have long taken advantage of the benefits of intra-university networking, but it has largely been limited to Capella in the online world. This is a real benefit to the thousands of annual graduates who many of which, through the alumni network, find older graduates ready to offer a leg-up in the employment world.

But not every aspect of Capella is ideal. Though the school does well in finding students jobs after graduation, it offers very few opportunities to do so while in school. While some of Capella's competitors will help students find work while enrolled, or even offer work through the university, only those Capella students based around Minneapolis are able to take advantage of Capella's employment. Another major deficiency of Capella is the failure of its Psychology to school to get approval by the American Psychological Association. Plagued by management problems, the school has consistently come up short of students expectations even though it has a relatively long history.

Capella University in a nutshell

Pros: Strong recognized name. Unparalleled classroom experience and teaching quality. Great alumni network. Tons of options when it comes to class choices. Competitive Pricing. Excellent special needs accomodation.

Cons: No real in-school employment program. Lackluster Psychology school. Many part-time professors who lack experience with online teaching.

Our rating: * * * * (out of 5)

The bottom line: If you are looking for good post-graduate job opportunities or don't want to suffer spotty classroom facilities, then this university is for you.

Bogus Degrees

2008-08-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a documented story about someone who bought a diploma for $200 and called himself "Dr."

Education credentials blog.

Higher Education - Another Purpose

2008-08-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

Teaching about Islam led me into Byzantine studies and the 1500 year history of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul).

We often talk about education being a path to new jobs and better opportunities. That is certainly true. Every ethnic group has risen from poverty through education.

Another aspect of higher education is even more important. Education changes our entire perspective and makes us thirst for more knowledge. People have wondered why staff get more scholarship money than the instructors. My guess is that faculty would pack classes. They know how to learn. They know what additional credits will do for them. They enjoy learning.

Teaching has given me an insatiable drive to read. I always read before I began teaching. I will concede that. But being given a new subject to teach creates a desire to know that topic better than the students. I knew a little about Islam. Suddenly I was supposed to teach 14 centuries of Muslim history in one week. Books I would never have opened became a great source of interest to me. I swapped some of my old favorites for a copy of the Cambridge History of Islam. I read a three-volume history of the Byzantine Empire – several times. The Byzantine Empire fought the Muslim armies until it was defeated. I read Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, which led up to the Muslim era.

Critical thinking class made me dust off my logic textbooks. Logical arguments from Greece and Rome related to the ancient history I studied for teaching about Islam. Now I teach critical thinking fairly often through Axia. The mental tools cannot grow rusty when they are used so often.

Earning a degree in adult education was a practical move for me. I could see the expansion of online education and enrolled in that program. Learning adult education theory was like learning how an auto works. I can drive without knowing how a car functions, but it is more interesting with some background knowledge.

Journalism was another pragmatic move for me, since I wanted to teach more writing courses at a higher level. All I wanted to do was earn the credits to teach more. I was surprised to find a new world of literature opening up to me, even though I have read literature since high school.

Most students are aware of the rules about healthy food, whether those rules are followed or not. Studying something just to know more about it is another kind of nutrition, feeding the brain and the soul. America was founded by intellectuals like Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Paine. Yes, one essay by Paine kept America in the war and gave us independence. The essay was a best-seller starting with eight one-syllable words: “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Higher education always bears fruit. No one should ever doubt that opportunities arise from advanced preparation. More importantly, higher education has value by itself, as it lifts mankind from barbarism.

“Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.” ~G.K. Chesterton (Quotegarden)

$280 Million Verdict Against Apollo Group Tossed

2008-08-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

PHOENIX (AP) — A federal judge has overturned a $280 million verdict against the for-profit company that owns the University of Phoenix.

Apollo Group Inc. was ordered to pay shareholders that amount in January after a jury decided it fraudulently misled investors about its student recruitment policies.

By doing so, jurors said, Apollo violated federal securities laws.

But in an 11-page ruling, U.S. District Judge James Teilborg decided that the evidence at trial was insufficient to support the jury's ruling.

Associated Press via Google News