Online Degrees

Online classes for elementary and secondary students are offered in 46 states across the country today. In 2006, the state of Michigan passed a law requiring all students to participate in some form of online learning before graduation. Several online schools have been created throughout the state, and additionally, many schools offer a blended ground-online curriculum.

One such school is the Jackson Learning Lab, an online public school centered in Jackson, MI. The school currently has 18 students enrolled and hosts a computer lab in downtown Jackson. Students have the option of completing their coursework in the lab, but aren't required to. All work can be done from a home computer with Internet access.

Lauren Jones, a sophomore with the Jackson Learning Lab has only spent a few days of the school year in an actual classroom. But, her mother said that her daughter "has never learned as much as she has right now." Jones receives the same quality education online that she did in a traditional classroom. Many students often find that they actually learn better online when they aren't surrounded by distractions from other students in the classroom who learn at a different pace.

Online education has greatly increased in popularity over the past several years. Experts predict that within the next decade, online learning will "have a profound influence on every aspect of education." For example, schools will no longer need to physically accommodate all of their students at the same time. Money spent on school reconstruction and expansion could be directed elsewhere as more students choose to spend either all or some of their mandatory school time learning online. A predicted 25 percent of elementary and secondary students will be taking online classes in the next five years. In addition, half of high school classes are expected to be offered online within ten years.

Critics of online education often worry that a lack of interaction among students or between a student and his or her teacher can have a negative effect on students. But instructors who teach online courses think differently.

Jamey Fitzpatrick, president of Michigan Virtual University said that one-to-one student and teacher interaction actually increases with online education. Although teachers in a virtual classroom do not have face-to-face communication with their students, young students actually communicate better online. A student who needs extra help may not want to speak up in front of an entire classroom, but wouldn't be opposed to sending the teacher a quick email asking for clarification. Fitzpatrick said that he has "had teachers say they know more about their virtual students than the ones they see in a classroom" because students feel more comfortable communicating through email.

For many people, the mention of college brings to mind vivid images of ivy-covered brick buildings set amongst spacious green lawns; swarming throngs of students walking along paths beneath canopies of ancient shade trees; bearded professors lecturing in large student-filled halls; blackboards covered with cryptic mathematical symbols, and perhaps countless other vignettes of college life. While these scenes are a reality for some students, for others college life is much different. The advent of the internet in recent years has opened up a whole new way for students to attend college and earn their degrees online, often without ever having to darken a college classroom door.

Online accredited courses--also known as distance learning and e-learning courses--enable working adults with established careers and personal lives to gain additional education for things such as career advancement, professional certification, self improvement, or even simple pleasure. Online courses offer students tremendous flexibility in being able to study at a time and place that best fits into their busy schedules.

With just a little research on the internet you will find a huge offering of online accredited courses from hundreds of colleges, universities, vocational and trade schools. Nearly all universities offer at least a few online courses if not complete degree programs online. A student can take e-learning classes in nearly every discipline and branch of study, and earn degrees ranging all the way from high school diplomas to doctorates.
Barely more than a decade ago, few people could foresee the day when students could take a class from their living room with nothing more than a lap top computer connected to the internet. That day has arrived, and opened the doors of education to millions of students worldwide. Only in a day of revolutionary technological innovation could someone find such a convenience as online classes.

Whether you've already attained a college degree and are looking to further your education, or you've never gone to college but would like to get your college degree or high school diploma, online accredited courses may be the key that unlocks the door to your goals. With the popularity of distance learning education continuing to grow by leaps and bounds each year, the day may come when the traditional college experience is more of a memory than a reality. Just as few could predict the rise in online learning, who can really know what the future holds for education.

Online accredited degrees are educational degrees, offered by reputable universities, which have been accredited by the government of that region. There are many benefits of acquiring such accredited degrees online. The primary one is that it requires virtually no commuting, thus saving you a lot of time and travel expenses. This kind of an online accredited degree will let you complete your selected course, according to your convenience at any time of the day. You can also learn these online accredited courses at your own pace and individual style.

Should you decide not to pursue an online accredited degree program, then you face the risk of devalueing your degree from various employers, educational institutions and universities. Thus, online accredited degree programs have more weight and greater reputation than non-accredited ones.

In order to find out whether your preferred educational institution is accredited, you need to do some research to ascertain the accreditation of various education universities online. Once you complete such courses, you will be able to achieve online certificate degrees. This kind of a program online accredited degree will add extra qualification to your resume.

Online education may not be easier or simpler than traditional courses. However, online education courses and online degree programs give you the advantage of studying at flexible hours. When these degrees gain accreditation, they become quite reputed and appreciated globally.

Distance education primarily involves the earning of degrees and certificates, whereby you do not have to go to any campus or take classes from any teacher directly. Online distance education is very common in this type of education. There are many reputable distance education universities that offer distance higher education and international distance education online. They also offer many accredited degrees online bachelor and masters as well. This kind of online accredited degree, bachelor and masters are open to almost anyone and everyone and covers a wide range of academic subjects that are in demand all over the world. Even HVAC continuing education programs are available online.

You will also find many regionally accredited colleges that offer many online courses for students. These kind of courses primarily benefit physically handicapped and disabled students. However, there is a certain criteria for selection that students who apply for such an online course must pass. Once you fulfill those, you become eligible for such courses.

Apart from academic courses, there are also many non-academic technical courses available online. For instance, the hospitality services management and other management courses are both reputable and popular. You can achieve distance education bachelor and masters degree in these courses and receive certificates as well. These will enable you to have a greater chance of getting placement in related jobs. However, you should not get confused with an online course or program with a correspondence one. The primary difference between them is that in the case of the former the course materials for study are accessible via Internet, while for the latter the study material is sent via courier or by post.

In recent times, the popularity and demand of online educational programs has grown considerably. But be warned, you should be aware of the presence of fake high school diplomas and other programs that are not genuine. In this context, online accredited degrees are the most reputable and reliable.

Continuing education is something quite similar to adult education. It has the same target – adult learners and especially the ones who have gone beyond the standard undergraduate college or university years. However, it would be wrong to talk about continuing education and compare it with any other program for education like vocational training. Like the name of it suggests this is some additional education a person can receive after college or university. The student undertaking continuing education programs needs to have some qualification they have gotten prior to that.

The simplest form of continuing education is a post-secondary course or program. Some continuing education programs are intended to provide some professional training, which does not qualify for any degree for the student undertaking this course. There are certain credits given for continuing education courses and this is why many people want to undertake them at some point in their professional development.

Most often continuing education courses are offered by a college or a university and in case you are looking for such a course you should first try to find it in the university you have previously studied and got your degree from. Most often there is a certain division or a school for continuing education which can sometimes be called university extension or an extension school. There are both courses that give credits and ones that do not and they can all provide some continuing education for enthusiasts. If you are looking to enrich yourself, you can surely benefit from a course that does not offer any credits at all since you will not be needing them for your career development.

Not only students can benefit from some continuing education but also some experts that need to get updates in their fields of work and some of these courses might even be compulsory for people with certain professions that require update of skills on regular basis. The ones who have licenses in order to practice a specific profession need to undergo continuing education training every few years and there are even cases when this needs to be done even more commonly. The licenses of such individuals are given for a certain period of time and they cannot be reissued in case the individual does not go to a continuing education training course. This is done in order to encourage all professionals to be more professional when it comes to their work and stay up to date with all the developments related to what they do.

In order to receive some continuing education, people need to attend regular classes that are set in classrooms but there are also some options for studying from a distance. The ones who go to a certain university or college in order to enroll for some continuing education usually choose to attend classes there and get some laboratory work too in case it is needed. However, working people can choose the distance option and still benefit from continuing education in the best way. If you are interested in continuing education leave me a comment or email me and I can point you in the right direction.

Education is always an important key to a good future. Since his campaign to become President, Barack Obama has made education a key issue. Many important people are focused on increasing scholarship opportunities and improving education. One familiar part of the economic meltdown is the rise in college tuition and other costs. Scholarship packages rarely cover the full amount for tuition, books and housing. With high costs looming, many young adults can't afford to go to a university. Single, working moms are a big section of this group. Helping single mothers get an education helps their families and future employers. The President has attempted to help by encouraging more grants for single mothers to attend school. If you've heard of Obama grants for moms, know that people are referring to Federal Pell Grants. To help with university costs, a student can earn more than $5,000. The primary goal is to encourage single moms to return to school, and by 2012 they could receive as much as $5,400. With these grants for moms, they can pay for tuition, books or any other school-related expenses.

Another worthwhile program is the American Opportunity Tax Credit. With this tax program, the first $4,000 of community college or university expenses are free. This is a worthy incentive, especially for schools that are less expensive. Single moms often fall into this group, so these programs are particularly beneficial to them. Study options are wide open. Taking away a little of the financial burden of college is a helpful way to get more students enrolled. Making more efforts to improve education opportunities is the best way for President Obama to show that he values them. The stimulus plan that passed has some provisions to make the college loan process easier. Preparing schools and students for success is an important Obama administration mission.

Another goal is to encourage more students to attend community colleges. A 2-year degree or the time spent learning a technical school from a community college can be a tremendous asset. In 2007 Obama stated, "We need to put a college education within reach of every American. That's the best investment we can make in our future." With the measures he has taken to this point, the President has demonstrated he means his words. Scholarships for moms are only a small part of the mission to help educate more people. If you're a potential student who wants to make education a priority, there are many chances for you to do so.

There are numerous college entrants who immediately eliminate top private universities from their lists of prospective institutions, assuming that these private universities are far too costly.  Before you make this mistake, consider the different benefits in opting to attend a private school.  The cost difference is likely not as dramatic as you think it might be, and ultimately, the advantages of attending one of the top private universities may be far grander than you ever imagined.

The Cost Of Education

The raw numbers that are presented in brochures can certainly be a bit shocking, but it is important to remember that the top private universities generally have greater endowment funds, which allows these institutions to provide students with more merit and need-based forms of financial assistance.

With everything considered, it may be surprising to find that you could have the ability to attend an Ivy League school for approximately the same cost as attending a public university.  Your student debt upon graduating may even be less significant.  If you are academically qualified, funding for attending a school, or lack of said funding, is certainly not a good reason to miss out on applying to the school of your dreams.  So complete your FAFSA and take a chance on yourself and your dreams.

The Advantages

The most highly sought-after and prestigious degree programs are often offered at private schools.  Due to the smaller sized classes, students get more undivided attention from their esteemed professors and have a much greater opportunity to foster strong personal relationships with their instructors and mentors.

There is a much greater selection in available extra-curricular activities at the top private universities, making it possible for students to bond with one another and to become lifelong friends.  These institutions can also be more academically enriching than their public counterparts as well, given an abundance of special programs, such as study abroad opportunities.

After having passed the rigorous selection process and been granted admission, you will be entering into a learning environment that is highly competitive.  There are more tutoring options for students at private schools, along with a greater abundance of subject matter labs, study groups and private time with instructors in order to foster success.

Contrary to instruction received at a public university, your freshman year core classes are not likely to be taught by teaching assistants when attending one of the top private universities.

Students who graduate from prestigious and top private universities will generally secure lucrative positions in their chosen fields, immediately after receiving their degrees, making it possible for graduates to pay down educational debt fast and to start building personal wealth.

Thanks to the development in Internet technology and increasing use of Internet by the users worldwide that has led to explosion of online colleges/online universities that award online degrees in different streams such as associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. The goal of providing education by one of the accredited online schools or online colleges/universities is to ensure that programs provided by these institutions of higher education to all potential students are quality and meet the exact demand of student's character's and personality development. However, considering the abundance of online schools/colleges, students should avoid the fake ones and make sure that the online education institutes are accredited and recognized by a state government.

The importance of getting online master degree or online bachelors' degree from an accredited online school is that students of different kinds can get the utmost benefits out of it. It ensures accredited higher learning for students, who are physically challenged, soldiers and those students living abroad and busy working class people just to mention a few. There is basically a slight difference between physically attending a lecture class by sitting an auditorium and watching a webcast video of your professor online. The first option requires you to be physically present there while the second option lets you enjoy the lecture of your professor from the comfort zone of your home.

More so, there is a difference between accreditation of the quality of the online degrees and on-campus degrees. Most of the top-notch online colleges or schools are regionally accredited. However, a variation in public perception about these accredited online colleges is a common occurrence.

Considering the importance of getting online masters degree from an accredited university seems much more cost-effective way of realizing your dream of higher education. Since, offline education institutes are not suitable for physically disabled or busy working class people or those staying in foreign land, the online college or university is really a one-stop destination for them to achieve higher accredited education. There are considerably a large number of online universities or colleges in the world offering their quality education to all those students/business executives/employees who seek a comfortable way of getting higher education without any hassle of attending class. From getting quality online degrees to enjoying comforts at home, online colleges or schools or universities are ideal choice in this regard.

While you are thinking about pursuing higher education through online colleges, you should consider some vital points beforehand in this regard. Considering abundance of online colleges/universities, it is important to make sure whether the college you chose to study is accredited. This will ensure that the online degree you have earned is a genuine academic record of your study in the college. More so, you should get all essential information about the online college from students or online reviews to finally deduce the reputation of the college. The Internet is fraught with such resources that will guide you which online degree or school will be an ideal choice for your academic purpose.